Karina Jones is a real-life ranch wife in the Nebraska Sandhills and one of the most highly sought-after speakers in the cattle industry nationwide!
September is National Whole Grains month, so let’s celebrate today on Fun, Fact Friday right here on Ranch Raised.
According to wholegraincouncil.com, “Health experts advise everyone – men and women, young and old – that grains are a healthy necessity in every diet, and that it’s important to eat at least half our grains as “whole grains.”
But what IS a whole grain? And why does it matter? Whole grains include grains like wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley, quinoa, sorghum, spelt, rye – when these foods are eaten in their “whole” form. Whole grains even include one of my family’s favorites popcorn!
Whole grains even have some valuable antioxidants not found in fruits and vegetables, as well as B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber. The medical evidence is clear that whole grains reduce risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Few foods can offer such diverse benefits.
People who regularly eat whole grains have a lower risk of many chronic diseases. Replacing refined grains with whole grains can significantly improve total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c (a measure of blood sugar control) and C-reactive protein (a measure of inflammation). Systematic reviews have found that “higher intakes of whole grains were associated with a 13–33% reduction in the risk for all critical outcomes,” including all-cause mortality, coronary heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer.
Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 4 children near Broken Bow, NE. She grew up in western NE, with roots also in southwest SD. The cattle industry and raising kids is her passion.
Watching the cattle industry go the path that it has gone, she could no longer sit quietly at home checking cows, fixing fence, and doing all the everyday tasks wondering when some else was going to make it all better. As she became more active and outspoken on industry issues, she was asked to join the R-CALF USA staff in September 2020 as the Checkoff Petition Campaign manager. That position transcended into her current role as full time Field Director for R-CALF USA.
You can hear her almost every Friday on Your Ag Network’s Hot Barn Report, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and industry reforms. Listen to Ranch Raised on a Your Ag Network hometown station or www.youragnetwork.com where she talks about her daily life on the Jones Ranch.
Cattle producers are her people. She will meet you at the county fair, at the sale barn, or anywhere the dusty trail leads.
[email protected] or visit facebook.com/ranchraisedwithkarinajones
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