FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 7, 2017 - NEW YORK — Celebrity food guru and author Shannon Sarna will serve as brand ambassador and spokesperson for "Every Bite Counts: Hadassah's Nutrition Program" (EBCHNP) which launches February 7 for February Heart Health Month, announced National President Ellen Hershkin. Sarna will appear in a series of Hadassah-branded Every Bite Counts cooking videos throughout the year, author a monthly Every Bite Counts column with heart healthy recipes and engage in social media.

Every Bite Counts: Hadassah's Nutrition Program is the third phase of Every Beat Counts: Hadassah's Heart Health Program®. Launched in 2015, Every Beat Counts educated over 10,000 women nationwide that 90% of women have one or more risk factors for heart diseases. 2016's Every Step Counts: Hadassah's Walking Program brought awareness that heart disease is preventable 82% of the time and helped several thousand Hadassah members build exercise into their daily routines through a virtual walking program. In 2016, Hadassah Medical Organization's (HMO) Heart Institute opened Israel's first Heart Valve Disease Clinic, and HMO's Linda Joy Pollin Wellness Center, which opened in 2012, continues to raise awareness about women's heart health among Jewish and Arab women.

Ellen Hershkin states, "One American woman dies from heart disease every 80 seconds. As a women's organization, there is nothing more important to Hadassah than the health of our members and all women. Every Bite Counts will educate, encourage and inspire women to live a healthier lifestyle."

Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA), an alliance partner of the American Heart Association (AHA), provides resources to monitor the cardiovascular health of the general population. According to the AHA, an estimated 44 million women in the U.S. are affected by cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 women's deaths annually with women having a higher lifetime risk of stroke than men. Symptoms of a heart attack also present differently in women versus men and are often misunderstood by physicians.

Shannon Sarna is editor of the popular Jewish food blog The Nosher and a contributing writer to Kveller.com. Sarna was born to an Italian mother who loved to bake, a Jewish father who loved to experiment, and had a food chemist grandfather, so loving and experimenting with diverse foods is simply in her blood. Her columns and recipes have been featured in Tablet Magazine, JTA News, New Jersey Monthly Magazine, The Jewish Week, Joy of Kosher Magazine, Vinepair, Modern Loss and Buzzfeed. A graduate from Smith College with a degree in Comparative Government and Spanish Language and Literature, she lives in South Orange, NJ with her husband, daughters and rescue dogs. She is currently writing her first cookbook with Countryman Press, to be released August 2017.

Shannon Sarna states, "When it comes to your heart and health, I believe it starts with what we put into our bodies, and truly, every bite counts. I am honored to share this heart healthy journey with Hadassah and their members as we cook our way to a healthier and more delicious life."