Beyond Belief Network Guides: National Heart Month

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February is National Heart Month. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both women and men in the United States. It is also a preventable disease. This month, help your community live heart healthy lives. If you decide to do a service event, don’t forget to submit a report telling us how it went. You can also email us for help!

Heart Disease Facts

  • High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and strokes and it shows no symptoms. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of heart disease. CHD is when the coronary arteries that take blood to the heart are narrow or blocked by cholesterol and fatty material called plaque. Plaque is caused by fat and cholesterol in the blood, high blood pressure, smoking, and too much sugar in the blood. A blocked artery can cause chest pain or a heart attack.

  • Control is important. Regular blood pressure checks (once every two years), regular cholesterol checks (once every five years) knowing your family history, and sticking to a medicine regime (if necessary) lower your risk of heart disease. As you get older, women over 55 and men over 45, you have a greater risk of developing heart disease.

  • Make healthy choices. To help prevent heart disease you can eat low sodium and otherwise healthy diets, get active, quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke, quit drinking or drink only in moderation, and manage stress.

Tips to Get Started

  • Don’t Forget!  In order to get as much attention as possible, advertise to your group, other local freethought groups, friends, and family. Utilize social media to help get the word out. You can request promotion for your event from FBB here.

  • Remember Foundation Beyond Belief Beneficiaries. Hosting a fundraiser on behalf of Foundation Beyond Belief or any of its beneficiaries counts as two events. Perfect for those teams looking to quickly raise their team’s BBN level.

Event Ideas

  • Host a community event. Invite a local nurse or doctor to speak to your community about heart disease and how to prevent it. Alternatively, host a healthy cooking class. Include an opportunity to get active and discover local health and recreation resources at your event.

  • Learn CPR. Contact your local Red Cross to host a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training event for your community.

  • Start healthy habits. Contact a local school or recreation center to host a game day, tournament, or play hour to create regular exercise habits early.

  • Get Active. Start a daily or weekly walking or hiking group to encourage your BBN team to get or keep active. Alternatively join a local sports league. This is also a great way to get to know your team members.

Questions or Concerns?

If you need help with planning your event or have additional questions, the best way to contact Beyond Belief Network is to use the contact webform, which enables us to track the resolution of your question. You can also email us at bbn@foundationbeyondbelief.org.

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