Reminder Jewelry Helps First Lady’s Initiative

A San Diego jewelry designer creates Reminder Jewelry for teen girls and women, as a low tech way to remember to eat healthy.

San Diego (I-Newswire) December 6, 2012 - A San Diego jewelry designer creates Reminder Jewelry for teen girls and women, as a low tech way to remember to eat healthy.

This summer, First Lady Michelle Obama announced a new initiative to work with major advertisers like the Walt Disney Company, to create advertising that promotes healthy eating and good nutrition. The nutrition guidelines are aligned to federal standards, promote fruit and vegetable consumption and call for limiting calories and reducing saturated fat, sodium, and sugar.

According to the USDA, nutritional tracking is one of the key factors needed for a successful eating plan. While millions of people are on diets, successful weight loss remains difficult, even with support, pills and exercise.

"The first time I signed up for a diet program, I instinctively knew that I was going to be in big trouble! The most valuable part of any good nutritional plan or diet is to write down what you are eating so you can track your deadly sins. Many people are embarrassed to say they are on a diet or are having trouble remembering to stay on track...even if they are young," explained Melissa Harlow, creator of Reminder Jewelry.

"I was frustrated because I knew that I needed something visual to constantly remind me to eat the right foods. After many failed attempts to loose a few pounds, I decided to create something new to help myself. I incorporated the great tools and advice I learned in my diet program, and twisted the method of logging what I ate.”

Harlow used her passion for jewelry and combined the power of color association to create reminder jewelry. Harlow designed each bracelet with a color that associates to a food group; for example green is associated with vegetables. She designed a bracelet for each food category; water, vegetables, fruit, protein, carbohydrates, fat and dairy. Each bracelet is placed on the wrist in the morning. As a food group is completed for the day, the bracelet (food category) is moved to the other wrist.

"As I wore the bracelets out in the community, people asked me about them. As I explained how the bracelets helped me remember to eat right, many women wanted a set to use every day," said Harlow.

Melissa Harlow designs affordable, multi-purpose fashion jewelry. She started creating her own badge holders while working in the healthcare field. She would often go from work to evening so she created designs that by day were a work accessory and by night they were a fashion accessory. Today, she specializes in her patent pending Reminder Jewelry.