The New Faces Of Heart Health: Santa And Mrs. Claus

THE NORTH POLE, Dec. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Two of the most beloved holiday icons are leveraging their celebrity this season to bring attention to heart disease – the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. Mrs. Claus is inviting American families to join her in making the same, heart-healthy lifestyle changes she and Santa are taking on this year to raise awareness for nutrition's role in heart health.

To view the multimedia content associated with this page, please click: www.clausnutrition.com

More than 25 percent of the U.S. population is living with heart disease, and the prevalence of heart attacks increases over the holiday season. Researchers at The University of California, San Diego, and Tufts University School of Medicine found that heart-related deaths increase by 5 percent during the holiday season, and more cardiac deaths occur on Christmas Day than any other day of the year, making a heart-healthy directive from Mrs. Claus increasingly poignant (Circulation 2004).

"It saddened Santa and me to learn that not only are 80 million Americans living with heart disease, but also that the number of heart attacks increases over the holidays," said Mrs. Claus. "Santa and I want to set a better example when it comes to nutrition, so we're making our grocery list and checking it twice to focus on heart healthy foods and dietary habits, and we'd like to invite families across the U.S. to join; from our hearts to yours."

The Claus' journey is partly inspired by Oklahoma City's commitment to losing 1 million collective pounds. After reading about the city's continued health goals, Mrs. Claus took out a full-page advertisement in The Oklahoman to praise the city's residents and share her plan to change the Claus family's health habits.  

In hopes of paying the inspiration forward, Mrs. Claus made a rare public appearance via video message from the North Pole, encouraging families to swap out Santa's oatmeal raisin cookies for, well, just raisins and chocolate chip cookies for dark chocolate.

Mrs. Claus also created www.clausnutrition.com to house all of her nutrition tips and exclusive interviews with nutrition and health experts. The site will be updated throughout December to help Americans have a happy, healthy holiday season.

For more information, including additional facts about essential nutrients for heart health like omega-3s, beta-glucan and vitamins D, and E, visit Mrs. Claus' trusted source, www.vitaminsinmotion.com.

To view the multimedia content associated with this page, please click: www.clausnutrition.com

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SOURCE DSM Nutritional Products