Did you know that your heart beats about 40 million times a year?

Think about that. By the time you are 70, your heart will beat approximately 2.5 billion times. Keeping our heart healthy as we age is key to aging well. Considering that Cardiovascular disease is one of the top 3 causes of death, we need to work harder to stay heart healthy.   

Here are some stunning Heart Health Information and Statistics:

• Nearly half of US adults have some form of cardiovascular disease.
• On average, someone dies of cardiovascular disease every 38 seconds. This is roughly 2,303 deaths from cardiovascular disease every day.
• Cardiovascular disease is responsible for roughly 1 in 3 deaths.
• Cardiovascular diseases claim more lives each year than all forms of cancer and Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease combined.
• Nearly 30% of adults do not engage in leisure-time physical activity.
• More than a third of adults in the US are obese.

The Let’s Be Well Healthy Heart Box Contains:

1. Eat Better – Cooking in color Cookbook. Life Is Why. Adding Color Is How. This cookbook is full of fun, heart-healthy recipes, with insight into the proven technique of cooking with color!

2. Relieve Stress – Lavender Eye Mask  Get deeper relaxation and into your meditation with the Gaiam Relax Restorative Eye Pillow. This soft and soothing satin-covered eye pillow has a lavender scented fill that provides natural calming aromatherapy to help relieve tension and stress. The ideal tool for relaxation, meditation, and yoga.

3. Be Active – Walking Weights  Add light resistance to your workout with these Walking Weights. The sand-filled weights come in a 2lb set that are soft and moldable for a secure hold.

4. General Heart Health Education – Let’s Be Well Content Booklet and Journal, Grocery Store Map. Our Let’s Be Well journal brings two great benefits in one! Comprehensive, yet easy-to-understand content, plus a thoughtfully designed daily journal. The book is designed using simple prompts to inspire you or offer you an idea of what to write about.

The Grocery Store Map is your guide to navigating the grocery store, efficiently and effectively, with insights and tips to make healthier choices in every aisle.

The Let’s Be Well Healthy Heart Box will provide you practical and simple tools to manage your heart health delivered directly to your doorstep.

5 Reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables

1. Full of the good – Fruits and vegetables provide many beneficial nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, protein, calcium, fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Add fruits and veggies to meals and snacks for a nutritional power boost.
2. Free of the bad – Fruits and vegetables typically contain no trans-fat, low saturated fat and very little or no sodium. The natural sugars they contain don’t affect your health the same way added sugars do, especially if you eat the whole fruit or vegetable and not just the juice.
3. Won’t weigh you down – Fruits and vegetables tend to be low in calories, so they can help you manage your weight while still filling you up, thanks to the fiber and water they contain. Replacing higher-calorie foods with fruits and vegetables is an easy first step to a healthier eating plan.
4. Super flexible superfoods – All forms of fruits and vegetables – fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice – can be part of a healthy diet. They can be eaten raw or cooked, whole or chopped, organic or not, and alone or in combination with other foods. They are among the most versatile, convenient and affordable foods you can eat.
5. A whole-body health boost – A healthy eating plan rich in fruits and vegetables can help lower your risk of many serious and chronic health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, kidney disease, osteoporosis and some types of cancer. They’re also essential to many daily functions of a healthy body.

The Walking Weights can help people get the most out of their workout.

1. Being physically active improves length and quality of life.
2. About one in three adults participate in no leisure time physical activity at all.
3. Getting recommended amounts of physical activity (at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity, 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a combination of those activities per week) is linked to lower risk of diseases, stronger bones and muscles.
4. Adults who are active typically pay less in healthcare than those who are inactive. One study estimated physical inactivity accounts for up to 3% of total direct health expenses in the United States.
5. According to one study, just 25 minutes of brisk walking a day can add up to seven more years of life expectancy. Regular exercise reduces the health effects of aging and increases the average lifespan.

Why walking is the most popular form of exercise:

1. For every hour of brisk walking, life expectancy for some people may increase by two hours.
2. Research has shown that walking at a lively pace at least 150 minutes a week can help people:
a. Think better, feel better and sleep better.
b. Reduce your risk of serious diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes and several types of cancer.
c. Improve your blood pressure, blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels.
d. Increase your energy and stamina.
e. Improve your mental and emotional well-being and and reduce risk of depression.
f. Improve memory and reduce your risk of dementia.
g. Boost bone strength and reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
h. Prevent weight gain.
3. If 150 minutes sounds like a lot, remember that even short activity sessions can be added up over the week to reach this goal. And it’s easy to fit in a few minutes of walking a several times a day.