When Linda Ikeda couldn't find a nutrition bar with enough flavor and nutrition, she gathered ingredients and started baking her own.  The Lakewood resident tweaked, tested and tasted for a year until she created what she called the healthy, 2-ounce snack to energize and stave off hunger.  Her products, which she calls Jumpstart BodyFuel, are available at three It's A Grind Coffee House locations in Long Beach, California.  So far, the bar comes in two flavors: "Cranberry The Bar" and "Raisin The Bar". They are free of wheat, dairy and cholesterol and sweetened with pure applesauce, molasses and a small amount of raw cane sugar.

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A graphic artist and designer, Ikeda said that creating the product combined her love of cooking with her profession of taking images - often of food products - and artistically marketing them to consumers.  And to be sure she was using the proper ingredients, she said, she consulted with a nutrition and food technology expert.  Her creation, she said, has helped her maintain her health despite diagnoses of lupus, rheumatic heart disease and fibromyalgia.  She sees an Alternative Medical Doctor who told her to avoid certain foods that could aggravate her condition.  In the future, whe would like to sell other nutritional supplements as well as hire a staff to offer health consultations as well.  Ultimately, she said her aim is to help people build strong defenses against disease and promote healthy living.  A portion of all product profits will benefit area organizations that help youth and people with disabilities, such as California Pools of Hope, Kid's Connection and Autistic Foundation.

- article as it appeared in The Grunion Gazette written by Kelly Garrison

Jumpstarter Bodyfuel News Flash:
 L.A. Times article
March 22, 2010

A Delicious Alternative Nutrition Lifestyle