1. Name Title

2. The American Heart Association
is the largest voluntary health organization working to create healthy and active communities through heart healthy food choices, regular exercise and wellness programs.
Impact Goal
By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20% while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20%.
Our Mission: Building healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease & stroke.

3. Community Healthcare Education Research
We make local communities healthier by impacting smoking laws, food policies and physical activity at schools.
Healthcare
We help improve the healthcare system by training healthcare professionals about heart and stroke procedures, advocating for patient rights and helping advance the best quality care.
Education
We help people live healthier lives by educating them about how to prevent heart disease and stroke.
Research
Since 1949, the American Heart Association has spent more than $3.3 billion on research to better prevent, diagnose and treat cardiovascular diseases and stroke Each AHA affiliate spends at least 28 cents of every publicly donated dollar for research.

4. The Problem
Currently, less than 1% of adults and less than 1% of children (ages ) meet the AHA criteria for ideal CV Health.
Poor eating habits such as increased consumption of sodium, and an overall sedentary lifestyle lead to greater risk of heart disease and stroke.
Yet, in an AHA survey, 39% of the population rated themselves as being in ideal CV Health. In order to reach our 2020 goal, we must improve the number of people who understand the link between their overall health and their risk of heart disease and stroke.

5. Prevalence for CV Health Factors in U.S. Adults

6. Prevalence for CV Health Factors in U.S. Children
Heather

7. Living Better with Life’s Simple 7TM
How many times in your life have you stopped, looked at the life choices you were making and thought, “I need to do better.” Maybe you thought you should change your diet, exercise more, stop smoking, or be more careful about blood pressure or cholesterol. You had the best intentions, but never quite carried through with your plan. Maybe you weren’t even sure how to get started with a plan.
Well, I’m here to tell you today that creating a plan and sticking to it isn’t as hard as you might think.

8. Life’s Simple 7 Never smoked or quit more than one year ago
Body mass index less than 25 kg/m2
Physical activity of at least 150 mins (moderate intensity) or 75 mins (vigorous intensity) each week
Four to five key components of a healthy diet consistent with current AHA guidelines
Total cholesterol of less than 200 mg/dL
Blood pressure below 120/80 mm Hg
Fasting blood glucose less than 100 mg/dL
Ideal cardiovascular health for adults is defined by the presence of these health measures and health behaviors. They’re known as Life's Simple 7. Ask participants if there are any questions about the details provided. 8 8

9. Why is it important to be active and eat well?
Without it, you will likely experience:
Increased risk for heart disease and stroke
Increased risk of obesity
Increased likelihood of illness & disability
Increased need for surgeries, medications & treatments
Reduced quality of life
Remember, Life’s Simple Seven work together to help you build a better and stronger life, so by investing in improving in one area, like your blood sugar levels, you are likely to improve your weight and nutrition, too.
However, without a plan, you’ll be at an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and other illnesses and disabilities. You may see a increased need for surgeries and other medical treatments, and you’ll almost certainly face a diminished quality of life.

10. Guidelines for Healthy Eating
Make sure you are getting the proper serving (4.5 cups) of daily fruits and vegetables
Eat at least 3 (1-oz) servings of fiber-rich whole grains per day
Eat at least 2 (3.5-oz) servings of fish per week
Be conscious of sodium intake (less than 1,500 mg per day)
Limit your sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (no more than calories per week or 36 ounces per week)
Other Dietary Measures
Saturated fat: < 7% of total energy intake
Nuts, legumes, and seeds: ≥ 4 servings/week
Processed meats: ≤ 2 servings/week
These are the 5 components of a healthy diet as defined by the American Heart Association. For ideal cardiovascular, want to meet 4-5 of the components on a consistent basis.
Also the average adult will want to limit calorie consumption to 2,000 calories per day.
Fiber rich is defined as 1.1 grams fiber per 10 grams carbohydrate)

11. Healthy Eating (Fruit and Vegetable Consumption)
Try to consume fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables at every meal
Snack on the raw vegetables you are having with dinner
Add berries to cereal or bananas to peanut butter toast to get an extra serving of fruit with breakfast
Add thin slices of fruits or vegetables to sandwiches
Include at least three vegetable toppings when ordering pizza
Add vegetables to ready made soups
Take a trip to the local farmers market or a pick-your-own farm
You can often find fresh fruits and vegetables in large quantities
Stock your fridge with raw fruits and vegetables
Buying pre-cut vegetables saves time and makes for easy snacking
See the handout for ideas for easy and healthy snacks and lunches

