Sunday is World Heart Day. Take Responsibility for Your Heart Health.

This Sunday, September 26, the World Heart Federation (WHF) celebrates their 10th annual World Heart Day, encouraging everyone to take responsibility for their heart health.

Heart disease and stroke remain the leading cause of death: 17.1 millions lives each year. The WHF launched World Heart Day to inform people of this statistic and to create awareness that "at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if the main risk factors, tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, are controlled."

"Building on last year and to ensure sustained change," the World Heart Foundation explains, "the World Heart Federation is targeting the workplace to promote heart healthy messages. The Workplace Wellness initiative aims to use the workplace to promote long-term behavioural changes that will benefit employers, employees and communities."

Read through the WHF list of 10 Simple Steps to help live a healthy life and make your workplace healthier.

Then take responsibility for your heart health and initiate a workplace conversation about how to make healthier choices together. An educational approach may be effective. Go into the conversation with a discussion topic, like hawthorn.

Did you know that hawthorn has been shown to help regulate the cardiovascular system? Or that hawthorn berries are harvested in the fall? Our Apothecary Shoppe offers a free, downloadable hawthorn monograph you can share with your friends, family, and coworkers. Download it here.

Live with heart!