Welcome to the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter E-News. The NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program was designed to help firefighters become more heart-healthy and lower the incidence of heart attack related deaths in the fire service. We hope that you enjoy this newsletter and that it benefits not only you, but others in your fire department, family and community.

1. Football Legend Joe Montana and His Wife Jennifer Offer a Free Book to Help Families Manage High Blood Pressure and Make Healthier Living a Team Game
2. Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program to Offer Free Screenings, Cooking Demonstrations at Firehouse Expo
3. NVFC Conducts Health Screenings at the 2006 Fire Expo
4. Why Should I Exercise?
5. What Can I Do About Stress?
6. Heart-Healthy Firefighter Tip
7. Small Steps

Get started on the road to better heart health by ordering a free copy of the Montana family guidebook, available beginning June 14th at www.getbpdown.com.

Four-time Super Bowl champion Joe Montana may be one-of-a-kind on the football field, but he is just an average Joe when it comes to high blood pressure. Joe is one of the 65 million Americans who currently suffer from this condition, 70 percent of whom do not have it under control.

Joe has been spreading high blood pressure awareness around the country with Dr. James Rippe as part of the BP Success Zone program (sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation) and has now teamed up with his wife Jennifer, nutritionist Heidi Skolnik, MS, and fitness expert, Liz Neporent, MA, to bring you a new valuable tool for staying heart-healthy: Joe Montana’s Family Playbook for Managing High Blood Pressure.

The book is designed to help people manage their high blood pressure and live a healthier lifestyle. It contains a wealth of information including:

• An overview of high blood pressure and the means available for treatment
• Informative tips on showing your children how to lead heart-healthy lives
• Strategies for staying motivated and focused on your treatment plan
• Joe Montana’s favorite heart-healthy recipes
• Creative, family-oriented exercises to incorporate into your daily routine
• Personal stories from the Montanas and other high blood pressure patients

Joe was shocked when he was diagnosed with high blood pressure during a routine physical in 2002. But Dr. Rippe points out that, “Joe is the classic example of someone with hypertension. He was in his forties, had a family history of high blood pressure and at the time of diagnosis exhibited no symptoms. High blood pressure is called the silent killer for that very reason. Who would ever expect that Joe “Cool”, four time Super Bowl champion could ever have it?”

Joe says, “I know first-hand about the disease and the challenges of healthy eating and exercise. Having a supportive family has been imperative for me. My wife and kids keep me on my toes and we try to do a lot of heart-healthy activities together.”

Fitness expert Liz Neporent encourages people to choose physical activity they enjoy. “Lack of motivation is one of the biggest obstacles to starting a healthy lifestyle,” she says. “But people are more likely to be physically active if they do something they find fun.”

Jennifer Montana agrees and believes her family’s experience has been a great lesson not only for her and Joe, but also for their children. “Along with learning about a healthier way to eat, the kids now see the importance of exercise and an active lifestyle. We’ve really made it a part of our everyday life.”

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The National Volunteer Fire Council's (NVFC) Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program will have an interactive exhibit at Booth #4008 at the Firehouse Expo from July 27-29 in Baltimore, MD. At the show, the NVFC will display many exciting new components to the program.

Chef Kevin Harris of Food For Love, Inc. will perform cooking demonstrations to encourage firefighters to cook heart-healthy at home as well as at the fire department. The schedule for the cooking demonstrations is as follows:

Thursday, July 27 – 11:30am, 1pm, 3pm
Friday, July 28 – 11:30am, 1pm, 3pm
Saturday, July 29 – 10:30am, 12pm, 1:30pm

Additionally, the NVFC will once again offer free health screenings for firefighters. This year the program will provide cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure screenings. The non-fasting screenings, conducted by L&T Health and Fitness, take about seven minutes to complete, and the results are available immediately. A counselor will be on hand to discuss results with each participant. For more information on attending Firehouse Expo, visit www.firehouseexpo.com.

NVFC launched the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program in 2002 to reduce the number of firefighter deaths from heart attack. This is accomplished by promoting a healthier lifestyle and by providing firefighters with fitness, nutrition, cholesterol and other pertinent information to assist them on the road to becoming heart-healthy. To learn more about the program, visit www.healthy-firefighter.org. For information on NVFC, visit www.nvfc.org.

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The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) screened 800 firefighters and emergency medical services personnel for cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure during the 2006 Fire Expo in Harrisburg, PA, one of the largest fire and emergency services conferences in the nation. The free screenings took place May 19-21 as part of the NVFC's Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program exhibit booth.

The NVFC partnered with L&T Health and Fitness, an award-winning fitness management and health promotion company, to offer the non-fasting screenings. A certified health counselor discussed the results with each participant and answered any questions.

