Guest Blog by Jasonja Ward
My journey began in 1995; first, the delivery of my daughter, Aundria Nicole Ward, a week later, expected not to survive from suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm. Life as I knew it was over.
In fact, after being brought to the emergency room completely blind from the rupture, the doctor informed me that I had yet another aneurysm waiting to rupture, and there was absolutely nothing that could be done for me.
I needed to get my affairs in order as I wouldn't live until the weekend; it was Thursday then. My goal went from studying law at SMU as a Paralegal to interning at the District Attorney's Office to being hired by one of the Senators in Dallas, expecting to finish school to take the bar exam. Life as I knew it from that point on was solely based on prayer to God just to live and breathe.
My memoir, The Joys of Favor, shares all about this story and how I survived and changed my life forever…
In early 2007, my doctor informed me that my cholesterol was over 200 and I should be placed on immediate medication. On that day, my cholesterol was 242. I told my doctor to give me a few months to get it down naturally by incorporating Oats into my daily diet and the exercise regimen I was already consistently maintaining. Now, after three consecutive months of consuming two daily bowls of prepackaged oatmeal and cereals, I proudly had my blood work analyzed, only to find out that my cholesterol went from 242 to 250.
Through my devastation, I decided to do my own research. I learned that while oats do actually reduce one's cholesterol, combining them with processed foods significantly reduces their effectiveness. I decided to go all-natural without skimping on the taste. My daughter, Aundria Nicole, and niece, Kristian Nicole, were my taste testers.
My research led me to use a local Texas honey and Cinnamon. The combination is explosive in more ways than one when consumed on a regular basis. Also, high levels of Cinnamon reduce one's sugar metabolism, which causes no sugar spikes. Great for low-sugar dieters and diabetics! Trust me, many have been tried and tested on our products.
This combination and my secret herbs and spices plummeted my cholesterol by 81 points in 11 months. During my doctor's watchful eye, as with every three months of having my blood work checked, my doctor would notice how my numbers were gradually coming down. He said, "Jasonja, I don't see anything in your blood work that would explain your numbers dropping as they are. What are you doing?”
You could only imagine his expression when he saw me pull a cookie from my purse. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "It's the cookie that I created. I eat one twice a day. I'm great at researching, doctor". He stated, "A cookie? Well, whatever you're doing, keep it up.” I decided at that point to go all the way! I had the cookies tested for nutritional value at Texas Women's University, and the numbers were great!
After that, I began giving my cookies away as gifts. Then, one day, my dentist's office called requesting an order of several dozen. I was shocked because I hadn't planned on selling them. I then contacted Lynn Plato of Tangerine Cafe Design Group to create a professional logo for our brand, and did she! Although highly interested, the public schools couldn't afford to pick them up, but that didn't stop Whole Foods Market from doing so.
I was invited to come to their corporate office for an interview in July 2009. In March of 2010, THE ALL-NATURAL-HEALTHY COOKIE launched in all of the Dallas area Whole Foods Markets stores, with only the six flavors that I'd developed at the time, and the rest is history! Now, our product line has grown to over 30 items consisting of our All-Natural-Healthy Cookies, Brownies, Muffins, and Pie Tarts, mixed with a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and more wonderful superfoods as I continue to research healthy combinations.
Our products are now exclusively sold on our online website, all three Texas Bodybuilding Federations, Europa Dallas Games, and CrossFit Competitions.
My goal is to encourage everyone, everywhere, to eat deliciously healthy! I'm thankful that these hands are being used for that purpose.
JOIN Jasonja and April on the Beacon of Light Podcast on Tuesday, Feb 20th at 6:30 pm Mountain and talk about this amazing journey!
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