We have been busy cooking up some new, exciting developments and wanted to give you the inside scoop. We have a brand new Sub of the Month program launching 1st August and our first Scoop Supporter – Ocean Spray on board. So it’s really important to us that you are across these new initiatives. We truly value and adapt to your feedback. Plus we wanted to give you the scoop on those gorgeous ruby berries for good health.
About Sub of the Month
We are passionate about supporting dietitians and nutritionists to be strong communicators. Ultimately this helps our cause to see credible nutrition information in the media and online. Once a month a dietitian will join us as the guest sub editor. Usually this is a final year nutrition or dietetics student, new graduate or someone with experience, but not in the digital world. The sub of the month gets their hands dirty in the newsroom, helps manage our facebook and Twitter chat and learns the ropes of blogging. In August we welcome Chef and Nutritionist – Mel Haynes. Mel will be focusing on recipe makeover and culinary tips – so look out for her post and comments, plus daily tips on our Scoop Nutrition facebook page.
About Scoop Supporters
We value transparency in blogging and will be hand picking our supporters. These are companies that think, eat and drink just like us. They enable Scoop to grow and continue to bring you more. Proceeds from our supporters are used exclusively for site upgrades and for honorariums provided in our mentoring program – Sub of the month.
A lot of health for one little berry
There are so many reasons we are happy to have Ocean Spray on board. While we support local produce, cranberries hail from North America, so juice or fruit products are the perfect way to get our fill in Australia. Perhaps best known as a key ingredient in a Cosmopolitan Cocktail during Sex and the City hey days, the unique, tart flavour of cranberries gives an added dimension to sweet and savoury recipes. Make sure you grab your free copy of the recipe book by Chef Pete Evans by clicking through the Ocean Spray ad on our sidebar or here. The bircher muesli is the bomb. But it’s the investment in cranberry health research that catches our eye:
Water works and more
Cranberries naturally contain phytochemicals called proanthocyanidins (PACS) which may prevent bacteria from attaching to the cell lining of the bladder. It is this anti-adhesion effect that is thought to be unique to cranberries. While other fruits such as grapes and green tea contain these PACs, the molecular structure of the cranberry means it is one of the few fruits that offers this additional, anti-adhesion benefit.
Research has shown that the cranberry PACs are absorbed by the body where they may function as anti-adhesion agents and/or antioxidants. Cranberries may help prevent urinary tract infections by preventing E. coli from adhering to the cells that line the urinary tract. This same effect may help prevent other types of infections involving host-tissue bacteria such as H. pylori, a major cause of gastric ulcers.
UTIs are one of the most common reasons for visiting a doctor about an infection, with antibiotic therapy the mainstay of treatment. About 1 in 2 women and 1 in 20 men will get a UTI in their lifetime. Studies have shown 250ml of cranberry juice drink a day (with minimum 25% cranberry juice content) may be enough to prevent UTIs, but an optimum dose and duration is not yet known. As always, consult with your health professional.
A recent survey by Kidney Health Australia and The Cranberry Institute reveals Australian women are unaware of basic health recommendations after sex in order to prevent UTI’s. You can read the full recommendations here: UTI prevention after sex
The unique “anti-adhesion” properties that prevent bacteria from forming in the urinary tract may prevent key bacteria from forming in other parts of the body too, even the mouth. A study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association reported that unique cranberry juice components, the same flavanoids mentioned above, have the ability to provide this dental protection. Plus cranberry antioxidants have been studied for their protective role in other lifestyle diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer. While we are not suggesting you use cranberry juice as a mouth wash, it certainly is another indicator of the cranberry as a good health crusader.
Ocean Spray giveaway
We have a generous giveaway pack for one lucky Aussie reader too containing: 1 x 1.5L bottles each of Ocean Spray Cranberry Classic, Ocean Spray Cranberry Light, Ocean Spray Cranberry Pomegranate, Ocean Spray Cranberry Blackcurrant, Ocean Spray Raspberry Cranberry, Ocean Spray Ruby Red Grapefruit, 1 x packet of Craisins dried cranberries, 1 x jar of Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce, 1 x jar of Jellied Cranberry Sauce, 1 x Ocean Spray Cooler Bag, 1 x Pete Evans recipe notebook.
So drop us a comment below for your chance to be picked as the random winner. Competition open until Monday 8th August 5pm EST. We’d really love to hear what you think about our Sub of the Month and Scoop Supporter program? Be honest, your feedback helps shape our future and we value every, single comment. Or perhaps you have a cranberry tip or a Cosmopolitan night-out story? If you’d like to be considered as a Sub of the Month or a Scoop Supporter, we’d love to hear from you too.
