Healthline is a great website that has a list of interesting facts on all kinds of subjects. Of course, we think the most interesting list is the Heart Facts. Here’s just a sample of the cool things we’ve learned:

  1. The average heart is the size of a fist in an adult.
  2. Your heart will beat about 115,000 times each day.
  3. Your heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood every day.
  4. An electrical system controls the rhythm of your heart. It’s called the cardiac conduction system.
  5. The heart can continue beating even when it’s disconnected from the body.
  6. The giraffe has a lopsided heart, with their left ventricle being thicker than the right. This is because the left side has to get blood up the giraffe’s long neck to reach their brain.
  7. A woman’s heart beats slightly faster than a man’s heart.
  8. Death from a broken heart, or broken heart syndrome, is possible but extremely rare.
  9. The fairy fly, which is a kind of wasp, has the smallest heart of any living creature
  10. If you were to stretch out your blood vessel system, it would extend over 60,000 miles.

Visit https://www.healthline.com/health/fun-facts-about-the-heart#2 for more interesting heart facts!

We sometimes feel that in order to be healthy, we need to cook up a storm of healthier concoctions. This doesn’t have to be the case.

Here are  5 superfoods that barely need any preparation or time – just your time in the grocery store.

1. Blueberries: A few blueberries in the morning can do wonders for your heart. Blueberries are high in fiber, which ultimately helps lower cholesterol, maintain a healthy sugar level, and lowers blood pressure. In our opinion, that’s a triple win situation for your heart-health!2. Apples: ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ is a true saying! Apples are not only delicious but they are packed with healthy nutrients. They can help lower cholesterol, maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and will lower your risk of cancer and heart disease.

3. Broccoli: As much as you may want melted cheese on it to get rid of that icky taste, it actually has many health benefits. Here’s the good thing about broccoli- you can eat it in three ways, boiled, sautéed, and raw. Whichever way you choose to eat it, it is high in fiber and helps strengthen your immune system, bones, and eyes. It’s nutrients can also help fight certain cancers.

4. Avocado: You can eat avocado in any which way you like and it’s just a simply delicious fruit! Just throw on a bit of salt and pepper and you’re good to go! Avocados are packed with healthy fats and nutrients, which ultimately helps stabilize your blood sugar and lowers cholesterol. This will help prevent heart disease, stroke, circulatory disease, and high blood pressure.

5. Coffee: Last but not least, a good ol’ cup of Joe! Studies show that 4 cups of coffee a day can decrease the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes! Although, it is important to remember to drink in moderation- too much caffeine can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. This is why it is important to drink coffee during the day compared to the night to prevent health issues and eliminate it from your system before bed. You also want to consider decaf.

Now that you know these  5 super-foods, all you have to do is pop into a grocery store, buy a few items, and you’re good to go! Being healthy doesn’t have to be difficult.- There are many ways to be healthy which don’t include much time or effort.

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This past week the parents of Corporal Trevor O’Keefe have donated a MIKEY defibrillator in his memory to the Burnt Cove-Bauline-St. Micheal’s Community Centre.

Corporal Trevor O’Keefe was recognized for his community-focused volunteer work. Members of the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department, representatives from the Burnt Cove-Bauline-St. Michael’s Community Centre and residents of the Southern Shore were on hand along with O’Keefe’s parents, Pierre and Biddy O’Keefe to present the MIKEY defibrillator.

His parents selected the community centre to receive the defibrillator, to keep the equipment close to where he grew up.

The MIKEY defibrillator is part of an initiative in support of fallen first responders by Canada’s 911 Ride, Atlantic Region.

With much of the country already experiencing plenty of snowfalls this winter, we thought that it would be a good time to talk about how the cold weather can increase the risk of a heart attack or a sudden cardiac arrest. More importantly how you can protect your heart and reduce that risk.

Although shoveling can seem like an easy chore, it can easily become a strenuous activity leaving you with plenty of fatigue. Lifting snow with a shovel back and forth across a driveway can take a lot out of those who are not regularly active. This can also be the case for those who have snowblowers, as the act of pushing the heavy machine can cause the same amount of strain.

In addition to the activity, the cold weather is another contributor to an increased risk as it can boost blood pressure, interrupt blood flow to part of the heart and make blood more likely to form clots.

Follow our tips below to make sure that you’re well prepared for shoveling your home this winter.

Before you shovel snow

  • If you’re recovering from a recent heart attack or have any doubts about shoveling affecting your health, please contact a doctor.
  • Look to avoid shoveling early on in the morning. Your blood is more prone to clotting due to the lower temperature. Aim to do it at a warmer point of the day if possible.
  • Do not eat a heavy meal before shoveling, as your blood will be diverted from the heart to the stomach.
  • Treat shoveling like a workout and warm up your body before you begin. Even something as simple as walking to the end of the street will be beneficial.
  • Do not drink coffee or smoke for at least one hour before or one hour after shoveling. These are stimulants and elevate your blood pressure and heart rate.

While shoveling snow

  • Use a small shovel that you can comfortably handle, rather than one that can pick up a lot of snow. Having a smaller shovel will allow for more loads, and won’t stress out your body.
  • Give yourself a lot of time to shovel. Plan to make frequent, 15-minute breaks.
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Dress in the appropriate amount of layers. Dress so you avoid hypothermia, but not too much and overheat. You could sweat a lot with too much clothing, which could result in the opposite effect of what you’re hoping for.
  • Make sure to cover your head and your neck.
  • Cover your mouth (breathing cold air can cause angina or trigger breathing problems).
  • Watch for the stereotypical signs of a heart attack: lightheadedness, dizziness, being short of breath or if you have tightness or burning in chest, neck, arms or back. If you or you think someone is having a heart attack, call 911 right away.

We hope that you’ve found these tips valuable. Stay safe and happy shoveling!

 

 

 

 

November is CPR month in Canada and many organizations are doing their part to help educate Canadians on how to properly respond to emergency situations. Knowing how to do so is important, as emergencies where CPR is required, has a vastly better outcome if there are bystanders actively performing CPR, rather than waiting for help to come.

In the cases of Sudden Cardiac Arrest the chances of being saved increase even more if you are using an AED or a defibrillator, like our MIKEY’s. These aren’t always as easy to find though as they’re primarily set up in locations that are meant to hold large numbers of people, like hockey rinks or schools. It’s important to have them available in locations like these as they’re so often frequented by the public, but because these locations are so big, they can often be difficult to find.

To help you know where AED’s are, we encourage you to check out the Ontario Registry which indicates where an AED is closest to you in the province (If you don’t live in Ontario, we encourage you to check if your province has an up to date registry). Although the registry has many AED’s added, it doesn’t have them all. So, we encourage you to always keep an eye out when entering a large location so that you know where to find one in case of an emergency.

Fortunately we have a pretty good grasp of all of the locations that our MIKEY’s are housed. We have 100 MIKEY’s placed in GO stations in and around the GTA, a MIKEY on every one of TWO MEN AND A TRUCKS® moving trucks, and a full list of MIKEY’s that we’ve donated to families, schools and organizations from all over the world.