Jackie's Health Blog

Heart Health February 1, 2016

February is heart health month, and it is the perfect time to get to know the most important muscle in your body, and improve your relationship with it. Your heart is a powerful machine, pumping oxygen rich blood to your brain and other organs and transporting waste and carbon dioxide out. Taking care of your heart is one of the most important things you can do, and one of the most beneficial to your overall health and happiness.

More than 1 million Americans suffer from heart attacks each year, approximately half of them dying. Increased risk of heart failure and heart disease are influenced by a number of factors, not all of which we can control, such as age and race. However you can lower your risk through healthy eating and exercise habits. When plaque, a build up of cholesterol and other material, grows in your arteries, it can lead to blockages in blood flow and a loss of flexibility in the heart muscles, which can be potentially fatal. To manage this, limit your intact of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol in your diet by choosing lean meats, such as poultry and fish. Fish are also high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower your risk as well. Whole-grain and high-fiber foods can also help lower your blood cholesterol levels. Maintaining a balanced diet high in fruits and vegetables is essential to all aspects of health, supplying your body with the vitamins, minerals, and fiber it needs without the calories it doesn’t. Regular exercise is also extremely important for maintaining cardio-vascular health, and the American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity five days a week. This includes running, biking, swimming and any other physical activity that gets you out of the chair and your blood pumping. The heart is a muscle after all, and you can make it stronger through exercise. Women have just as much if not more risk of heart disease, despite common belief, with 1 in 3 U.S. women living with heart disease today. Removing habits such as smoking and binge drinking from your life, as well as maintaining a healthy weight are incredibly important for a fit and healthy heart. But what about a happy heart?

We often look at the heart and the mind as two opposing components of our body, two equal but opposite forces that combine to give us life and conscience. But in reality they are two sides of the same coin, and in fact are more inter-connected than we may know. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that clinically depressed women had more than twice the risk of other women to suffer sudden cardiac death. Another study found that men who were aggressive and angry in their day-to-day lives (as opposed to professionally aggressive) had a 19% greater risk of coronary heart disease than those with a lighter demeanor. The idea that stress is bad for your health is certainly not new, but the clear associations between chronic stress and strain on the heart is becoming to clear, and potentially life-threatening, to ignore. A 2007 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that patients who had a heart attack and then returned to a stressful job were twice as likely to have a second attack than those who viewed their jobs as more stress-free. And while you may not be able to quit your job, you may be able to change how you cope with it. Deep breathing exercises, meditation, and taking short walks outside when you are in stressful situations are important to building the awareness you need to realize when you are stressed, and taking the first steps to removing the stress from your life. Regular exercise will also reduce your stress, and help reduce your risk of cardiac diseases as discussed earlier. Getting enough sleep is also extremely important for not just regulating stress, but avoiding heart risk in general, especially for women. A 2008 study from Duke University showed a consistent correlation between poor sleeping habits and higher levels of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes in women.

While we all have stress, how we manage it defines our ability to stay fit and productive in our daily lives. That’s why this month you should examine your choices carefully, and choose ones that will build upon and reinforce a healthy and active lifestyle. Take the time out of your day to exercise, sleep, and eat right. Those choices will directly affect your capacity to have a strong and healthy heart, and therefore will lead to a longer and happier life.

Monday Moment of Clarity October 27, 2014

Let NutriFit help you with your holiday parties this season. October 21, 2014

Was so thrilled to read these lovely comments from NutriFit client, Margo Milman. “I have been using NutriFit for the past 3 months and have lost l0 pounds; but that is not what I want to talk about.  My husband and I were hosting a Caribbean themed party and were debating who to use to cater the event. So we tested a couple of Puerto Rican restaurants, considered our standard Cuban go to restaurant Portos, and then we spoke to Jackie Keller at NutriFit to see if they were able to cater such an event. She was happy to help us to arrange a menu in conjunction with her Chef, Chef Antonio. We worked with Jackie and Chef Antonio to produce a healthy, tasty Caribbean menu. The food so far exceeded our expectations-we and our guests were just blown away. Moreover Chef Antonio stayed to make sure that everything was just perfect. He served our 25 guests, was engaging, professional, and delightful. He explained the preparations for people who inquired (and most did), and stayed all the way through desert which came several hours after the initial appetizers were served. This was a cornerstone to an extremely successful party. I’d append all the lovely comments from our guests, but there are just to many to include.” Let us help you with your holiday parties this season. Call us today! 310.473.1989

Monday Moment of Clarity June 2, 2014

I’m often stopped by curious onlookers asking me about my Honda FCX Clarity? “What is it they ask?” It’s AWESOME is my typically response. “Yeah, I see that, but what how does it work?” 

So I asked my good friend, Steve Ellis, manager of Fuel Cell Vehicle Sales and Marketing at American Honda, for one sentence describing how my AWESOME Honda FCX Clarity works. He’s what he said:

Its an all electric, zero emission car just like a Battery Electric. However instead of needing a plug to charge, it makes electricity from hydrogen I put in the tank and oxygen from the air. It fills in about 4 or 5 minutes and is good for another 240 miles. The next model will go over 300 miles.