12. Healthy Eating (Whole Grains)
Look for the words “whole grain” on foods such as rice, pasta, or bread
Whole grains are an excellent source of fiber
Replace foods that do not contain this label with healthier options while shopping
For packaged foods, the word whole is often listed as the first ingredient
Start buying whole wheat flour instead of white flour
Ideas for healthy snacks and lunches are listed on the handout

13. Healthy Eating (Whole Grains)
A person who needs 2,000 calories each day to maintain a healthy body weight could eat 6 to 8 servings of grains (at least half of the servings should be whole-grain foods)
This mark on a food label means that it: Contains 51 percent or more whole grains by weight
Plus is low in saturated fat and cholesterol

14. Fish and Lean Meats Protein Omega 3’s Try fish as a main dish
decrease risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats 
decrease triglyceride levels
slow growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque
lower blood pressure (slightly)
Fish Oil Supplements?
Try fish as a main dish
With meats such as chicken and turkey, remove the skin before eating
Prepare meats by grilling, baking, or braising.
- The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish – salmon, trout, herring) at least two times (two servings) a week.
- Omega-3 (n-3 polyunsaturated) fatty acids are essential fats that your body needs to function properly but does not make.  - Consuming fish oil supplements should only be considered by people with heart disease or high levels of triglycerides who consult with their physicians.

15. Why Are We Shaking up Sodium?
A CDC report noted a large majority of Americans have high blood pressure or are at high risk for developing it.
The AHA/ASA’s 2020 impact goals include a population-wide reduction of sodium consumption to less than 1,500 mg a day as one of the ways the association will measure the nation’s cardiovascular health.
The salt shaker isn’t the big threat – 75% of sodium comes from processed foods.
The AHA/ASA recommendation of less than 1,500 milligrams a day of sodium for the general public was implemented after a report from the CDC found that a large majority of the American population either have high blood pressure or at high risk for developing it, and because 90 percent of Americans are at risk of developing hypertension over their lifetime.

16. Healthy Eating (Limit Sodium Consumption)
Choose fresh, frozen or canned food items without added salts.
Select unsalted nuts or seeds, dried beans, peas and lentils.
Limit salty snacks like chips and pretzels.
Avoid adding salt and canned vegetables to homemade dishes.
Select unsalted, lower sodium, fat-free broths, bouillons or soups.
Learn to use spices and herbs to enhance the taste of your food.  Most spices naturally contain very small amounts of sodium.
Add fresh lemon juice instead of salt to fish and vegetables.
Specify how you want your food prepared when dining out. Ask for your dish to be prepared without salt.
Don’t use the salt shaker. Use the pepper shaker or mill.
Your body needs only a small amount of sodium each day.
Average daily sodium intake for U.S. adults is more than 3,400 mg per day

17. What Are We Doing About It?
Encouraging manufacturers to reduce the amount of sodium in the food supply.
Advocating for more fruits and vegetables to be available and accessible.
Providing consumers with education and decision-making tools, like Heart-Check Food and Meal certifications, to make better food choices.
We launched the Sodium Reduction Initiative via the Salty Six on National Eating Healthy Day in November.
The kickoff of the Sodium Swap Challenge on Jan. 7 encouraged consumers to lower their sodium intake, starting with the Salty Six.
After Salty Six Mention
- The call to action was to alert consumers that the American Heart Association is making it easy to find better options when grocery shopping and when eating away from home by using the Heart-Check Food and Meal Certification programs as their guide.
Salty Six overview: -

18. What Are The Salty Six?
The Salty Six is the name for common foods that may be loaded with excess sodium that can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. Our Salty Six list was inspired by a list of 10 high-sodium foods from the CDC.
Breads and Rolls
Cold Cuts and Cured Meats
Pizza
Poultry
Soup
Sandwiches

19. Who Will Benefit From the New Sodium Recommendations?
Everyone. Consuming less sodium will decrease the rise in blood pressure and will reduce the risk of developing other health conditions.
90% of all Americans are at risk of developing high blood pressure in their lifetime.

20. Did You Know? The average American consumes more than 3,400 mg a day.
Just 1 ounce of salt causes the body to hold 6 pounds of excess water.
Introducing babies to the taste of salty foods fosters a preference for salt that may make lower sodium foods less appealing as they grow up.

