Health and the City in the NY Post!

CATFIGHT WITH 'SEX & CITY'
FEISTY GAL'S TRADEMARK BATTLE
By KATI CORNELL

BRING IT ON: Fitness trainer Jennifer Cassetta is kicking into gear for a legal showdown with HBO over the name of her business, Health and the City.
November 15, 2007 -- She's sexy and calls her business "Health and the City," but a martial- arts trainer who works to turn stressed-out New Yorkers into urban warri ors is ready to take on Go liath to prove she's no Carrie Bradshaw wannabe.

VIDEO: Catfight With 'Sex and the City' Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YearLVl41DU

When Jennifer Cas setta found her call ing coaching urban ites on fitness and nutrition - and came up with a catchy Web do main to match last year - she had no idea she'd be facing more agita than her average client in the form a trade mark battle with HBO.

Cassetta, 31, said she was shocked to learn the entertain ment giant had thrown down the gauntlet in June, accusing her of trying to ride the coattails of the wildly popular show "Sex and the City."

"I'm not selling whatever they sell. I'm not doing a movie about sex and Carrie Bradshaw," Cassetta told The Post yesterday as she braces for HBO's Nov. 18 deadline to file its formal opposition to her trademark application.

"I thought it was a catchy phrase, with the main theme of what I'm trying to do. My clients know that. They have a hard time staying healthy in the city," Cassetta said.

Cassetta teaches and maintains an office at the World Martial Arts Center on West 14th Street and uses her site healthandthecity.net to advertise her services to "overstressed and overworked people who have put their health on the side."

In an effort to avoid an expensive legal battle, Cassetta said she entered discussions with an HBO lawyer who gave her two options - change the name to "Health in the City" or withdraw her application for the trademark altogether.

"I asked, 'Why would I do that?' I'm supposed to roll over and die because I'm afraid of HBO?" said Cassetta, who has already paid $484 for the trademark-application fee and explained that the alternate name already is owned and could cost her more than $10,000.

" 'In' or 'and,' I didn't think it was that much of a difference," Cassetta said. "I think it's unfair. They know I'm a small-business owner and I don't have the money to fight them."

Asked whether HBO intends to file the formal opposition with the US Patent and Trademark Office, HBO spokesman Jeff Cusson said, "We just don't discuss legal issues in the press."

HBO routinely challenges trademark applications that contain the words "and the city."

To watch the video, go to www.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YearLVl41DU

Health and the City Trademark Dispute with HBO

So, in case you haven't heard, I am in the midst of a trademark dispute with HBO over my company's name, Health and the City.

I have been written up in the Wall Street Journal, on the WSJ law blog, and had an interview today on NPR. Pretty exciting stuff.

However, what's not exciting is how this all started. A year ago I applied for a trademark. Over the summer I found out through postcards from the USPTO that HBO was delaying the process by extending the time to oppose my application. I was contacted by their lawyers and was asked to withdraw my application or to change my name to Health In the City. This would cost me thousands of dollars, so I declined. HBO has until November 18th to oppose my trademark. If they do, I will have to go through litigation and the final decision will be up to a judge.

Anybody can clearly see that my company has nothing to do with Carrie Bradshaw screwing up her relationships or Samantha sleeping with half of the city.

This is clearly a case of a small business owner getting bullied around on the playground of Corporate America. HBO is sending out a sign to their demographic that they don't want to see a young woman get ahead. They would rather give her a hard time, because they can.

With their new movie coming out I think this is truly a poor decision on their part. I currently have the support of many members of a large women's networking organization called Ladies Who Launch.

People, do you know what can happen when you put a large number of powerful women behind a movement?

Let's see.........

Women's Health Mag May Issue

On page 103 you can find an energizing martial arts workout that I have designed for the magazine. You can do it anymore at anytime, no equipment or experience needed.

Excerpt:
Why it works:
As you slide into that midafternoon slump, you need a mental pick-me-up as much as a physical one. "Martial arts give you energy because they increase focus," says Jennifer Cassetta, a second degree black belt instructor at World Martial Arts Center in New York City. "You're challenging yourself to remember these new moves and combinations."