Sounds pretty AWESOME, doesn’t it. 

NutriFact! October 11, 2013

Did you know that increases in leptin (an appetite suppressor) and decreases in ghrelin (appetite stimulant) occur during sleep? In addition, blood glucose levels rise and fall during sleep, apparently linked to sleep stages. We all knew that sleep was important – but here’s why it’s a potentially factor in regulating energy use, appetite and weight control!

Let’s Move! Challenge Neighborhood Event October 9, 2013

A local project of First Lady Michelle Obama’s national Let’s Move! initiative, Let’s Move! West LA will stage a series of recreation-oriented challenges in fitness, nutrition awareness and wellness experiences for the Del Rey Day’s Neighborhood Celebration.

The City of LA-certified Del Rey Neighborhood Council’s 8th annual event is set for Sunday, October 20th at Glen Alla Park, 4601 Alla Rd. LA 90292. The public is invited to this neighborhood party-style event scheduled from 11AM – 3PM featuring many neighbors performing LIVE music with performing stage entertainment. Vendors will offer snacks and beverages and lawn chairs and picnic supplies are encouraged.

Another Let’s Move! Challenge is lead by Chef Jackie Keller, an original Let’s Move! volunteer in West LA. Chef Jackie will lead a Nutrition Awareness Challenge for adults and children to demonstrate how any age family members can create healthier quality food/snack choices for tasty and more affordable meals.

Chef Jackie’s Let’s Move! Nutrition Awareness Workshop followed specialized training she received at the White House under Assistant Executive Chef to the First Family, Sam Kass. Chef Kass serves as National Executive Director for Let’s Move! projects goal to eliminate childhood obesity within our generation.

First Lady Michelle Obama created the ‘Chefs Move! to Schools’ program to train culinary professionals that wanted more community involvement with parents, schools or community groups interested in growing more nutritious households. On her previous Let’s Move! assignment, Chef Jackie led hands-on seminars for students at a LAUSD High School.

A visionary entrepreneur, Chef Jackie co-founded NutriFit in 1987 as a personalized meal-delivery and health & wellness consulting service for A-List celebrities, currently including Anne Hathaway, ‘Breaking Bad’s’ Bryan Cranston, Will Ferrell, Ginnifer Goodwin, Daisy Fuentes and many in the entertainment industry.

In 2010 First Lady Michelle Obama, a former hospital executive, created the Let’s Move! initiative in response to the epidemic of childhood and adult obesity in the country. Today over 10,000 volunteers at work on Let’s Move! fitness – nutrition awareness and wellness projects in 350 cities in all 50 states.

Visit http://www.LetsMoveWestLA.ning.com events section for more information on the Del Rey Family Wellness

Day. The Del Rey Days event is sponsored the Del Rey Neighborhood Council. For information on the Neighborhood Council visit http://www.delreync.org. The free event is scheduled Sunday, October 20th from 11AM to 3PM at Glen Alla Park, 4601 Alla rd. 90292.

More good news…. September 23, 2013

More good news for women who drink: Tufts University researcher Katherine L. Tucker, PhD, report that postmenopausal women who consumed two drinks a day or more had 5%-8.3% better hip and spine bone-mineral density (BMD) than nondrinkers. Men who drank one or two alcoholic beverages a day had 2.4%-4.5% better hip BMD than their teetotaling peers. 

“It is very confusing for people because alcohol has such diverse effects on different things,” she says. “Nonetheless, she says the effect of alcohol on bone density detected in this new study is “larger than what we see for any single nutrient, even for calcium. It’s not ambiguous. It’s very clear.”

Black Bean Salsa Recipe! September 20, 2013

This recipe features NutriFit’s very own Calypso Spice Blend! Available on Amazon.com and on nutrifitonline.com’s online store!

Black Bean Salsa

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 65 minutes

Servings: 14

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 ½ cups black beans, cooked

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

½ cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. NutriFit Calypso Salt Free Spice Blend

½ cup onion, chopped

1 fresh serrano pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup tomato, seeded, chopped

Directions:

Note – For each teaspoon of the Calypso Spice Blend, you may substitute: 1/2 tsp. ground chiles, 1/4 tsp. ground cumin, 1/8 tsp. black pepper and 1/8 tsp. garlic powder.

1. Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl; mix well. Refrigerated, salsa

will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

Notes:

Cooked black beans combined with fresh cilantro, whole kernal corn, chopped tomato, chopped onion, minced garlic and spices

Nutrient Information: (serving size: ¼ cup)

Calories: 27; Carbohydrate: 6.151g; Cholesterol: 0g;

%Calories from fat: 3.40%; Dietary Fiber: 1.74g; Sodium: 81mg

Total fat: 0.102g; Protein: 1.462g