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Friday, January 31, 2025AfiSectionindianapolisrecorder.comLearn Ways to Achieve Bett er Heart Health During American Health Month in February, the Marion County Public Health Department encourages everyone to focus on their cardiovascular health. Heart disease is very common. In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups. In 2022, 1 in every 5 deaths in the United States was caused by heart disease. High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease. Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, which puts them at risk for heart disease and stroke. And just 1 in 4 people with high blood pressure has it under control. Heart disease is costly. The cost of health care services, medicati ons, and lost producti vity from heart disease amounted to $252.2 billion between 2019 and 2020. Residents are encouraged to talk with their health care team about eati ng a variety of foods that are rich in potassium, fi ber and protein, and lower in sodium and saturated fat. They should also ask about ways to reach a healthy weight, including choosing healthy foods and getti ng regular physical acti vity. Learning about ways to stop smoking or reducing the amount of alcohol someone consumes is also important. Other heart-healthy lifestyle ti ps: be more physically acti ve; maintain a healthy weight; reduce stress; and get 7-9 hours of quality sleep. Changes don%u2019t have to be big or all at once. Small steps will help achieve heart health goals. Increasing physical acti vity is very important. Consider inviti ng family, friends, colleagues others in the community to join in an eff ort to be more physically acti ve. Aim for at least 2.5 hours of physical acti vity each week - that%u2019s just 30 minutes a day, fi ve days a week. In additi on to this, muscle strengthening exercises two days a week is recommended. If carving out this much ti me isn%u2019t realisti c, start with 10 minutes of physical acti vity at least three ti mes a day. If fi nding a health weight is the goal, fi nd someone who also wants to reach or maintain a healthy weight. Even a small weight loss of 5%u201310% can improve health. Agree to do healthy acti viti es, like walking or cooking a healthy meal and share low-calorie, low-sodium recipes. For those who want to quit smoking, research shows that people are much more likely to quit if their spouse, friend or sibling does. For quit smoking resources in Indiana, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or visit QuitNowIndiana.com. Many free resources are available to help quit, including the support of a quit coach. Managing stress helps improve heart health. Set goals for doing a relaxing acti vity every day like walking, yoga or meditati on; or parti cipate in an online stress-management program together. Physical acti vity also helps reduce stress. De-stressing helps with sleep, as does getti ng a 30-minute daily dose of sunlight. Family members and friends should remind each other to turn off the screen and sti ck to a regular bedti me. Instead of spending ti me on a smartphone or watching TV before bed, relax by listening to music, reading or taking a bath. Keeping a log of blood pressure, weight goals and physical acti vity helps to stay on a heart-healthy track. For more informati on about heart health, visit the American Heart Associati on at Heart.org. FREEDiabetesEDUCATION CLASSESONLINE*MARCH 2025Tuesdays 4, 11, 18, 255:30 - 7:00 p.m.* Don%u2019t be shy, we will help you with the online part!Registration required 1 week prior to first class.marionhealth.org/diabetes %u2022 317-221-2094Please plan to attend all four classes.By HANNA RAUWORTHhannar@indyrecorder.comAspire Higher Foundation announced Bloom + Brew Community Marketplace, a project in partnership with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) to improve the Northwest Landing Neighborhood.IHCDA has pledged to match $50,000 towards the effort through a grant from its CreatINg Places program to combat the food desert in the community if organizers reach $50,000 by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 7. Bloom + Brew is designed to be a community gathering space with retail and food assets, developed on a vacant lot at the corner of Rader and Udell Streets.%u201cIn many under-resourced urban communities, access to fresh, nourishing food and safe spaces for mental health and well-being is far too rare. Residents often face daily challenges that deepen cycles of hunger, stress and isolation,%u201d said Sharon Clark, executive director of Aspire House. %u201cBloom + Brew is here to change that right in the heart of our neighborhood.%u201dThe Northwest Landing area is home to 8,000 Hoosiers, 78% of which are people of color. The community has been classified as a food desert, with the median household income sitting at $40,024. Currently, residents must travel three miles to the nearest grocery store.%u201cInvesting in neighborhoods is not just about funding a project; it%u2019s about building a foundation for lasting change and creating opportunities for everyone to thrive,%u201d said Bridget Anderson, vice president at Patronicity.February will mark the one-year anniversary of Aspire Higher Foundation%u2019s newest project, Aspire House. Once a firehouse on the crossroads of Rader and Udell streets, it now houses The Preceptors Enclave, apartment living for educators, arts incubation programming, RyZe Kitchen for nutrition programming and more.%u201cAspire House was always a part of the beginning,%u201d Clark said. %u201cThe community%u2019s frequent use of it, especially Ryze Kitchen, has been beautiful and inspiring. This shows us that we need more spaces sooner than later. We want to keep the moment we started for children and families.%u201d Bloom + Brew Community Marketplace will sell products from RyZe Kitchen at Aspire House using produce from community gardens. It will also house additional wellness classes and more for the community.%u201cWe%u2019ve listened to neighbors, nearby businesses, and school partners, and this is something everyone wants,%u201d Clark said. %u201cIt can be a place where ideas bloom and everyone feels seen and supported. It will be a place where children can learn healthy eating habits, schools can collaborate, reflect on history, and more, all in a safe, thriving environment. Together, we can do this, but we need everyone%u2019s support to make it happen.%u201dFunding will be used to build the structure next to Aspire Higher Foundation%u2019s Art Therapy studio. Additional programming will be built around the creation of Bloom + Brew such as Aspire%u2019s BlaTina Varsity Posse %u201cArchitecture%u201d program and related STEM projects.Aspire Higher Foundation will continue to receive donations for Bloom + Brew Community marketplace after the CreatINg Places matching grant timeline closes on Feb. 7. To make a donation or learn more about Aspire Higher Foundation, visit aspirehouse.org. To make an in-person donation, please make and mail donations to Aspire Higher Foundation at 1002 Udell St., Indianapolis, IN, 46208.This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights.%u00a0iaaqli.org.Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.IDEM announces clean air project fundingBy HANNA RAUWORTHhannar@indyrecorder.comThe Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) announced the availability of funding for the next round of grants for Indiana%u2019s DieselWise Program.$750,000 will be available through the U.S. EPA Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program to clean air projects designed to reduce diesel emissions from onroad and nonroad vehicles and equipment across Indiana.The program centers around the replacement of diesel-powered vehicles, equipment and engines with cleaner solutions. Vehicles under the program include transit buses, school buses, refuse haulers and construction equipment. Additionally, the program will fund eligible replacement of diesel engines or gensets in marine vessels and locomotives.Awards will be distributed in amounts ranging from $50,000 to $250,000. The DieselWise Program in Indiana has implemented clean diesel projects on nearly 4,000 vehicles across the state, an investment totally over $25 million.Public and private entities may submit applications. The request for proposals is due Feb. 28, 2025. Indiana will only accept electronic grant proposals submitted in PDF format along with the DieselWise Indiana Fleet spreadsheet in Excel or another similar format to Shawn M. Seals at SSeals@idem.IN.gov.For more information and to view to application materials, visit idem.in.gov/airquality/dieselwise.This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights.%u00a0iaaqli.org.Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.Bloom + Brew Community Marketplace will serve as a community gathering space with food and retail assets and programming. (Photo/Aspire Higher ofi -cial website)Aspire Higher Foundation combats food desert with new marketplace