2 Days to Detox from Bibi Magazine by Jennifer

Have you ever had a feeling that you have consumed way more food than what your body can really use? During the winter months is when we tend to hibernate and eat more rich and savory foods in larger quantities. If this sounds familiar then maybe it is time for a short detox.

A detox is different things to different people. It can range from abstaining from all food and drink, which is commonly called fasting, to allowing juices and some solid foods, which is what I like to call a cleanse.

The practice of detoxing is nothing new. There is early evidence of Hippocrates (400 BC), the mythical Greek "Father of Medicine," prescribing fasting for patients with an oncoming disease, and a spare diet on other occasions. Buddha fasted while he was on his path to enlightenment, and to this day, most religions practice some sort of fasting usually in order to observe a holiday and to celebrate their spirituality.

Whether you are religious or not, detoxing has amazing health benefits for the body and for your head. I recently went away on a weeklong-guided detox, and not only did my body look and feel better, but I also gained mental clarity on some nagging issues that were in my life before the detox.

I am not suggesting for everyone to abstain from eating for a week, especially if you are busy working and living a stressful life like most of us do. However, even just limiting your food intake to fresh fruits and vegetables and their juices for only two days could work miracles for an overstressed body and soul.

If you are wondering what the payoff is for temporarily giving up your lattes and your french fries, then listen up. First, digesting food takes up to 10% of your energy expenditure on a given day. Wouldn't it be nice to utilize this extra energy for other things? Second, over the years your body has stored up a lot of extra junk, for lack of a better term. This junk can weigh us down energetically as well as on thescale.The junk is stored up in our intestinal track, often in the form of mucous, and is also stored in our lungs and sinuses as well. By giving the body a rest from digesting foods that do not serve us, we are letting our detoxifying organs, mainly the liver, kidneys, and lungs, to function more efficiently. We also give thelower intestine, or colon, a chance to empty out some of the previously mentioned junk.

The length of time one does a detox or cleanse, depends on the lifestyle of the individual. Part of the reason my weeklong detox was so successful was because of the peaceful environment I was in and the fact that I was participating in a program with tons of support from other participants. But for mostpeople, the easiest and safest length of time to cleanse would be two to three days.

The type of detox one chooses is also dependent on one's lifestyle and diet habits. For a "detox virgin," the best way to start is to keep it simple. Choose two or three days where you have some free time to dedicate to preparing your foods and for relaxing and reflecting. Next, stock your fridge with fresh vegetables and fruits. Choose ones you enjoy eating, but try to eat more vegetables than fruits to avoid spiking your blood sugar. You can eat the fruit or vegetables raw, or can juice them in a juicer or blender. Enjoy raw vegetables like carrots, broccoli, kale, cucumbers, celery, etc., as well as fruits that are low in sugar like bananas, apples and oranges. So, for the time that you are on your detox, avoid all other foods including refined carbohydrates like breads, pastas and noodles and all baked goods. You are also abstaining from dairy, sugar, caffeine, meat, and anything outside the realm of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you feel like you may need some additional sustenance, then consider adding some healthy fats to your detox like avocados and nuts and seeds like, almonds, walnuts,sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

One may experience some discomfort during the cleanse such as headaches, nausea or even slight skin irritations. This is most likely the body's way of getting the junk out. Certain emotional discomforts may surface as well and they could stem from addictions to certain foods or other issues where food has been used as a coping mechanism.

Once you have finished your cleanse, you will most likely have more energy than when you started. You may even shed a pound or two, but what you will definitely feel is a sense of accomplishment knowing that you did something healthy for yourself. Enjoy your new found vitality!

If you have any medical issues always seek the advice of a professional before starting your detox.

March issue of Marie Claire

"I'm not motivated to do things by myself, so I had a workout party with my boyfriend, some other friends, and personal trainer Jennifer Cassetta. She taught us martial arts moves - we even held up pads for each other to kick. It reminded me of how much I liked martial arts when I was younger. Toward the end, we were trying to keep up with her, and we were all dying, but we made it through! Then we had tea and chatted. I loved it. Plus, my boyfriend was ready to collapse at the end of it, and it made him realize how out-of-shape he is, so we're making a resolution to get healthy together. It's impossible to get someone to work out if they're not motivated to do it, but it's easy to invite someone to do something active with you."
- Kristine, 27, graphic designer