Heart attack is the leading cause of firefighter deaths. The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program is a proactive campaign to reduce the number of firefighter deaths from heart attack through proper nutrition, fitness and health education. Since the program launched in 2004, the NVFC has screened thousands of firefighters and emergency medical services personnel for conditions that could lead to heart attack or other heart-related illnesses. The NVFC and L&T Health and Fitness recently screened almost 800 firefighters at the Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis.

"Since firefighters are already at a high risk for heart attack, it is especially important that they monitor factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol that could increase their risk even more," said Maggie Wilson, Director of Health and Safety. "We are really pleased with the enthusiastic response to the screenings, and we will continue to offer these screenings as part of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program."

To learn more about the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, visit www.healthy-firefighter.org.

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The overall benefit of being active and fit is an improved quality of life—being able to do things you enjoy for longer periods of time (for example, playing with the kids, gardening, dancing, or walking). Research repeatedly shows that fitness is a strong measure of health. Being fit improves your overall health and reduces your risk of disease. Short-term benefits include:

• A healthier heart. Physical activity makes demands on your heart that make it stronger and better able to function.
• Healthy muscles, bones, and joints. Resistance training such as weight lifting improves muscular strength and endurance and also increases bone density.
• Increased burning of calories. Physical activity burns calories and helps you achieve a healthy balance between the calories you take in from food and those you expend.

When you exercise regularly, your body burns more calories, both during activity and at rest. Being fit may also lower your percentage of body fat and increase muscle strength and tone. Your percentage of body fat depends on genetics, lifestyle, and physical activities. No matter what your size or shape, physical activity has important health benefits, including:

• Better ability to cope with stress. People who are fit have less anxiety, depression, and stress than people who aren't active.
• Improved ability to fall asleep and sleep well.
• Increased energy.
• Increased mental acuity—sharper and faster thinking.

Note: Most people should talk to a health professional first before beginning a regular exercise program, especially those who have conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, heart valve disease, or diabetes. If you are at risk for or have some of these conditions, your health professional may want to help you build a plan matched to your needs. He or she may want to do tests before you start a plan or want you to be more careful and watch for injuries or other problems.

Courtesy of Yahoo!Health

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Stress is an unavoidable part of life. While some stress is normal and even necessary, too much of it can affect your quality of life and your health. You can reduce the effects of stress by identifying its causes in your life, understanding and accepting what you can control and what you can't, and learning stress management skills.

Stress affects each of us differently, and the most effective ways to relieve it are different for each person. You can try different methods to find out which ones work best for you. Some techniques for relieving stress include:

• Exercise. Regular physical activity is one of the most effective stress management techniques.
• Writing. Research shows that expressing yourself in writing can be a very effective way to reduce your stress level.
• Expressing your feelings. Talking, laughing, crying, and expressing anger are normal parts of the emotional healing process.
• Doing something you enjoy. A hobby or other healthy leisure activity that is meaningful to you can help you relax.

Stress can have a serious impact on your health, especially if it is ongoing (chronic). It affects the heart and blood vessels, the nervous system, and the immune system. Stress can cause moodiness, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating. It can make some health problems worse, such as coronary artery disease, diabetes, and asthma. Over time, stress can lead to depression, relationship problems, and poor performance at work or school.

Some stress is normal and even necessary to keep life interesting and challenging. The stress response can be useful when intense focus or a quick reaction is needed. However, it can also interfere with your ability to do complex tasks and interact with other people. If you have too many stressful situations over a period of time, or an ongoing stressful situation, you may begin to feel miserable and have health problems. The good news is that you can learn ways to cope with stress and to reduce the amount of stress in your life.

Courtesy of Yahoo!Health

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Carrots: Good as Gold

A 24-carrot solution leaves you rich in vitamin A -- and helps reduce cancer risk. You don't really have to eat 24 to get the benefits: A single carrot more than meets an average person's daily vitamin A needs, with 6mg of beta-carotene. But you can certainly eat more: Carrots are low in fat and high in fiber. Long-term studies have shown carrots to be powerful cancer fighters -- eating five or more carrots a week has been linked with a 60% reduction in risk of lung cancer.

Hoop it Up!

Score fitness points on a fast break -- 10 minutes at a mini basketball hoop. Whether it's on your porch or in your home office, a quick shootaround will clear your mind and you may be surprised at the workout you'll get -- and how motivated you'll be getting it.

Courtesy of Yahoo!Health

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1. Take the long way to the water cooler.
2. Explore new physical activities.
3. Vary your activities, for interest and to broaden the range of benefits.
4. Reward and acknowledge your efforts.
5. Choose fruit for dessert.
6. Consume alcoholic beverages in moderation, if at all.
7. Take stairs instead of the escalator.
8. Conduct an inventory of your meal/snack and physical activity patterns.
9. Share an entree with a friend.
10. Grill fruits or vegetables.

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