American Heart Month reminds us to take care now — and plan for the future

We talk a lot about a “heart healthy" diet, or go to the gym for cardio classes — but what does all that mean?

If you’re not sure, or need some pointers on taking care of the ol’ ticker, then there’s no better time to get educated than American Heart Month, brought to us by the American Heart Association. First, some sobering statistics:

•          Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States
•          One in four deaths every year are caused by heart disease

And now some good news: Healthy choices when it comes to diet and exercise can go a long way toward preventing heart disease entirely, or slowing its progression. And this is a situation where everyone can work together to support each other on the journey to a healthier heart.

The Centers for Disease Control has a few great tips:

•          Schedule a doctor’s visit to talk about heart health (Had that annual checkup yet?).
•          Add exercise to your day; start slow at first, then try to work up to 30 minutes at least three times a week.
•          Cook heart-healthy meals at least three times a week — in particular, watch the salt.
•          Smoker? Stop. Nothing else to say, except to call 1-800-QUIT-NOW and know that you’re not alone.
•          Are you on medication for cholesterol or high blood pressure? Be sure to take it as prescribed.

Want to get the word out about the importance of heart health? The government’s Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has put tougher a great toolkit with sample tweets, articles and other information that’s easy to grab and post to your social media channels. Take a look, find the right message you want to send, and join Scrubin Uniforms in the fight for healthy hearts everywhere!

Holi-dazed? Don’t overlook your health in the hustle and bustle!

Tis the Season … to get sick? Our holiday merriment has the unfortunate coincidence to land on the calendar at the peak of cold and flu season. Most of us do love the festive time of year: gifts, tinsel, eating ourselves into food comas. But we’re also running a higher chance to come down with a nasty bug that could cramp our Yule-tiding. So, this holiday season, here’s a few friendly tips from you secret Santas at Scrubin.

First, wash your hands. Oh, you do already? Well, maybe up the frequency. This is the season where you’ll be doing a lot of palm-pressing and back-slapping at holiday functions, recitals and other seasonal events. A good anti-bacterial sanitizer, several times a day, keeps the hacking coughs away.

           

Also, bust out those winter woolens and mittens if you’re in a colder climate. Keep your head covered, and your hands and feet warm. This helps keep core temperature regulated, and staves off those lingering chills many of us carry in from night.

And speaking of food comas, maybe watch the diet a tad. Sure, good eats and lots of them are a proud part of the holiday tradition. But there’s a downside to all that noshing. Namely indigestion, gastric distress, heartburn and other fun, fun stuff like that.

Holiday foods tend to be rich, sugary — and carb-y. Make sure you maintain some balance in your diet; don’t skimp on the fruits and greens. Also, alcohol consumption jumps during the holiday season, and this can obviously have its own potential downsides. Don’t overindulge, never drive after you’ve been drinking and try not to revel too late into the night. Lack of sleep leads to fatigue, which leads to lowered immune system, which leads to colds and flus. And just like that, we’re back to step one.

We should probably say something here about not maiming yourself while with a Phillip’s head screwdriver while attempting to assemble a needlessly complex toy on Christmas Eve, but sometimes you just must let people make their own mistakes.

No mistake about how much we value all of you, and are grateful for the support you’ve shown us throughout 2016, however. From all of us here at Scrubin to all of you, happy holidays!