COUNTRY HARVEST BREADS GO PINK TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE CANADIAN BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION

Eat Pink with Country Harvest whole grain breads to help reduce breast cancer risk and raise funds for breast cancer research

TORONTO, ON (September 1, 2009) – Country Harvest whole grain breads are going pink, in partnership with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, to raise awareness and help find a cure. Country Harvest whole grain breads and bagels will donate ten cents from every product sold during the month of October to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation for a total donation of up to $50,000.

In addition to supporting breast cancer research, Canadian women can go a step further to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer, by choosing whole grain foods like Country Harvest, as part of a healthy diet. It’s called “eating pink” and it means choosing foods that help reduce breast cancer risk and help support breast cancer research. According to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation , a balanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and low in fat and sugar helps to maintain a healthy body weight, which is linked to lower risk for breast cancer.

“A healthy and balanced diet is always the first step to good health, so why not buy foods that taste delicious, help reduce your risk of developing cancer and help give back to your community,” says professional home economist, Mairlyn Smith. “This October, I’ll be scanning grocery store aisles for nutritious pink products like Country Harvest whole grain breads to do just that!”

For a powerful cancer-fighting punch, experts suggest combining four or more proven cancer reducers in one meal. The combination of foods is more powerful than single ingredients.
Mairlyn Smith shares the following suggestions to keep your diet pink year-round:

• Prepare grab-and-go healthy snacks. Use Tupperware containers and baggies to pair healthy carbohydrates and proteins like nuts and sliced fruit, carrots and hummus or mini whole grain sandwiches with peanut butter. Pack milk to add healthy fluids to your diet.
  
• Create a menu of meals for the week modeled on Canada’s Food Guide of recommended servings for all ages. Try including a french toast made with whole wheat bread and homemade blueberry sauce for a healthy breakfast, or a protein-packed sandwich made with homemade hummus, leafy greens and tomato on whole grain bread.
  
• Combine four or more cancer-reducing ingredients in one meal by keeping a list of foods with proven cancer-reducing components on the fridge. Berries, intensely coloured fruits and vegetables and whole grains are favourites.

• Purchase products with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation pink ribbon this fall to give back to your community, or volunteer with community events like the “Run for the Cure” – which Country Harvest proudly supports.

For more information about breast cancer, please visit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation website at http://www.cbcf.org .

Product facts

• In addition to offering great tasting and healthy whole grain products, Country Harvest will go pink and donate a portion of proceeds sold during the month of October to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

• Participating products include all varieties of the Country Harvest bread and bagels, including: Flax, Twelve Grain, and 100% Stone-Milled Whole Wheat, Country Harvest Plus Multigrain Crunch and Country Harvest Plus 100% Whole Wheat & Fibre.

• All Country Harvest breads are:

• Made with 100% whole grains
• A source of Omega-3
• A source of fibre
• Low in saturated fat
• Trans fat-free

• This year marks the 7th anniversary of Country Harvest's Harvest of Hope. Ten cents of every Country Harvest purchase during October will go to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation for a total donation of $50,000.
  
• Country Harvest products are available at all major food retailers.

Eat pink in October

By Mairlyn Smith, Professional Home Economist
October marks breast cancer awareness month, and with so many products “going pink” the entire month seems blanketed in the colour. As a long time supporter of the cause, this year I asked myself how do I make my “pink purchases” go further.
To keep it simple, I decided to stick to what I know best – food – and resolved to “eat pink” to maintain my healthy lifestyle and buy pink for my community and my cause.

Eating a nutritious and balanced diet is always a smart idea, as is choosing foods that are proven cancer reducers or fighters. Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation research shows that a balanced diet that includes whole grains helps to maintain a healthy body weight which may help reduce the risk of breast cancer.

I am also a believer of the “four-or-more” theory which holds that eating a combination of four or more cancer-reducing agents in the same meal has a much stronger effect than single ingredients. Some top cancer-reducing foods include broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, dark leafy greens, red, orange and purple fruits, vegetables and berries, green tea, whole grains, beans, and herbs and spices.

So the foods on my grocery list this month will be healthy and pink. This includes my favourite whole grain bread, Country Harvest, that is donating a portion of the proceeds from all products sold during the month of October to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Media Opportunities
Mairlyn Smith, a Toronto-based home economist, is available for media interviews during the month of October. Mairlyn can offer your audience the following:

• Tips on “eating pink” to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the month of October to support your community.
• How to incorporate the “four-or-more” theory into your diet (eating healthy combinations of foods rather than single ingredients)
• New recipes and healthy meal options for fall

To book an interview with Mairlyn, please contact:

Ashley Ballantyne or Danielle Scheinman at Argyle Communications:
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(416) 968-7311 x231 or 239