The statistics are unimaginable….without an AED, approximately 95% of heart attacks on golf courses are fatal.  According to the American Heart Association, golf courses have become the most common place for a heart attack making AEDS or automated external defibrillators a necessity in every club house.

Sudden cardiac arrest, or SCA, is the leading cause of death in the United States.  SCA occurs when the heart stops beating, which stops the blood from flowing throughout the body.  The risk for SCA increases with age and men are about 3 times more likely to experience SCA than women.

Here are some signs to look for

• Chest pains
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Vomiting
• Prior to fainting or losing consciousness, some may experience a racing heartbeat or a dizzy feeling
• Loss of consciousness or fainting
• No heartbeat of pulse

What Should You Do if this occurs:

• Call 911! Have someone in your group call 9-1-1 and retrieve the AED. If you are alone on the golf course with your buddy, call 9-1-1 first and get an AED if possible.
• Are they breathing? If NO, start CPR immediately! Use an AED as soon as possible.
• Continue CPR until the individual starts breathing or until medical support arrives.

How Can Your Golf Club Prepare:

All golf clubs should have AED’s in their clubhouses and there should be portable devices located throughout the course.  When you check in for your tee time—ask where their AEDs are located so you’ll be prepared in the event of an emergency.   Also this is a great opportunity to make sure that everyone is CPR certified in your golfing group.

As a reminder, if an AED is used within 5 minutes of a Sudden Cardiac collapse the survival rates are approximately 70% as compared to the 5% survival rate without one!  Golf courses are listed as the top places in which cardiac arrests can occur.  Be informed and inform your favorite golf club about why an AED is important!

CPR Choice is your go-to place for AEDs and CPR certification training.  We sell state of the art AEDs to families and businesses and provide support on training, as well as maintenance requirements.  We also offer convenient CPR, First Aid and AED classes all over Knoxville and the surrounding counties.  Visit our website at www.cprchoice.com for additional information on AEDs and our class schedules.

 http://www.golfwisconsin.com/articles

Have you ever tried an energy drink? If you did, did you experience an immediate energy boost?  Energy drinks continue to increase in popularity and marketing has been expanded to all age groups – young and old. I’m sure with the pressures of our fast paced environment, people feel the need to have that extra spark.

According to Transparency Market Research, they estimate that the energy drink market will grow over 10% in 2016 and currently it’s a 10 billion dollar industry. The manufactures of these products feel that health conscious folks will continue to be attracted to their product to help them remain active and alert.

What’s in an Energy Drink?

Red Bull and Gatorade hold the market share today on energy drinks. And I’m sure you all have seen the appealing marketing associated with these drinks. I mean really who wouldn’t want the additional support Red Bull claims to provide so you can be fully focused on your job or at your peak performance if you’re an athlete? It’s been said that Red Bull gives you wings.   The ingredients in a Red Bull Energy drink seem harmless:

• Caffeine- one 8.4 oz. can contains 80mg of caffeine
• Taurine
• B Vitamins
• Sucrose & Glucose- one 8.4 oz. can contains 27g of sucrose/glucose, comparable to orange or apple juice (sugar free options are available too)
• Alpine Spring Water

In comparison, a short (8oz) cup of Starbucks coffee has 180 mg of caffeine.

Why the worry?

Some energy drinks also contain additional ingredients or stimulants such as ginseng, guarana and taurine, which is also in Red Bull. These ingredients have caffeine concentrations that are equal to or higher than the caffeine actually found in coffee and consuming high doses of any of these can be dangerous. So to sum it up, some energy drinks will mask the amount of caffeine actually found in their products.

As a result of the higher amounts of caffeine and sugar, arrhythmias can develop in young and old. It’s scary to think that about 31% of teenagers between the ages of 12 and 19 regularly consume energy drinks. Some studies have shown that consumption of energy drinks have led to sudden cardiac deaths in young, healthy individuals. Energy drinks can also increase blood pressure, increased heart rate, restlessness and insomnia.

Some established guidelines should be followed when making the choice to consume an energy drink:

• Limit the quantity of drinks you consume- the recommendation for a healthy adolescent is one can.
• Avoid any energy drink before or during sports.
• Avoid mixing with alcohol.
• Never consume an energy drink if you have an underlying medical condition and discuss any concerns you have with your family doctor.

How can you manage without an energy drink?

