TM Sample Emails and Voicemails Feel free to use and customize the following text to promote participation in Start Eating Healthy Day. Teaser Heart disease and stroke affect everyone in this country your neighbors, your loved ones, even you. But beating these deadly diseases doesn t have to mean radical fad diets and crazy exercise trends that are only temporary fixes. A long life of heart health is about taking small steps each day to change how you eat and live. As those small steps add up, one day you will realize you ve changed your life and perhaps the lives of those you love for the better. The first step is to celebrate Start Eating Healthy Day on Nov. 2. The American Heart Association invites you to mark your calendar and take the first step toward healthy living. Stay tuned as we continue to provide tips, recipes and information on how [INSERT COMPANY NAME] will celebrate Start Eating Healthy Day. Announcement This information could also be sent in a calendar request Join companies across the United States on Nov. 2 to celebrate Start Eating Healthy Day! We ll hold a rally to kick off the day so that we can all make a commitment together to beat heart disease and stroke. Mark your calendars for this upcoming event! Start Eating Healthy Day Desk Drop We re joining with the American Heart Association and companies across the nation to celebrate Start Eating Healthy Day on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Here s what you can do to join in the celebration: Enjoy heart-healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains. Bring a heart-healthy lunch to work. Join our all-staff rally at [INSERT TIME] at [INSERT LOCATION] and pledge to live a healthier lifestyle! Make healthier choices at the vending machine avoid salty chips and sugary snacks. Visit startwalkingnow.org and use the American Heart Association s free tips, tools and trackers to stay motivated. Start on Nov. 2 and enjoy a long, heart-healthy life. 4
Weekly Quizzes for Employees Give your employees a reason to get involved so that eating heart healthy is more exciting. Use our quizzes to drive education of how to eat healthy and reward the employees who know their stuff. Send the quizzes below via email to your employees and reward the winners with prizes such as fitness equipment, healthy eating products or company rewards such as jeans day or time off. Week 1: Face the Fats Ready to make informed choices about the foods you eat? Welcome to the Fats Quiz now you can test just how knowledgeable you are about fats. (Answer Key: 1.A, 2.D, 3.B, 4.C, 5.B, 6.B) 1. Which of these fats raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol? A. Saturated fats and trans fats B. Polyunsaturated fats C. Monounsaturated fats D. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats 2. Which of these fats can increase your risk of heart disease? A. Polyunsaturated fats B. Monounsaturated fats C. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats D. Trans fats and saturated fats 3. Which three foods typically contain high amounts of saturated fats? A. Nuts, seeds, vegetable oils B. Bacon, cheeseburgers, whole milk C. Avocados, olive oil, canola oil D. Salmon, trout, herring Visit ShopHeart.org to find a full array of wellness and organization products that could be used as prizes and also benefit the American Heart Association. 5
4. Which five foods typically contain high amounts of trans fats? A. Ice cream, butter, cheese, ribs, lard B. Oatmeal, berries, spinach, carrots, peaches C. French fries, cookies, shortening, stick margarine, doughnuts D. Peanut butter, tub margarine, olives, mayonnaise, beans 5. The American Heart Association recommends most of the fats you eat every day be: A. Saturated fats and trans fats B. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats C. Trans fats and polyunsaturated fats D. Saturated fats and monounsaturated fats 6. If a food package says cholesterol-free, it means the product does not contain any fats that might increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol. True or false? A. True B. False Week 2: Test your Sodium Smarts Test your sodium smarts by answering these five questions about which foods are higher in sodium. 1. Which has more sodium? A. Raisin bread (enriched) 1 large slice (32g) B. French or Vienna bread (including sourdough) 1 small slice (32g) 2. Which has more sodium? A. American cheese (pasteurized process, low-fat) 1 slice (21g) B. Swiss cheese (low-fat) 1 slice (28g) 6
TM 3. Which has more sodium? A. Potato salad 1/3 cup (95g) B. Mashed potatoes (fast foods) 1/3 cup (80g) 4. Which has more sodium? A. Raisin bran flake cereal 1 cup (59g) B. Raisin-cinnamon English muffin 1 (57g) 5. Which has more sodium? A. Potato chips (plain, salted) 1 ounce (28g) B. Pretzels (hard, plain, salted) 1 ounce (28g) Answer Key: 1. B. No matter how you slice it, bread is one of the most common sources of sodium. Sodium is added to bread to help with the texture and rising action of the dough. The amount of sodium differs by bread type and can add up quickly when you eat more than one slice. 2. A. American cheese is a highly processed cheese-like product. Highly processed foods tend to be high in sodium because food manufacturers use salt or other sodium-containing compounds to preserve food and to improve taste and texture. 3. A. Salt is often added to commercially prepared (e.g., store-bought) potato salad for taste. You can make potato salad with a low-sodium recipe that uses herbs and spices. 4. A. Because raisin bran tastes sweet, you may not realize how much sodium can be in it. In fact, it s in many commercial breakfast cereals. Salt is added to sweet foods to enhance their flavor, so even sweet-tasting cereals can have lots of sodium. 5. A. Don't get the facts twisted hard pretzels can have more sodium for the same total weight than potato chips, because salt is added to hard pretzels for texture, not just for taste. For potato chips, salt is added at the end of food processing and applied on the surface to enhance the flavor. To limit your sodium consumption, buy unsalted potato chips and pretzels. But remember that unsalted potato chips have virtually no sodium, while unsalted pretzels can pack 82 mg per ounce. 7
Resources Getting your employees to eat heart-healthy and be active takes effort, and the American Heart Association has many resources to help! Visit MyHeartMyLife.org for: Walking Paths Find walking paths created by the American Heart Association and walkers like yourself. Nutrition and Physical Activity Tracker Our tracker will help you log your walking and food habits. Exercise/Walking Videos Check out our videos to get started. Custom Walking Plans Let the American Heart Association customize a daily walking plan just for you. Other resources: American Heart Association Nutrition Center Find the latest in nutrition and health research along with recipes, tips and more at heart.org/nutrition and follow the Nutrition Center on Twitter at: twitter.com/aha_nutweetion Holiday Healthy Eating Guide Download this guide about staying healthy during the holidays at startwalkingnow.org/starteatinghealthyday Find us on Facebook facebook.com/americanheart Walking Path App itunes or Android market 8