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July 24,
2007 |
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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. In this issue:
NVFC Launches National Firefighter Health Week As part of its ongoing effort to promote and strengthen the health and safety of firefighters and EMS personnel nationwide, the NVFC is launching the first National Firefighter Health Week from August 13-17. The NVFC encourages all fire and emergency personnel, their departments, and their families to focus on health and wellness during this week. Each of the five days of National Firefighter Health Week spotlights a different health issue of particular concern for emergency responders. These are:
Stay tuned to the Heart-Healthy Firefighter web site at www.healthy-firefighter.org for more information about National Firefighter Health Week. Also be on the lookout at your department for a special issue of The Pulse newsletter that focuses on the important daily health topics of the week. New Heart-Healthy Firefighter Resources Available The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program has released several new resources recently to help you get and stay on the road to heart-health. More information about each of these resources is available on the Heart-Healthy Firefighter web site at www.healthy-firefighter.org. The Pulse newsletter is a printed six times a year and includes ideas, resources, advice, and information to keep you, your department, and your family heart-healthy throughout the year. To sign up for this free newsletter, send an email with your request, name, and mailing address to lricardo@nvfc.org. The Pulse also includes a special section for your contributions. Submit your success stories about becoming heart healthy, ideas or suggestions to others about aspects of maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle, or any questions you might have about the program or heart-health to lricardo@nvfc.org. Please include your name, mailing address, email address, and fire department (if applicable) with your submission. If you are submitting a success story, before and after pictures are appreciated. The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Cookbook includes over 60 delicious yet healthy recipes that firefighters and EMS personnel can use either at home or at the station. Many of the recipes were submitted by firefighters who have already committed to becoming heart-healthy. To order your free copy of the Cookbook, go to www.healthy-firefighter.org/page/649/Cookbook.htm. The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Resource Guide is now available for free download online at www.healthy-firefighter.org. This second edition of the Guide contains all the information needed to start on the path to a heart-healthy lifestyle, with sections covering essential heart-health information, risk factors, and lifestyle choices. The second edition boasts an even more user-friendly layout with updated and expanded information. The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program web site has a new look, with a user-friendly design and expanded resources to help you, your department, and your family on the road to heart-health. Look for new features such as “Tools for Firefighters” and “Tools for Families,” as well as expanded information on heart basics, fitness, nutrition, and lifestyles. The site also still includes popular resources such as the Fired Up For Fitness Challenge, the Heart-Healthy Challenge quiz, an archive of heart-healthy recipes, and a section where firefighters and EMS personnel can post their own heart-healthy success stories. Go to www.healthy-firefighter.org to explore the new site. Visit the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Booth at Firehouse Expo The Heart-Healthy Firefighter booth will be at Firehouse Expo in Baltimore, MD, on July 27-28. Stop by Booth #352 and get your free health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose. A professional chef will also be at the booth to show you how to make healthy, delicious recipes you can use both at home and at the firehouse. Heart-Healthy Firefighter spokesperson Erron Kinney will also be at the booth to sign autographs and promote the importance of heart-health in the fire and emergency services. Kinney is a professional football player and dedicated volunteer firefighter. Free copies of the new Heart-Healthy Firefighter Cookbook and the second edition of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Resource Guide will also be available. Make plans to get to the booth early to ensure you get your copies of these popular resources. Healthy Diet May Decrease Diabetes Risk By Charnicia Huggins, Reuters Health Adopting a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables and fiber while cutting back on red meat and fats may reduce the risk of developing diabetes, results of a new study suggest. "We now have some solid evidence to give dietary recommendations to help reduce risk of diabetes," study co-author Dr. Teresa T. Fung, of Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts, told Reuters Health. Fung and her colleagues hypothesized that certain dietary changes may be important for preventing diabetes. To investigate, they followed some 80,000 participants in the ongoing Nurses' Health Study from 1984 to 2002. During that time, the women completed five questionnaires about their eating habits, which were used to create a so-called "Alternate Healthy Eating Index" score. The index measures diet quality according to nine components: fruits, vegetables, cereal fiber, nuts and soy, moderate alcohol drinking, the ratio of white meat to red meat, trans fat, the ratio of polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat, and the long-term use of multivitamins. Overall, 5183 women in the study developed type 2 diabetes during the 18-year follow-up period. Women with the highest scores on the Alternate Healthy Eating Index, however, were 36 percent less likely than those with the lowest scores to develop diabetes, Fung and her team report in the medical journal Diabetes Care. What's more, women whose scores on the index improved during the follow-up period, even within the last four years of the study, also had a lower risk of developing diabetes than did those with a consistently low score. "Since a reduction of risk is seen after only a few years of changing from an unhealthy diet to a healthy one, it shows that it is never too late to try to reduce diabetes risk," Fung commented. "However, it doesn't mean that people can put off improving their diet because it is difficult to predict the progression of diabetes development and the longer a person has been eating healthy, the more benefit." Courtesy of Medline Plus Low Vitamin D May be a Heart Disease Risk Factor By Martha Kerr, Reuters Health A new study shows an association between low vitamin D levels and risk factors for cardiovascular disease in a nationally representative sample. Dr. Keith Norris, at Drew University School of Medicine in Los Angeles, and colleagues analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), conducted between 1988 and 1994. They evaluated blood levels of vitamin D and the risk of heart-related disease in 7,186 men and 7,902 women. Average vitamin D levels were lower in women, older individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, obese people, and those with hypertension or diabetes, the researchers report in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Compared to people with the highest vitamin D levels, those with the lowest levels were more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity -- all risk factors for heart disease. Norris said that this evidence of the link between heart disease and vitamin D "reinforces the emerging evidence that suggests higher levels of vitamin D may be helpful to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease." In terms of taking a vitamin D supplement, "present dose recommendations range from 800 IU to 1,200 IU daily," he noted. However, he thinks 2000 IU per day is more likely to achieve adequate blood levels of vitamin D for prevention of cardiovascular disease. "There appears to be good safety at doses of 2000-3000 IU per day." He pointed out that it has been known for a long time that vitamin D helps to make strong bones, but there is now "convincing evidence" that it has several beneficial effects on cardiovascular health. "The potential implications from a public health and healthcare cost perspective are tremendous, even if vitamin D only impacts 5 percent to10 percent of heart health," Norris concluded. Courtesy of Medline Plus Do You Know How Food Portions Have Changed in 20 Years? Take the Portion Distortion Quiz! Anyone eating on the run or at restaurants has probably noticed that food portions have gotten larger. Some portions are called “super size,” while others have simply grown in size and provide enough food for at least two people. With this growth have come increases in waistlines and body weight. To see if you know how today’s portions compare to the portions available 20 years ago, take the Portion Distortion Quiz available from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute at http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/. You will also learn about the amount of physical activity required to burn off the extra calories provided by today’s portions. Courtesy of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute 
Tips To Lower High Blood Pressure
Courtesy of WebMD Calendar of Events Visit the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program booth at these upcoming events: Firehouse Expo Fire-Rescue International Alaska State Firefighters Association
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