Just like with any drink or food or process – education is the key! Do your homework, investigate what you are putting in to your body and learn to fuel your body the right way. Try these tips to maintain your energy throughout the day:

• Eat lean proteins and smart carbohydrates such as almonds, cheese and greek yogurt.
• Try to take a 20 minute nap during the day, if possible
• Get up and move around- avoid sitting for long periods of time

Another way to educate yourself in case you are in an emergency situation, such as a sudden cardiac arrest, is to learn the life-saving skills of CPR! CPR Choice has convenient classes located in multiple areas, including Knoxville, Maryville and Tricities.   To schedule a class today, visit www.knoxvillecpr.com or www.tricitiescpr.com. We’d love to see you in a class!

sources:
http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/energy-drinks-market.html
http://www.caffeineinformer.com/the-complete-guide-to-starbucks-caffeine

Last week was such an exciting week for us!  We love this time of year as it brings a lot of attention to the things we are passionate about.  With February being American Heart Month and yesterday being National Wear Red day we wanted to do something to help raise awareness and to give back to our community.  We thought that the best things that we could do is offer a free community CPR class.  We also wanted to help inform people about the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke and equip people with some ways that they can improve their own heart health.  Although heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, 80% is preventable and we want to help our community learn more about prevention.  Here are 7 simple things that you can do to create a healthier heart!

We were asked by, WATE Channel 6, to come and interview to share our event with the community.  I did two interviews; one for the morning news and one again at 5:30PM.  It was a great experience. Although I have been doing public speaking for over 15 years it was still a new experience.  I definitely think it was easier the 2nd time.  The first time I wasn’t really sure what to expect and wasn’t given much prep.  It was fun though and a lot of people heard about our free class and we had a full house last night.  A big thanks to Shelby Miller & Kristin Farley for having us on their show.

Last night we taught the friends and family CPR course and helped people learn: hands-only CPR, how to help someone that is choking, how to use an AED and child CPR.  We all had a great time!  All the participants did a great job and left with lots of goodies.  Not only did we provide some informational tips but also gave each participant some goodies including a CPR face mask and valentine!  We are so grateful to be able to share our passion with our community!   

It was awesome to see so many people wearing red yesterday!  Every where I went people were proudly wearing red.  We challenged our followers to post their selfies wearing red and offered a free gift.  Our free gift winner is Charissa Knouff!  

If  you didn’t get a chance to make it to our free class but you still want to learn, come join us for a CPR course in Knoxville, Maryville or the Tri-Cities area of East Tennessee.  We offer CPR classes multiple times per week in west Knoxville and at least once a week in the surrounding area.  We are offering all participants a $5 discount the entire month of February if they wear red to class!  So join us and register for CPR today.  

Did you know – 1 in 3 women die of heart disease and stroke every year and approximately 80% is preventable!

In 2004, the American Heart Association (AHA) created Go Red for Women^® campaign to provide education, support and increase funding for heart disease and treatment. One of the major events from the Go Red for Women^® campaign includes the National Wear Red Day^®! Every year since the National Wear Red Day^® was introduced Americans are challenged to wear red, paint your community red, and create activities to focus on helping save women’s lives through support, research and funding.

The AHA can boast about some major shifts in the lives of women since their program was developed.
Here are a few accomplishments:

• Almost 90% of women have made at least one healthy modification
• Exercise has increased and weight has been lost
• Fewer women are dying from heart disease and stroke
• Death rates have decreased by more than 30%

Continue this tradition by helping us raise awareness to end this killer of women. Celebrate National Wear Red Day^® with Go Red for Women^® on Friday, Feb 6, 2015. It’s easy and fun to participate and the best part is help give back to your family and community.

Here’s some ways you can help:

1. Wear RED to show your support!
2. Share your RED! Use the hashtag #GoRed on all social media
3. Donate to help raise money for awareness and research.
4. Learn CPR and AED Functionality -CPR Choice is your source to learn the skills needed to save a life!  It is a very small price to pay versus watching the ones you love pass in front of you. Sign up for a CPR course in Knoxville or the Tri-Cities today!  Teaching CPR is more than our job; it is saving lives.

Visit GoRedforWomen.org for more information including fundraising, how to donate and utilize free tools and resources to make this National Wear Red Day^® the best one yet!

The color RED, LOVE and HEARTS fill the month of February! February is American Heart Month and the entire month is devoted to helping people learn how to be heart healthy and reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke. Cardiovascular disease or CVD, which includes heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, is the number 1 killer of women and men in the United States. CVD Is also the leading cause of disability, which prevent people from enjoying family activities and working.

In 2003 the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood institute took action against heart disease, where the perception was it affected more men than women. Heart disease is now the #1 killer of women and both organizations are working hard to continue to increase awareness for both men and women.

