Love Yourself – Get Heart Healthy

A heart shape is the most symbolic expression of love – especially on days like Valentine’s Day. As much as we use the “heart emoji” or “love” a post on social media, that same type of affection should be used in taking care the physical condition of the heart that sits in our chest.

February is designated as American Heart Month, coinciding of course, with the heart holiday.  

Heart disease and stroke is still the greatest health threat to Americans (yes, even more so than COVID-19) according to the American Heart Association (AHA).  

And while in lockdown, more people have engaged in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as eating poorly, drinking more alcohol, and limiting physical activity, that can contribute to heart disease.

Two simple lifestyle changes can help in both prevention and symptom regulation of those already effected by heart disease – those are eating a colorful plate at mealtime and keeping your body moving.

Eating nutritious and balanced meals each day will help you consume the vitamins and minerals your body needs to fight against things like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity.

Try to make sure that your meal plate contains healthy items in an array of colors.  Good food choices will also help in reducing your sodium and sugar intakes.

An example of a balanced meal plate would be: a baked chicken thigh, mixed green salad with red tomatoes and white mushrooms, and a mix of sauteed vegetables like yellow squash, orange bell pepper, and purple onions.  You could also include a serving of blueberries or raspberries for dessert.  Be creative! 

With winter months upon us, you also must be creative in ways to exercise.  Walking out in below freezing temperatures may not be the best choice, but there are plenty of options for indoor exercise programs, including tons online.

Maybe find a YouTube channel that focuses on indoor exercises, or by a DVD of the types exercises you find enjoyable (i.e., walking, aerobics, yoga).  It is all about keeping yourself moving to help keep yourself strong, especially your heart.

Between the Coronavirus and winter, we are all inside way more than we should be, but moving around and improving our circulation can help to reduce the stress brought on by these “unique” conditions.

Per the AHA, between 2015 and 2018, 126.9 million American adults (49.2%) had one or more types of cardiovascular disease.

Those 60-79 years old during that time saw 77.5% of males and 75.4% of females in that age group suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure) as part of their cardiovascular disease.

High blood pressure can lead to severe health complications and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

The AHA suggests that, “heart disease is preventable when people adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, treating high blood pressure, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, and getting regular checkups.”

Heart disease—and the conditions that lead to it—can happen at any age. Use February as the time to make those lifestyle changes and take steps in decreasing your risk for heart disease.  Let’s use those love emojis for ourselves and get heart healthy.

Written by: Marie Bakken