Smarter, Healthier Lunches

Did you see this news about Seattle schools revamping and jazzing up their menus? Read More.

If you pack lunches, check out some of these fun ideas and resources:

Easy Lunch Boxes

Pack Lunches With a Healthy Punch

The Healthy Lunchbox
10 Easy & Healthy Lunches
Fresh Lunchboxes

Heart Month: Dawgs Take Heart

Dawgs Take Heart Awareness Night
Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle

Thursday, February 9th
7:00pm 
Buy Tickets

Come cheer on the University of Washington's Women's Basketball team as they take on Oregon! 

This game night is dedicated to heart-health awareness with the support of The Hope Heart Institute. This will be a really fun game with free giveaways, blood pressure screening stations, outreach material, and much more.

The first 2,000 fans through the door get a free t-shirt!

Heart Health Education: Women's Health & Heart Attack

Although women often think of heart attack as something that affects mainly men, heart disease is the number one killer of women. Every 90 seconds, a woman in the United States has a heart attack. 

Sadly, research shows that only half of women indicated they would call 9-1-1 had they known they were having a heart attack. Even worse, fewer were aware of the most common symptoms. 

The "Make the Call. Don't Miss a Beat." campaign by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health has been developed to help women understand the most common symptoms of a heart attack, and to encourage them to call 9-1-1 should they experience any one of them. 

Source: www.womenshealth.gov

In 2012 The Hope Heart Institute is partnering with Franciscan Health System to implement this campaign. 

Stay tuned for events in your area!

Heart Month: On Wings of Hope Benefit

The Hope Heart Institute's biggest fundraiser of the year is just weeks away.
This year's 24th Annual On Wings of Hope Benefit will be on Friday, February 10th at The Paramount Theatre in Seattle. 

There'll be great food, music and fantastic auction items. 

 Buy your tickets today!

Washington State Heart Disease Education Day

There are many ways to fight America's number one killer - heart disease. You may be a teacher using our Take Heart ™  curriculum, or a patient enrolled in a clinical study. You may be a volunteer educating the public at a health fair or a parent starting to change your family's eating habits.

Whatever you are doing to help in this fight we thank you!  Tomorrow several of the staff here at The Hope Heart Institute will be headed to Olympia. They, along with the American Heart Association will participate in the Hill Lobby Day and advocate for  for public policies that advance the fight against heart disease and stroke.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

How are you celebrating? Did you know this holiday has been observed as a day of service since 1994?

We are grateful to our tremendous volunteers! Several of which are serving today at the MLK Health Fair at Crossroads mall in Bellevue. The Hope Heart Institute's Seattle Volunteer Outreach Committee will be at the Health Fair today from noon - 3pm. Stop by to learn about cardiovascular health and ways that you can prevent heart disease! Learn More

  

If you are interested in becoming a Hope Heart Volunteer, visit our website.

Heart Health Education: Bellevue, Newcastle & Everett

The New Year is in full swing and The Hope Heart Institute has three opportunities coming up to help you keep your heart healthy resolutions! 

We hope to see you at of these events! 

Friday, January 13th 
Blood Pressure Screening
North Bellevue Community Center
4063 148th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98007
10:00am until 12:00pm
Visit The Hope's outreach booth and get a free blood pressure screening!





 

Saturday, January 14th 
Coal Creek YMCA Health Fair
13750 Newcastle Golf Club Rd, Bellevue, WA 98059
10:00am until 2:00pm
Come by to check out educational tools to help kids and families make healthier lifestyle choices!

Saturday January 14th
Jumpin' Jacks & Super Snacks
Imagine Children's Museum
1502 Wall Street Everett, Washington 98201
11:00am until 2:00pm
The Hope is one of several participants at this great event for children and their parents! Come enjoy an obstacle course, get dental care tips, learn about heart health, enjoy healthy snacks and get a free vision screening. You can also meet Blitz from the Seahawks, Bomber from the Stealths and Lincoln from the Silvertips!
 

Be sure and Like us on Facebook
so you can hear about more upcoming events!

Combating Childhood Obesity

A public health initiative to combat childhood obesity in Georgia has gotten us talking here in the office.We've seen several articles about it and even heard about it on the local radio.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the childhood obesity epidemic is claiming nearly 20 percent of our children and adolescents. That's a powerful figure, but is it changing anything? Maybe that is why Georgia took a semi-controversial approach with their campaign. 

While we are proponents of raising awareness, especially with children about how their habits now can create a healthy life for them later - we have been debating the consequences of this campaign's approach. 

Tell us what you think.

Heart Health Education: Issaquah Highlands Co-op Playgroup

Last week The Hope Heart Institute's education team had a chance to to visit the Issaquah Highlands Co-op Playgroup. 

The play group's goal is to allow the children to socialize and play with other neighbors while providing a forum for discussion of relevant parenting-related topics. The group meets monthly. 

The Hope shared the importance of heart disease prevention in women and knowing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. After the discussion the kids enjoyed some fun physical activity games and story reading about fruits and vegetables. 

The Hope was honored to be part of January's meeting!

 If you have young children in your life, check out our page. It's brand new! It has great resources for parents of young children. You'll find fantastic seasonal tips, recipes and activities all dedicated to keeping your kids happy and healthy!

Playtime for Preschoolers

This week probably found the majority of you back to your previously scheduled lives after the holidays! For working moms and dads that means dropping kids off at preschool.

At The Hope Heart Institute we often talk about how a healthy lifestyle can be a preventative measure to ward off disease. With our education programs in the elementary schools we definitely are proponents of starting young with healthy habits and decision making. But a new study in this week's Pediatrics journal finds preschoolers in child care centers aren't spending enough time playing outdoors and just being kids.

"Pediatric experts recommend that preschoolers get 90 to 120 minutes of gross motor activity daily, and be taken outdoors twice a day.  According to the CDC, 17% of children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese, so intervening early with more physical activity is important." (Read more.)

Maybe physical activity and eating heart healthy is one of your family's goals this year!

Here are some suggestions on how to approach your family to eat better, increase physical activity, and reduce screen time.

Source: CNN Health, We Can!