The month of February brings so many opportunities to celebrate. Valentines Day is a top contender in the month of February as is all about celebrating love.
February is American Heart month. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention America’s heart disease burden is about 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year–that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2009 were in men
- Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing more than 385,000 people annually.
- Coronary heart disease alone costs the United States $108.9 billion each year.3 This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.
To read more go to: http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm For the past 80 years heart disease has been a number one cause of death in the US. We can see why there is so much emphasis on this health issue as it continues to be a leader in our country. It really is unfortunate that we are not taking the message to heart as a culture and implementing the protocols that are being shown to reduce this insidious disease that is affecting so many people in our country.
This month I took a friend to the hospital for a heart rhythm procedure and I was so excited when I found out the cardiologist specialist doctor is a vegan. I talked with her and asked her to be on my Fresh Cafe program this month. She agreed to come on the program so it will be available airing on February 26th at 12:30 MST or you can catch it on the Fresh Cafe podcast
February also happens to be World Spay Day which was started in 1995 by Doris Day to bring awareness of the need to spay and neuter animals to reduce the overpopulation on the streets and those that end up in the overcrowded shelters. I decided to get involved the past few years and started a nonprofit last year called Grand Valley Pets Alive to help animals in our community. It is a lot of work, and all volunteer, but it is the proven way to humanely affect change in a community and help animals. We work to raise funds to spay and neuter animals and we have put together 2 event in our community this month to bring to help animals.
I hope you have a great February and do something good for you and your community.
Rhonda
