heart health with jenny craig & valerie bertinelli

On May 31st, I participated in the American Heart Association's Wall Street Run and Heart Walk with a number of NYC bloggers. The invitation to join "Team Jenny" came from Jenny Craig and their spokesperson Valerie Bertinelli, and I was honored to help raise awareness for this cause.

I hate to start with a downer, but these facts simply can't be ignored:

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in American women, and over 42 million women are currently living with some type of cardiovascular disease.

While I haven't been directly effected by heart disease, I also can't deny the fact that I'm getting older and need to start paying more attention to healthy eating and exercise (GULP). Smart decisions now will help in the long run, plain and simple.

Valerie Bertinelli (who stars in TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland"), lost 40 pounds with Jenny Craig in 2007, and is an advocate for heart health and the Jenny Craig Weight Loss program.  When her mother, Nancy, required emergency heart valve replacement surgery, the cardiologist pulled Valerie and her brother aside and told them that if her mom hadn't previously lost weight, she would not have survived. Nancy lost 54 pounds on Jenny Craig after seeing her daughter's success with the program.

It was a pleasure meeting Valerie and seeing firsthand what an event like this means to her, not to mention the thousands of other walkers and joggers in attendance. You could feel a palpable energy in the crowd as we walked the streets of the Financial District.


With Bertinelli (which also makes me one degree away from Betty White!)

Inspired by the American Heart Association’s healthy-living initiative My Heart. My Life, Jenny Craig launched My Heart. My Life. My Jenny, which focuses on educating the public regarding the significant health risks associated with weight-related diseases, including heart disease and stroke. Jenny Craig is encouraging the public to eat better, get moving and live a healthier life.

So with that, I'm going to try a month of the Jenny-Set-Go program. I'm going to start (consistently) hitting the gym and making small changes in my diet while keeping my eye on the prize -- a healthy heart and body! I've already started opting for skim milk instead of cream in my iced coffee... that's something, right?

At last count, the Wall Street Run and Heart Walk raised $1,492,837 in donations!

Here's to healthy living. If you'd like to share your favorite healthy recipe or exercise tip, I'm all ears!



Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. My participation was sponsored by Jenny Craig and I will be receiving one month of the Jenny-Set-Go program.