LYFE Kitchen announced the launch of the world-class LYFE Kitchen Wellness and Health Advisory Panel, composed of some of the foremost authorities in wellness and healthy lifestyles. Members of the blue ribbon panel will lend their voices and recommendations on issues relating to wellness, health, and lifestyle to the transformational, socially-responsible "lyfestyle" brand that will open its first restaurant in Palo Alto, California, this October.

"In our ongoing mission to serve as a trusted lifestyle ally, LYFE Kitchen will always explore ways to serve delicious, affordable food to active, taste-conscious families," says CEO Mike Roberts. "We value all of the voices in the wellness community and will always strive to learn from their experiences."     

LYFE Kitchen founder Stephen Sidwell says, "We hope to make LYFE Kitchen a transformational brand that will help to create a new category in the foodservice industry. We believe that customers can have a new relationship with their food by enjoying great tasting, guilt-free meals while learning valuable insights that lead to well-balanced, active lifestyles."

Reflecting the wide range of thought leaders in the wellness and health arena – including professional sports, fitness, nutrition, and medicine – the advisory team consists of:

• American football All-Pro Troy Polamalu: As a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the four-time All-Pro and 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year has made his way to the Super Bowl three times, been a part of two Super Bowl Champion seasons, and elected to the Pro Bowl six times. Polamalu is well-known for his thoughtful and passionate commitment to wellness in mind, body, and soul.  
• Janet Evans (four-time Olympic gold medalist, mother of two, and LYFE National Mom Advisory Panel member): As the lead ambassador for LYFE Kitchen's National Mom Advisory Panel, Evans, the decorated five-time Olympic medalist, world record holder, accomplished distance swimmer, and mother of two offers inspiration for other moms, including her own exercise tips and personal triumphs and challenges when making food decisions with her family. Janet is currently training to make a comeback for the 2012 Olympics, demonstrating her commitment to living an active lifestyle. Click here to see Evans' lifestyle tips during a recent virtual LYFE Kitchen Facebook Town Hall chat.     
• Dr. Anthony Cardillo and Dr. Armand Dorian (emergency room doctors and medical advisors to the television and film industry): As board-certified emergency physicians, fellows of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and clinical professors of emergency medicine, Doctors Cardillo and Dorian believe in the importance of balancing all aspects of one's lyfestyle. They are the founders of Dox Solutions, a progressive company designed to help people live healthier, happier lives. They also have a successful, innovative beverage in the health and wellness space called Dox Cardio Water. Recent advice from the doctors on preventive prescriptions for a better lyfe include: exercise at least three times a week; don't stress about the stress; you will become what you eat; and commit to the eight-hour sleep rule.    
• Dr. David Perlumutter (board-certified neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition, MD, FACN, ABIHM): Dr. Perlmutter has achieved international recognition as a leader in the field of complementary medicine. The recipient of numerous awards, including the Linus Pauling Award and the Denham Harmon Award, his scientific publications have appeared in the well-respected journals including The Archives of Neurology, The Journal of Neurosurgery, and The Southern Medical Journal. Author of the best selling “Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten,” and “The Better Brain Book,” Perlmutter is the founder of the Perlmutter Health Center and lives in Naples, Florida. He was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2010 by the American College of Nutrition. Click here for a recent article in The Huffington Post to see why Dr. Perlmutter believes that there is "Finally, Healthy Fast Food" with the arrival of LYFE Kitchen.   
• Leading expert on functional medicine, Dr. Mark Hyman, MD: Four-time New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Mark Hyman is a an internationally recognized leader in the groundbreaking whole-systems medicine approach known as Functional Medicine. Hyman serves as the chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine and was awarded its2009 Linus Pauling Award for Leadership in Functional Medicine. Hyman has testified before the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, consulted with the surgeon general, testified before the Senate Working Group on Health Care Reform on Functional Medicine, and was nominated for the President's Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health. After nearly ten years as co–medical director at Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, the 2009 Linus Pauling Award recipient is founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts, where he directs a team of physicians, nutritionists, and nurses who utilize a comprehensive approach to health.    
• Executive chef Art Smith (chef, restaurateur, author, TV personality, philanthropist, two-time James Beard Award winner, and the former personal chef to Oprah Winfrey for 10 years): He recently received accolades for his 100-pound weight loss, achieved through balanced diet and exercise.   
• Consulting chef Tal Ronnen: Chef Tal is known for his ground-breaking plant-based culinary expertise. He received nationwide acclaim as Oprah Winfrey's chef during her 21-day vegetarian and vegan diet exploration. Catapulting to fame he then catered Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's wedding. He also prepared the first vegan dinner at the U.S. Senate. Chef Tal was named on Oprah's "Best Of" show as the Best Vegan Chef. Tal is currently the Executive Chef of Garden Protein International.

LYFE Kitchen will look to the National Wellness and Health Advisory Panel for ways to expand and explore the national dialogue around the health and nutrition potential of food. In particular, the Panel is tasked with:

• Providing advice to the LYFE Kitchen management team on issues related to nutrition to ensure great taste with preventative and restorative wellness,
• Staying abreast of trends in health and wellness and sharing those trends and recommendations to LYFE Kitchen and to the public,
• Identifying strategic partners on issues relating to childhood obesity and hunger for LYFE Kitchen, and
• Continuing the dialogue online by offering lifestyle and exercise tips rigorously on the LYFE Kitchen Web Site (www.lyfekitchen.com), Facebook (www.facebook.com/lyfekitchen) and Twitter (@LYFEKitchen) platforms.

With a menu created by award-winning chefs Art Smith and Tal Ronnen, LYFE Kitchen–an acronym for Love Your Food Everyday–will offer natural, preservative, and additive-free foods that are enhanced with spices, herbs and other natural ingredients. No dish contains more than 600 calories and most offer less.

In addition to offering a menu that champions taste and focuses on familiar flavors, LYFE Kitchen is a socially responsible brand with intrinsic desire to do right and actively engage their consumers in brand decisions.