In what can only be described as the sign of the times, high blood pressure is now apparently so serious an issue that the American Heart Association chose to run a 30-second spot during the primest of prime times: Super Bowl XLI (disclaimer: King Pharmaceuticals helped pay for the $2.6 million spot).

Crunched between ads for cheesy Doritos and sugary sodas, is this little healthful spot titled “Heart Attack”. The primary goal of the ad is to warn viewers of the seriousness of high blood pressure and the problems it could lead to including heart attacks and strokes. At the conclusion, users are asked to visit BeatYourRisk.com, an online risk assessment tool from the AHA.

After answering a serious of six questions (gender, age, height, weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure), the tool gives you a report detailing your risk for heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney failure. While no online software can accurately give you these figures, it is apparent that the primary goal of the site is merely to be a dialogue-opener between you and your doctor. With more than 90 million viewers watching the Big Game, the AHA hopes to grab the attention of many high blood pressure sufferers and goad them to take the first step toward fighting the disease.

Without further ado (or giving anything away), here’s presenting “Heart Attack”:
(Note: The following is a YouTube video and it might not work in certain feed-readers or if you are reading this by email. You might need to visit the site to view this video):

Now take your risk assessment at BeatYourRisk.com and be sure to talk to your doctor if anything seems out of the ordinary in the results.

Go on, beat your risk!

Technorati Tags: health, fitness, beat your risk, high blood pressure, super bowl ads, superbowl ads

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Today is Super Bowl Sunday and while the Colts and Bears charge toward each other in Miami, do you know what you will be eating? Do you have your own playbook for this day, the second-biggest food-consumption day after Thanksgiving?

An interesting article called “Defending Your Waistline on Super Bowl Sunday” gives you the Game Plan and also presents some startling statistics along the side (for example did you know Americans consume more than 11 million pounds of potato chips on Super Bowl Sunday?).

The article gives you tips on what to do before the kickoff (just eat like you would any other day so you are not starving by game time), and how to play defense (eat more of the low-calorie items) and offense (oven-fried boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of saucy, fried wings)!

You can also get some good tips from the “Eat This, Not That” department (my favorite type of tips since it involves substituting healthful foods for unhealthful ones, while still maintaining a high level of taste). For example, pizza without extra cheese, but with extra veggies instead, or pretzels and popcorn instead of fatty potato chips).

Here are some quick tips to prevent Super Bowl Sunday from throwing you off the healthful-diet wagon:

1. Salsa: It is a much healthier choice than fatty dips and the best part: it is all natural with loads of tomatoes an excellent source of lycopene, a potent antioxidant.
2. Triscuits: This is an excellent substitute for potato chips or tortilla chips and since it is a whole grain product you are getting your share of fiber while keeping your stomach full and preventing frequent cravings.
3. Water: As the article mentions keep lot’s of water lying around near the drinks and try to alternate sodas or beer with water.
4. Air-popped corn: Another oft-neglected source of whole grain (skip the butter, please!)
5. Veggie Platter: With a low-fat dip, keeping a colorful veggie-platter in plain sight will ensure you and your guests get your required servings right during the game!

What other strategies can you think of? What are you laying out on the table today?

Enjoy the big game!

Technorati Tags: health, nutrition, superbowl, super bowl, snacks, food

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