clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose

getting to the heart of good nutrition ❤️

Happy Monday, Noosers! Hope you enjoyed the Superbowl — we weren’t rooting for either of the teams, per say, but had to watch to see the halftime show (Anne does a great Kendrick Lamar impression 🤣), some good ads, and who was in the box with Taylor! We had fresh snow here in upstate New York, so we sent the kids out to sled during the pregame and got some editing done — we are excited for today’s post!

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we are focusing on our hearts. Today, we provide education on heart healthy foods and some practical ways to add them into your diet. February is heart health month, and while we don’t want to sound like one of those pamphlets you find in the doctor’s office, these stats are hard to turn away from. Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for both women and men — one person dies every 34 seconds in the United States from Cardiovascular Disease.

So, Happy Valentine’s day 😉! We don’t mean to scare you with these stats. Rather, we hope to inspire you to take your heart health into your own hands. By prioritizing whole foods (see the superstars below), we can take preventable action to reduce the risk of developing CVD at any stage.

So, with clear eyes, full hearts, we can’t lose (now there’s a football reference we can get behind… Tim Riggins, anyone?)! We hope you take this Friday Night Lights mantra with you as you read today’s Noosletter about giving your heart the love it deserves.

This is our first paid Noosletter — thank you everyone for supporting this shift! If we have given you one good thing to think about over the last few months, consider upgrading, and tell us what has been impactful. We love to hear what strikes a chord or shifts your perspective. If there are topics you are curious about, we want to hear them (you can just reply to this email!).

During my clinical rotation, I (Anne) spent a lot of time on the cardiac floor helping patients who suffered from some aspect of heart disease. It opened my eyes to something that deeply affected me. We'd step in after a heart attack or cardiac event, teaching patients the best diet to heal and avoid coming back to the hospital. While I loved helping people recover, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were always playing catch-up.

Here's the thing. Our healthcare system is brilliant at treating disease, but we often miss the chance to prevent it in the first place. Doctors focus on spotting disease, not creating health — perhaps due to what they are faced with: patients coming in when their health is such a problem they need expert help. According to the CDC, about 90% of our nation's healthcare expenditures go toward treating and managing chronic conditions, while less than 3% is spent on prevention programs. My experience completely shaped how I approach nutrition counseling today. I'm passionate about prevention because I've seen the other side.