Eating healthy this Holiday Season to stay Heart Healthy!

With the Holiday Season here - so comes the Holiday get-together's and work parties. Everyone enjoys wonderful food during the season however maybe this year - you might need to cut back a bit on some things.

Everyone seems to know what foods are GOOD for you, such as nuts, fruits, vegetables and of course~ the all time favorite healthy food - Oatmeal. We all seem to try and eat some of those every now and then, but who serves Oatmeal for breakfast on Christmas morning? No one - except maybe Dr. Oz. Most families enjoy eggs, toast, sausage and ... the big "NO NO" but an all time favorite - BACON!

Since most of us are aware of the good foods for our heart, here are a few of the bad foods for the heart and ones to try and stay away from this holiday season.

• Stay away from Soda Pop
• Stay away from French Fries
• Stay away from fast food hamburgers (really.. fast food in general)
• Potato Chips  - don't go near them!
• Pasta Salads - think they are healthy - think again!
• Chocolate Donuts (all donuts are not good)
• High Sugar Cereal (yes Captain Crunch is good though, but lots of sugar)
• Cheese (you could eat low fat cheese instead

Choose Chicken over beef when out to dinner for the corporate parties and holiday gatherings. You can still enjoy the holidays - just watch the sweets and cut down on the above mentioned items (really you should just say no to them) - or find a lower calorie or lower fat item.

Enjoy the holiday season but not too much and have a heart healthy holiday!!

More.... "Did you know facts about SCA"

Some people MAY have a heart attack while suffering from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)

Did you  know that Zac Schrah had NEVER had something like a "blackout" or "fainted"?
 
Did you know that Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in the U.S.?

To have a chance of surviving, victims of SCA must receive a life-saving defibrillation within the first 4 – 6 minutes of an attack, when brain and permanent death start to occur. Two-thirds of SCA deaths occur in people without any prior indications of heart disease.

Have you signed the petition "keep AED's available"? If you are someone who works every day to help save lives, or if you have been personally affected by SCA and understand the critical importance of early defibrillation, please express your concerns to the FDA now, before their determination is made. A decision is anticipated by the end of 2012. - (www.sca-aware.org) http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/keep-automated-external-defibrillators-accessible.html

Did you know that Zac Shrah had no prior heart issues?

African-American women had a significant 61% increased risk of SCA

Did you know that October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Month?

In most cases the first sign of sudden cardiac arrest is loss of consciousness

The chain of survival for victims of SCA has 4 links:

The Importance of Giving Thanks~

What is the importance of giving thanks? We often forget to be thankful for the many blessings in our life and being thankful will bless your life more than you know.

Giving thanks is important to show appreciation to God for what He has done for you, what He is doing and what He is going to do. Giving thanks is to open the door for even more wonderful things from the Lord. Encourage and be thankful for them. Blessings and being thankful doesn't require it to be today - be thankful for what has happened in the past or people that have walked through your life.

You always have reasons to be thankful and things in your life that you have been blessed by, there is no one without blessings. Living for Zachary would like to thank God for all the people are in the Living for Zachary family, have been in the Living for Zachary family for a time and will be in the future a part of our family fighting for our cause ~ SCA awareness. We thank you and believe truly that it "takes a village".

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God "

North Carolina requires High School Seniors to learn CPR

Earning a high school diploma proves more than academic success in North Carolina – it offers experiences with a real world, and often life-saving skill.

The North Carolina High School graduating classes of 2015 will be the first class held to the set standard of taking and completing a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training courses. The importance of learning how to react during emergency situations is something that is crucial to being able to help someone, said Chatham County School spokeswoman, Beth McCullough. According to Broughton High School principal, Stephen Mares, the transition should be smooth as the P.E. department already demonstrates CPR training and opportunities to learn.

Physical Education (P.E.) teachers in Chatham County Schools are all licensed as CPR instructors by the Red Cross. Governor Bev Perdue signed into law the bill that has been on the books since 1997, but was never held or documented. The legislation was met with little opposition when signed at the Capitol.

New Jersey and Janet's Law

In New Jersey, local lawmakers and parents have made headway in growing awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and the need for AEDs in schools.

Assembly Republication Leader, Jon Bramnick sponsored the new legislation named “Janet’s Law”, named after the 11-year-old cheerleader, Janet Zilinski, who died August 2006 at a cheerleading practice from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). “Janet’s Law” requires New Jersey schools, both public and non-public, to be equipped with automated external defibrillators (AED) and to establish plans for responding to cardiac events and other emergencies.

The legislation piece also trains school officials, faculty and coaches on how to operate AEDs in case of an emergency. Although AEDs often come with computer-generated voice instructions, Janet’s parents, Jim and Karen Zilinski, pushed for the past six years to have AEDs and training as available as fire extinguishers. Statistically, the faster the response to a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) with an AED, the higher the chances of the victim surviving. The Zilinski’s created the Janet Zilinski Memorial Fund to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and to help others understand the devastating effects and to react calmly in the moments before trained emergency response personnel arrive. The legislation, originally named Bill A-1608 in the Assembly, was unanimously approved by both houses of the Legislature this year.

What are YOU doing Saturday, October 27, 2012?

Rain or Shine Living for Zachary will hold their 4th Annual Living For Zachary Incredible HeartRun at The Shops at Legacy Plano, TX on Saturday, October 27, 2012.

More than 1,000 runners and walkers celebrating the progress in the fight against sudden cardiac arrest in youth. Living for Zachary will take registrations the morning of Saturday, October 27th for those who like to wait until the last minute.

1 mile Fun Run and 5K Run/Walk plus exciting activities for your entire family. Bounce houses, face painting, balloon artistry, and more! A way to give back this October to support Sudden Cardiac Awareness Month!

Schedule of Events:
Race Day Registration 7:00 am Warm-up by Camp Gladiator 8:15 am 5K & 1 Mile 8:30 am Awards Presentation 9:30am 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk: All ages- $15 5K Run/Walk: Ages 11-under: $15 Ages 12-22: $20 Ages 23 & Up: $25 5K Awards - Trophies awarded to top male and female finisher. Medals awarded to top three male/female finishers in each age group.

Why not make October a month to give back and help Living for Zachary bring awareness to SCA and attend the 4th Annual Living For Zachary Incredible HeartRun!

You can also give back by Volunteering at the Living for Zachary Incredible HeartRun - click here for more information.

Make a Difference: Help Raise SCA Awareness in October

Sudden Cardiac Awareness is Living for Zachary's main objective. We encourage and support Heart Screening and AED use.

Living for Zachary is a non-profit organization [(501 (c) (3) 80-0410066] with a mission dedicated to saving young lives from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The organization was founded in honor of Zachary Schrah, who was only 16 years old when he collapsed during a high school football practice in Plano on April 2, 2009. After Zachary’s death, the Living for Zachary Organization was established to raise SCA awareness of undiagnosed heart issues in teens. 

Congress declared October "National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month." Four years and many useless deaths later many still do not understand that SCA is different from a Heart Attack and affects more than 1,000 people every single day. 1 in 10 SCA victims survive.

Help Living for Zachary raise SCA Awareness by either Volunteering for Living for Zachary, or  Donating to Living for Zachary or Sponsor one of our Living for Zachary events.