21. Healthy Eating (Limit Fat and Sugar Consumption)
Try to cut down on sugary beverages such as soda, sports drinks and fruit drinks and replace them with water
The recommended amount of water per day is 64 oz. or 8, 8 oz. glasses
Use vegetable oils and soft margarines low in saturated and trans fats
Limit the amount of chips, cookies, and crackers around the house to reduce the amount of saturated and trans fats
Eat non-fat (skim) or low fat dairy products as much as possible
Try to avoid thick cream and cheese sauces such as Alfredo with pasta
Replace these sauces with fresh vegetables or a light, low fat tomato sauce
Options for limiting sugary beverages:
- Try flavoring water with watermelon, cucumber in addition to lemon
- Phase out the regular soda consumption gradually
Use 4-6 ounce glass for juice and only purchase 100% fruit juice
Tips for limiting sodium
- Limit the amount of processed foods consumed.

22. Sugar – Why It’s Not So Sweet
The average American consumes 475 calories of added sugars per day.
Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the No. 1 source of added sugars in Americans’ diets.
“No adults, except those who are extremely physically active, we’re talking about the Michael Phelpses of the world. The rest of us have no business consuming that many calories from sugar.”
– Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, 2010 Chair, AHA Nutrition Committee; Chair, 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee
The average American consumes 475 calories per person, per day. That’s equal to 30 teaspoons of sugar a day or 2 1/2 , 12 ounce soft drinks a day

23. What Are We Doing About It?
To address the nation’s obesity epidemic, the AHA/ASA supports clinical guidance, programming, education, media campaigns, and policies that help lower intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and portion sizes in general. 
Beginning in January 2014, added sugar screening criteria will be added to the Heart-Check Certification guidelines.
We recommend most women consume no more than 100 calories/25 grams of added sugars per day. Most men should consume no more than 150 calories/37.5 grams per day.

24. Sources of Added Sugars (teaspoons), U.S. Population
The "Other" category includes many specific foods that each contribute less than 2% of added sugars. Data source: NHANES

25. Did You Know?
“Added sugars” are sugars and syrups added to foods or beverages during processing or preparation.
Dairy products and grains are some of the main sources of added sugars in our diet.
Sugars add calories and zero nutrients to food.
- Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages during processing or preparation. They do not include naturally occurring sugars such as those found in milk (lactose) and fruits (fructose). Added sugars (or added sweetners) include sugars (such as white sugar, brown sugar and honey) as well as other caloric sweeteners that are chemically manufactured (such as high fructose corn syrup).

26. Guidelines for Physical Activity
The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of physical activity per day
One hour of physical activity can add two hours to your lifespan
It is important to sustain physical activity in addition to a healthy diet to maintain a healthy heart
Start with 5-10 minutes of physical activity and incrementally increase to reach 30 minutes a day

27. Physical Activity (Find Ways to Get Active at Work)
Start your work day by stretching
This will help loosen your muscles and help you feel energized for the rest of the day
Make stretching a routine
Here are some simple stretches to do at your desk (descriptions on handout):
Hamstring Stretch
Calf Stretch
Hip Flexor Stretch
Abductor (inner thigh) Stretch
Chest Stretch

28. Physical Activity (Find a Favorite Sport or Activity)
Establish a routine of physical activity by choosing a favorite activity
Walk, run or play your favorite sport regularly
It will be easier to sustain a physically active routine if you enjoy the activity
Find comfortable and inexpensive ways to get active
If joining a gym is not in your budget, find a safe and fun running route or a local park

29. Limit Periods of Inactivity at Home and Work
Stay active during TV time
Use commercial breaks as a time to get active
Use your lunch hour as a time to walk or take advantage of a company gym membership
Consider taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work
Set aside some time for simple activities at your desk
Consult the handout for desk stretches and simple exercises for home and work

30. With a Success Plan, Every Step Counts Toward Your Goal
But with Life’s Simple Seven, you can KNOW you’re taking care of yourself to reach your best health potential for yourself and for those you love. Together, we’re building a healthier future, one heart at a time!
But with Life’s Simple Seven, you can KNOW you’re taking care of yourself to reach your best health potential for yourself and for those you love!
Focus on your goal: feeling your best and living a healthy life. By taking small steps one day at a time, one meal at a time, and one walk at a time, you will start to notice a difference in your energy level and your sense of well-being as you choose good health. Let’s plan for many years of living well, and I hope you’ll join me in taking the simple seven to heart.

31. Small efforts lead to big rewards.

32. Thank you!