What are the risks for Heart Disease?

• High blood cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Being inactive
• Smoking
• Diabetes and pre-diabetes
• Being overweight
• Family history of early heart disease
• Poor eating habits
• Age – men and women over the age of 55!

How do you lower your risk?

• Eat for your HEALTH! Eat a heart healthy diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium and avoid added sugars.
• Move! Physical activity is a key to lowering your risk and helping you maintain or lose extra weight.
• Partner with your doctor! Make sure they know your family history, your lifestyle and openly communicate about your health, especially if you have a family history of heart disease.

Getting Heart Healthy requires small changes in your daily habits that will make a huge impact on you, your family and your healthy. Take control of your destiny and remember CPR Choice when it comes to learning some life-saving skills. CPR Choice offers classes in First Aid, CPR and AED Training. We have a passion for training people in the event of a medical situation.

Check out our CPR training calendar and sign up for a class today in Knoxville, Maryville, or Tri-Cities! CPR Choice also offers CPR training on-site at your location.  Learn CPR in the comfort of your office or home!

Heart disease is the number one killer in American. Let me say it again—the NUMBER ONE killer and in most cases we can avoid or decrease our chances of developing this disease. Heart disease occurs when the arteries that supply the heart with blood, oxygen and any nutrients start to narrow. The narrowing is a result of a buildup of cholesterol fatty deposits inside the arterial walls. The buildup, also known as plaque, clogs up the arteries creating blockages therefore restricting oxygenated blood to get to the heart.

Lower your risk today by adopting the following habits:

1. Stop smoking and don’t start! Smoking is the leading preventable cause of heart disease in women. Chemicals in the tobacco can damage your heart and blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis, which is narrowing of the arteries. This leads to a heart attack. Also, the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke replaces some of the oxygen in your blood. This leads to higher blood pressures and forces your heart to work harder. Bottom line- stop smoking! The good news is once you stop your risk of heart disease drops significantly over the years. By the 5^th year of non-smoking you are almost back to a non-smoker status!
2. Eat a heart healthy diet. Plan ahead, do some research and find a heart healthy diet for you and your family to follow. It’s not really about cutting back but making better choices- for you and your loved ones. By eating the right foods YOU can manage so many things, for example control your weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. To get you started here’s some additional tips:
   1. Add plenty of fruits and vegetables to your daily food routine, especially those green leafy vegetables and vitamin C rich items. Your goal should be at least 10 servings a day. And fruits and vegetables have an added bonus- not only do they help prevent heart disease, they may also help prevent cancer and improve diabetes.
   2. Don’t forget whole grains and fiber.
   3. Watch your sodium intake– eating at home is the best way to manage the amount of sodium you eat!
3. MOVE! Regular exercise can help prevent your risk of fatal heart disease. When you combine exercise with the other tips we have provided you will reap so many benefits, such as helping your body reduce insulin resistance and providing you with endorphins that lift your mood! A brisk 30 minute will do wonders for your body and mind!
4. Maintain a healthy weight. Carrying extra weight, especially around your mid-section increases your risk of heart disease. It can also open the door to additional health issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Avoid the word “diet” – look for ways to make lifestyle changes. Make good food choices and learn to fuel your body the right way!
5. Sleep! Did you know that sleep deprivation increases your stress hormones, raises your blood pressure and can affect your blood sugar levels? Adequate sleep is crucial to our proper brain function, basically we need time to decompress and prepare mentally and physically for the next day. We need at least 8 hours of restful sleep a night. We have adopted the following strategies to help us get a good night’s sleep:
   1. Get on a schedule to help you keep regular sleep hours.
   2. Meditate before going to bed, focus on lowering your heart rate and relaxing.
   3. Exercise daily but limit exercise to at least 4 hours prior to bedtime.
   4. Avoid caffeine, alcohol or any other stimulant 4 hours before bedtime.
   5. Avoid watching TV before bedtime.

The risk is real! Heart disease will affect a member of your family, a co-worker, an associate- the question is are you prepared to help in the event of a medical emergency. CPR Choice offers classes in First Aid, CPR and AED Training.  We have a passion for training people in the event of a medical situation. Check out our CPR training calendar and sign up for a class today in Knoxville, Maryville, or Tri-Cities! CPR Choice also offers training on-site at your location.  Learn CPR in the comfort of your office or home!

There are differences between cardiac arrest and a heart attack and CPR Choice wants to make sure you are informed and prepared in the event of a medical emergency.

