Bite into better heart health
When we think of February, We LOVE to think of how this month is about romance and heartfelt intention. It brings upon our ability to celebrate not only our loved ones, whether that may mean family, friends, or significant others, but also an opportunity to celebrate ourselves. Among many other celebratory occasions such as Black History month and Valentines Day, February is also “American Heart Month.”
Our heart has the job of pumping our blood. Specifically, 2,000 gallons (or about 7,500 Liters) every day, how crazy when put into perspective! Our hearts are specifically designed to maintain our body processes and keep us going throughout the day by using our blood as a lifeline. Unfortunately, Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. More awareness is needed on the effects of cardiovascular disease and how heart health can influence how the rest of the body functions throughout life. This observance spotlights cardiovascular disease and calls on more lifesavers which is YOU! You oversee how your heart responds to its environment. Meaning it is reflective of how your treat it. With this there are many things that can be done to assist your heart to be in good shape. Here are some tips to maintain a healthy heart.
High fiber diet → implemented with whole grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, and fruits (a lot of the time with the skin on it!
§ Some examples of this can include – Rice and black beans, whole grain noodles and cabbage, chickpea tomato sauce, and baked potatoes.
Decrease saturated fat → Increasing our healthy fat supply with nuts, seeds, avocados, fish, and different cooking oils such as olive oil can be helpful to keep necessary dietary fats plentiful. Limiting foods like processed meats like lunch meats, high amounts of red meat, fried foods, full fat dairy products, and different processed snacks. Enjoying these in moderation will help the heart run smooth and not be limits by the saturated fats included in them.
Lean animal products and proteins → Consuming lean animal products such as chicken, low fat dairy, eggs, fish, and shellfish are all different options that may be able to replace some of the options that may be less healthy. There are also other plant-based proteins you can implement the use of bioavailable proteins such as tofu or soy products, legumes, nuts, seeds, and grains.
Limiting sodium intake → Limiting sodium intake to 2,300mg per day is an important practice to acquire to limit the incidence of hypertension that can also affect the heart. Adding less salt to your meals as well as consuming foods with lower sodium content can help decrease blood pressure and keep the heart pumping the blood at a desired pace!
Exercise / regular physical activity → As we all know nutrition is a large part of your heart health our physical activity is just as important. Think of this as a machine. If you don’t use the machine the parts will being to be faulty and not work as well as we once thought. This goes the same for our bodies, if we don’t move them, they will become frail and weak. Our bones and muscles will begin to get used to not being utilized to their advantage. Obtaining 30mins to 1 hour is a good place to start for exercise. This will keep our blood pumping and utilize our heart as the muscle it strives to be to become stronger.
Overall, it’s important to get variety in the diet to support a life of longevity and a healthy heart! Implementation of these diet tips can benefit your heart health, your lifestyle, and the celebration of you! Everyday! For longer!
EN
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-healthy-living
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment