Lunch

Ladies, Love Your Heart!

I’ve been in the most intriguing discussions all day!

I’ve learned about a ton of new Quaker products that aren’t even on the market yet…(hint, hint Quaker is in the works of making a pancake mix!) as well as how to keep our hearts healthy and our cholesterol levels low.

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I also got to tour the Quaker plant, which is not open to the public. The entire facility is sustainable and eco-friendly…..the chairs are made from recycled Aquafina bottles and the floors are made from recycled old blue jeans! Very cool 🙂

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We broke for lunch after the tour and Quaker graciously provided us with delicious salad and wraps served buffet style. I chose half a chicken wrap (lean chicken breast with sundried tomatoes and spinach in a spinach wrap) and half a roasted veggie wrap (mushrooms, squash and sundried tomatoes in spinach wrap) with a juicy pear and baked lays.

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After lunch, Dr.Volgman lectured us on heart disease in women.

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It was a fantastic lecture! Dr. Volgman is not affiliated with Quaker. She is a cardiologist here in Chicago at Rush University Medical Center and recently has been named one of the top doctors in all the Midwest as well as one of the best doctors in Chicago. She specializes in women’s heart health.

Some things I learned:

  • Women have a MUCH higher risk of heart disease then men
  • It is the number one killer of women
  • Unusual fatigue is a common symptom preceding a heart attack in women
  • Many women out there are misdiagnosed with asthma when they really have a heart ailment. If you have a shortness of breath, GET CHECKED OUT FOR HEART DISEASE. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late.
  • A blood pressure monitor in your home is just as important as owning a scale
  • If you get a 64 slice CT, make sure you know there is radiation risk, which may increase your risk for breast cancer. Be educated.

So, what works to decrease your risk?

  • NUTRITION!!!! Clean up your diet! Number one thing you can do. Begin with breakfast.
  • Be smart….get screened for heart disease. Take initiative!
  • Exercise! Endorphins will go up and bad cholesterol levels will do down.
  • Eat your fresh fruits and veggies. 🙂 Will decrease your palpitations.

**Total cholesterol levels should be less than 200. LDL levels should be less than 100, HDL greater than 60 and triglycerides less than 150.

Good suppliments for healthy hearts include:

  • Omega 3 FA (fish oil)
  • Niacin (vitamin B3)

I’m about to go into a lecture with David Grotto, RD that wrote the book “101 Foods That Could Save Your Life”. I feel like I’m in college again!! I will take lecture notes and post those in a little bit! Remember, I am on twitter!

Busy bloggers at work!

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  • Julia
    November 8, 2008 at 1:41 pm

    Jenna, thanks for taking the time to blog amidst all these exciting lectures and discussions! They sound so informative and useful; I wish I could attend some of those presentations; I love learning about health! 🙂
    But can I just say, I CANT WAIT to find me some of those Quaker True Delight bars! I heart coconut!!!!! Have you tried one yet? Are they as delicious tasting as they look? Please do tell!
    I’m so excited for you! I hope you have a great rest of the trip 🙂

  • jenna
    November 8, 2008 at 1:43 pm

    Julia,

    Kath has tried one and she said they were AMAZING. I hear her rustling the wrapper across the room 🙂 I have one on my desk here and I will be breaking into it probably within the hour.

    One bar = 140 calories
    5 grams fat, 2 grams saturated
    2 grams protein
    8 grams sugar
    3 grams fiber

    Ingredients include yummy things like macadamia nuts, rolled oats, dried bananas and brown sugar (and no, I am not being paid to endorse this product) haha

  • hk
    November 8, 2008 at 1:55 pm

    love seeing all that’s going on!! so fun 🙂

  • claire
    November 8, 2008 at 2:34 pm

    this is cool! my comment is totally off topic, but isn’t Dasani a coke product? I thought that you guys were at the Pepsi HQ?

  • jenna
    November 8, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    Claire,’

    AH OOPS I meant Aquafina!!!!! Good catch!

  • VeggieGirl
    November 8, 2008 at 2:59 pm

    Wow!!!

  • Angie
    November 8, 2008 at 5:48 pm

    Great stuff, Jenna! Lunch looks like it was quite tasty and I have really enjoyed keeping up with #quaker tweets today. What a blast!

  • Mara
    November 9, 2008 at 12:46 pm

    It looks like you’re having a great time! How educational!

  • runjess
    November 9, 2008 at 5:27 pm

    Wow, I always thought men had a higher risk.