Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Have a Heart Healthy Valentine’s Day!


Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!  We hope that all our friends and neighbors will stop by Pathfinder Produce this Thursday afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m. for some lovely treats and tempting deals at our friendly produce market at the Pathfinder Village Commons.

This week, we continue to be focused on matters of the heart; over the weekend our Otsego Academy students attended the Foxcare Center Walk in Oneonta in support of the Greater Utica Area American Heart Association.  The students successfully completed the three mile walk and enjoyed learning about hands-free CPR and other topics.  The FoxCare walk was a preliminary event for the Greater Utica Area Heart Walk & Run; there’s still time to register for that event at their website.

Also, in association with the American Heart Association, this Friday, our Pathfinder School students will be holding their HOOPS FOR HEART finale; the students are about halfway to their fundraising goal for the Heart Association.  To help them reach their goal, you can donate online at this link.  We hope to share pictures on our Facebook Page of all the fun at Friday’s celebration!

Below, my colleague Maura Iorio, who is the Senior Director of Education at Pathfinder School, shares some thoughts on heart health.

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Treat yourself this Valentine's DAy without all the guilt that a box of chocolates can bring.  Stick to your New Year’s Resolution to eat more fresh fruits and veggies while still having some holiday fun with these creative fruit pun print-outs!  (Think of Necco’s Sweethearts, but far healthier!)

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also has some tips to keep your heart pumping this Valentine’s Day. They recommend staying active—taking a walk, hitting the gym, or doing some ZUMBA (held on most Wednesday nights at Pathfinder Gym at 7 p.m.)! Exercising regularly, along with a healthy diet, will keep your heart strong all year round!

Are you looking to do something extra special for your health? The CDC encourages people to “treat themselves” and their heart—quit smoking! Monitor your blood pressure! Learn the most common signs of a heart attack so that you can be prepared to call for emergency assistance if you notice these symptoms in yourself or others:

·       Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back,
·       Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint,
·       Chest pain or discomfort,
·       Pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder, and
·       Shortness of breath.

(We also recommend that people learn the FAST signs for strokes
EVERY minute counts when faced with a potential stroke emergency!).

We hope you have a happy (and heart healthy!) Valentine’s Day this year!

Maura (and Lori)