Ah, the typical Valentine’s Day treat – a box of chocolates.  During this week, Americans will buy about 56 million pounds of chocolate totaling $345 million in sales.  A 12 ounce box of assorted chocolates contains about 22 or so pieces.  At 150 calories per serving (2 chocolates), this means there are about 1650 calories in the box – almost an entire day’s worth of food if you polished off the whole thing!

For 155 pound person, you’d have to do the following to burn off that box of chocolates:

• 2 hours and 30 minutes on the elliptical at a fast pace
  
• 5 hours and 30 minutes of walking at 3.5 mph
  
• 3 hours and 40 minutes of swimming
  
• 2 hours and 45 minutes running at 5 mph

Here are some tips for keeping your Valentine’s Day treat a little healthier:

1. Don’t eat chocolates on an empty stomach – you’ll be much more likely to overindulge.  It takes about 20 minutes for your body to realize that you’re full, so if you keep popping those bite size chocolates until you’re feeling “full” – you’ll likely finish off the whole box.  Instead, treat yourself to 1 or 2 after a meal or as a snack, along with a protein rich choice.
   
2. Dark chocolate provides more antioxidants than milk chocolate.  It contains the same number of calories, but at least you get a nutritional boost!  Try a healthy 1 ounce portion.
   
3. Treat yourself to a different chocolaty treat – think of a cup of low fat hot chocolate made with skim milk.  It’ll provide that sweet taste you’re craving with a boost of calcium and protein.  Or consider drizzling dark chocolate over fruit, like clementine slices or strawberries, which will provide an array of vitamins and fiber.
   
4. Share with a friend (or two!), or portion out 2 chocolates each into snack size bags.  You’re Valentine’s Day indulgence will now last a week instead of a day!
   

Count to 38.....Okay, stop.  Someone just died from heart disease.

Shocking, isn't it?  That's why I support National Wear Red Day – a day geared towards wearing red in support of heart health awareness, especially for women.  This year, Wear Red Day falls on Friday, February 3rd, 2012.   

Consider these other staggering facts from the American Heart Association and the CDC:

• 81 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease.
  
• 1 in every 3 deaths is caused by heart disease and stroke.
• 47% of Americans have unhealthy cholesterol levels.
  
• In 2010, heart disease and stroke hospitalizations cost our country more than $444 billion in health care expenses and lost productivity.
  
• More women die from heart disease than all other forms of cancer combined.
  
• And perhaps most shocking:  About 80% of cardiac events could be prevented if we made the right choices about diet, exercise, and smoking.

Wow – those statistics still startle me.  Let’s make an effort to Go Red tomorrow to raise awareness of these numbers – and the fact that most could be prevented if we made healthier choices!  Wear your best red outfit on Friday, February 3rd and snap a picture of yourself.  Encourage your friends and coworkers to get involved too.  Post your picture to our facebook wall by Sunday, February 5th for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card!  We will randomly draw a name for the gift card from all who post pictures.

And while you're posting, don’t forget to also submit your photos showcasing your efforts to the Go Red Facebook page.  The deadline to submit photos to their page is February 25th.  They will recognize submissions that have the most votes in the following categories:

• Most Spirited Office/Cube to Go Red
  
• Most Spirited News Anchor/Team to Go Red
  
• Most Spirited Go Red Group Photo
  
• Most Spirited Men in Red
  
• Most Spirited Fitness Enthusiasts to Go Red
  
• Most Spirited Building/Monument to Go Red
  
• Most Spirited School to Go Red
  
• Most Spirited Military Group to Go Red
  
• Most Spirited Pet to Go Red
  
• Most Spirited Church Group to Go Red
  
• Most Spirited Go Red Soap Opera/Telenovela 
  
• Most Spirited Go Red Song or Dance [video]
  
• Most Creative Go Red for Women Fundraiser

GO RED!

1) If you’re shopping for cereals, breads, pastas, or other grain products, look at the ingredients to ensure it is made from a whole grain.  Just because bread is brown doesn’t necessarily mean it is made from whole wheat (if you see “enriched wheat flour” as the first ingredient, this means it is a refined grain, not a whole grain).

2) Look for foods that contain 0 grams of trans fat.  Remember to also check the ingredients as well, since a food can contain up to half a gram of trans fat and still list 0 grams on the label.  Avoid words like “partially hydrogenated oil.”

3) If you’re a fan of frozen meals, be sure to look at the sodium.  Many frozen entrees can easily contain half of the day’s total recommended intake.  Try to stick to less than 600 milligrams of sodium per serving.

4) Check out the serving size and the servings per container.  A lot of “snack size” containers actually contain multiple servings!  If you eat the package in one sitting, you may be consuming a lot more calories than you expected.

5) Love coupons?  I know I do!  But one downside of couponing is the temptation to purchase unhealthy snack items just because you have a great coupon.  Look at the labels of the products before you buy a product, and be sure it fits in with your healthy lifestyle goals.

6) And lastly, many of the healthiest choices won’t even have a label – think about your fresh produce and lean meats located around the perimeter of the grocery store!

Kudos to Mayo Clinic for this hilarious and awesome remake of 867-5309/Jenny!  Watch for some entertainment and some heart health education.