Go Red: American Heart Month

February represents an extremely powerful month for us. We’re all set on our 2015 goals – health, business, personal focuses are top-of-mind and we’re focusing all our efforts to help spread awareness on American Heart Month – AKA the #1 killer among Americans and it’s growing even further around the world.

Thanks to our friends at theheartfoundation.org, they’ve highlighted some insane facts that we still can’t wrap our heads around. 

Heart Disease: Scope and Impact

• Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women in the United States, claiming approximately 1 million lives annually.
• Every 33 seconds someone in the United States dies from cardiovascular disease which is roughly the equivalent of a September 11^th-like tragedy repeating itself every 24 hours, 365 days a year.
• More die of heart disease than of AIDS and all cancers combined.
• By 2020, heart disease will be the leading cause of death throughout the world.
• This year more than 920,000 Americans will have a heart attack; nearly half of them will occur without prior symptoms or warning signs.

While many may assume that popping a few pills that your healthcare provider prescribed is enough to prevent a heart attack and stay clear of heart disease, the real preventative power lies within US with real changes to your daily lifestyle – which can reduce the risk for heart disease by as much as 80 percent. Now we’re talking. Join us in actively involving ourselves in these simple movements to bring down the statistics for us and our loved ones all around us. It’s time to set examples, not be another number to this growing disease.

Here are three, very attainable, tips to jump start your health and work towards a heart healthy life.

1. Stop Smoking. Period.

2. Get Physical: It’s been proven that just 30 minutes a day of physical activity can lower blood pressure, cholesterol, improve circulation, among other massive health benefits. Tip: Take the stairs vs. the elevator if you’re under extreme time constraints.

3. Eat Healthy: Incorporate more leafy greens into your diet and eliminate the bad saturated fats and sugars – goodbye cheeseburgers, fries, basically anything fried and those candy bars. Load up on the healthy fats including avocado, peanut butter, coconut butter and nuts.

We’ve teamed up with the American Heart Association this month by donating 10% of all sales of our Hands To Heart to help grow awareness and support those in need.