Although February is known for Valentine’s Day, it is also American Heart Month. Of course, this is a great month to make some changes to your diet and lifestyle.
American Heart Month
Since it is American Heart month, a few small changes can make the difference to your heart. Because I recently had surgery, I had pre-surgical testing. While my EKG came out a little funky, it caused me a bit of panic. Due to heart disease running in my family history, I have been cautious with my diet.
Heart disease is a serious matter and the number one cause of death for both Men and Women. In fact, more Women are dying of heart disease than cancer.
Changes to Make to Your Diet
In the first place, you can make a few changes to your diet and lifestyle to become heart healthy. So, lets begin to get heart healthy.
- Green Tea – By drinking green tea you can lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.
- When shopping, look closely at food labels for saturated fat. Try and limit saturated fat to 12 grams a day.
- Also try to avoid trans fat as this should be less than 2 grams a day.
- Use cold press extra virgin olive oil. Below is a high quality product I recommend.
- Of course every extra hour of sleep can reduce the risk of coronary artery calcification. When you’re sleep deprived your body reacts.
- Also, it is important to add 25 – 35 grams of fiber to your diet per day. Whole wheat, bran, oats, and beans are a good source of fiber.
- Meat can clog your arteries.
- Feast on fish. Furthermore, anything from the sea has omega-3 fatty acids which will help your heart maintain a steady rhythm.
- Up the intake of vegetables in your diet. Additionally, there are so many great recipes for entrees and side dishes to make with vegetables.
- Nuts are a great snack.
- Exercise.
- Take a walk 20 minutes a day or longer. By adding 2.5 hours of walking a week, you can reduce the rate of a heart attack by a third.
- Stretch – Since stretching keeps you limber, it also can prevent stiffness.
Heart Healthy Food Tips
In addition to a few suggestions above, you can also add the following food to your diet.
- Flaxseed
- Unwind with a glass of red wine. One to three ounces a day of alcohol can reduce your risk of a heart attack.
- Soy in your diet.
- One clove of garlic a day can reduce the risk of a heart attack. Also, it prevents red blood cells from sticking together and blocking your arteries. Furthermore, it can also help lower cholesterol.
- If you have a sweet tooth, indulge in dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants that make your blood cells more elastic.
- Moreover, cut back in sugar. Weight Watchers diet is all about lowering your daily intake of sugar.
Support American Heart Month
Show your support this month through social media, eating healthy, and by keeping active. In conclusion, turn American Heart Month into a month to make a healthy lifestyle change.
Happy American Heart Month!