What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest or SCA?

Sudden cardiac arrest or SCA is a sudden or unexpected pulseless condition attributed to the cessation of cardiac mechanical activity.  It is usually caused by ventricular fibrillation, an abnormality in the heart’s electrical system.  When SCA occurs, blood stops flowing to the brain, the heart and the rest of the body and the person collapses.  In fact, the person is clinically dead and will remain so unless someone helps immediately.

Most people do not realize that SCA is a leading cause of death among adults over the age of 40 in the United States and other countries. In the U.S. alone, approximately 424,000 people of all ages experience SCA each year (more than 1,000/day) and 19 out of 20 victims die.

What is a Heart Attack?

A heart attack occurs when part of the heart’s blood supply is reduced or blocked, causing the heart muscle to become injured or die.  A heart attack victim is awake and may complain about painful symptoms.  The heart muscle requires oxygen to survive. Coronary arteries are in charge of bringing oxygen rich blood to the heart. However, these arteries can become more narrow and clogged by fat, cholesterol, and plaque resulting in poor perfusion.

What Can I Do?

SCA can strike anyone, anytime.  Seconds count–timely and appropriate care will substantially improve survival rates.   In the event of a Sudden Cardiac Arrest:

• Call 911. Give specific details; “I have a female, approx. 50 years old, experiencing chest pains…”
• Tell someone to get the AED.
• Begin doing chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute. (Think of the Bee Gees song, Stayin’ Alive.) Push hard and fast in between the nipples on the lower portion of the sternum.

What you can do to prepare:

• Learn CPR and AED functionality.  Get your friends and family involved too.  Remember, over 80% of cardiac arrests occur at home, which means a life you save could very well be a loved one!

• Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Access– spread the word on why having an AED at your work, school or community center can be the key to survival.  CPR Choice sells AEDs and provides hands on training, as well as guidance on internal procedures for the best utilization.

Having confidence in your ability to perform CPR and to use an AED is the best way to prevent unnecessary deaths. CPR Choice is your source to learn the skills needed to save a life!  It is a very small price to pay versus watching the ones you love pass in front of you. Sign up for a CPR class today!

The Healthy Living Expo is coming up!  Get ready for Knoxville’s largest Health & Fitness Expo.  AND…Guess What??  CPR Choice will be participating this year!  We will be doing live CPR demonstrations as well as teaching classes and handing out information at our booth.  Come visit us and learn “hands-only” CPR and get some information and goodies!  We will also be teaching a Friends & Family class each day of the expo. The class will be $10 and all proceeds will be donated to The American Heart Association.

Friday, Jan 23, 2015 9am-3pm (Family & Friends CPR @ 2PM, click to sign up)
Saturday, Jan 24, 2015 9am-4pm (Family & Friends CPR @ 2PM, click to sign up)

Knoxville Convention Center, Booth #121

Admission to the expo is $10 at the door or FREE if you get your tickets ahead of time.
Seniors FREE on Friday, Children 12 and under FREE

FUN! FIT! FABULOUS and FREE!

The area’s largest event focused on health, fitness, nutrition and living green returns for it’s eleventh year to the Knoxville Convention Center January 23-24, 2015. Over 130 individual companies fill more than 250 exhibits. The Expo continues to grow each year from its launch in 2005 and expects approximately 10,000 visitors!  The Healthy Living Expo offers interactive, educational exhibits, demonstrations and presentations.  Best of all, it is FREE when you get tickets before the doors open.

Some of the features for the 2014 Expo:

• Natural Awakenings Natural Health Pavilion
• Life Saving Skills taught by CPR Choice
• Chiropractic Care Pavilion
• Various Important Health Checks
• Healthy Food Sampling Booths
• Hundreds of prizes given away both days!

FREE WELLNESS PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYERS
Cigna Healthcare takes the lead promoting employee wellness by sponsoring tickets to the expo for any company that registers on The Healthy Living Expo website. Whether you have a handful of employees or one of the largest employers in our region, registration only takes a few minutes at the website, TheHealthyLivingExpo.com then you can offer:

MANY WAYS TO GET FIT and GET HEALTHY!
From natural health products to fitness companies, you will find a plethora of new ways to get fit and get healthy at The Healthy Living Expo, including life saving techniques from CPR Choice!

CPR CHOICE
What could be more important than knowing how to save someone in a life threatening situation? The Expo is proud to have CPR Choice demonstrate on stage some of the techniques you can learn when you take a CPR class. You can even take a class while you are at the expo, so by the time you leave you can be prepared to properly assist someone with life saving skills!

Natural Health Pavilion
This section of The Healthy Living Expo has companies with products and services that have a natural health aspect. Natural Awakenings Magazine, the foremost leader in our community promoting natural health is the sponsor of this area. Everything from household products, nutritional supplements to local green suppliers are found in the pavilion promoting a healthy mind, body and planet.

Chiropractic Care Pavilion
In keeping with the natural health approach to wellness is the Chiropractic Care pavilion. Three top chiropractic health professionals host this section with information about whole body wellness using natural health solutions.

FUN Outdoors
Getting outdoors, taking walks and hikes, visiting local parks are all part of living healthy so the City of Knoxville sponsors this area to inform our community of these available resources. Look for many associations and businesses offering information and products for outdoor fun for the entire family available right here in East Tennessee.

Get FIT with Health Checks
More than a dozen free health checks are available at the Expo. Screenings for allergies, blood pressure and a list of other simple tests will be listed at TheHealthyLivingExpo.com under the health check tab.

FABULOUS FOODS
Local Chef Walter and other experts using healthy products create FABULOUS foods at the Eat Right stage then share samples with visitors.  And after each segment, prizes are drawn for those attending. In addition to the stage presentations, numerous exhibitors offer samples of healthy products.

Get Active to stay FIT!
Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center takes the lead on this stage with plenty of ideas for getting active. Music fills the area for two days highlighting numerous ways to become more active. Demonstrations are exciting to watch, inviting to participate and created for visitors of all ages.

It is informative and fun!  Come check it out!  This is a prime opportunity to find ideas, products, and services from the many exhibitors! CPR Choice is offering these Family & Friends CPR classes as a public service. All proceeds from this class will be donated directly to the American Heart Association.

Over the past few weeks, the same topic of discussion continues to come up in conversation- how can I avoid extra weight gain over the holidays?  We all love to gather with family and friends and it seems every event is centered around food!  CPR Choice has compiled a list of the tips we use to help maintain during the holidays and we wanted to share with our customers.

• Start the day with a healthy breakfast. Make this a requirement for your family and it is a great way to spend quality time with family and friends and a wholesome way to start the day.
• Choose lean meats and veggies at your big meals. Turkey is a lean meat and is staple for most holidays here in the South and also challenge your family to fill up on veggies too. Monitor your intake of carbs and sugary items. It’s a holiday so of course you can have some goodies but chose smaller portions!
• Hydrate! Avoid the sugary sodas and drink your water throughout the day to help with the additional sodium intake. Having chilled and/or fruit water readily available will help you remember to drink and also help fill you up so you won’t overindulge.
• Slow down…this time of year always goes too fast and we all know life is precious! So savor every bite (eating s-l-o-w-l-y) as much as you do the conversation with your family & friends.
• Schedule some time outside (weather permitting). After dinner, stroll thru the neighborhood, or drive to park to take a stroll. This is a great way to spend time together and get a little exercise to help avoid any extra pounds.

So you don’t have to miss out, you just have to make better choices.  Remember it’s a four letter word- P L A N!  You will be more successful.  We promise!  Enjoy!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States – about 1 in every 4.

Although this statistic shouldn’t shock most women, it usually does. That’s because most women, more than half, don’t realize this scary truth. More women die each year in the US from heart disease than all the cancers combined. Many women think of heart disease as a “man’s disease” even though about the same number of women and men are claimed by it every year. And about 64% of women who die suddenly from a heart attack showed no previous symptoms.

Awareness of the severity of this epidemic has to change for lives to be saved. Knowledge is power and knowing the risk factors and symptoms is key.

Risk factors include:

• High Blood Pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Family History
• Smoking
• Stress

Controlling these risk factors often means hard changes in lifestyle and diet but surely they are better than any of the results of a heart attack or stroke.

Paying attention to symptoms is another important step. As women, we are often likely to disregard or minimize symptoms, but this is our body’s way of trying to tell us to get some help. And although women often experience chest pain, other symptoms for women are easy to overlook.

Symptoms include:

• Extreme Fatigue
• Jaw, neck and shoulder pain
• Lightheadedness and clamminess
• Nausea and indigestion

You know your body ladies. Pay attention and listen to what it is trying to tell you. We have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of anyone else. Women can be a powerful force to reckon with especially when they get behind a cause, so we need to encourage each other to learn as much as we can, educate others, and make changes.

For more information about heart disease in women visit:

https://www.goredforwomen.org/home/about-heart-disease-in-women/

http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_women_heart.htm