NOT FOUND: hearts.jpgFebruary marks a treasured tradition for young and old to bestow upon a loved one - secret or known: cards, candy, flowers and more. Heart-shaped boxes of rich chocolates, each one filled with a creamy, chewy or nutty surprise. Little pastel colored delights with special messages such as “Be Mine” or “You’re Sweet” engraved in the center of the sweet treat. All of these traditions help us show others how special our loved ones are.
The other “special” we recognize this month is the fist-sized organ in your chest cavity – the one that is vital to the rest of your body’s ability to function at peak performance. Lub-dub, lub-dub, it’s your heart! What a marvelous and powerful tool we have and it’s up to us to take good care of it.
Yes, February is National Heart Month. This month is set aside to educate and enlighten the public about the importance of having a healthy heart. Heart Disease is the number one killer in the United States. While there are risk factors that are not preventable (heredity, race, gender), there are many that are:
Activity – Doing some type of exercise for 30 minutes most days a week is recommended to build cardiovascular strength
Healthy eating – Make it a goal this year to add more fresh vegetables and fruit to your day. Cut down on salt, high fat, processed foods and high sugar. Cutting things out cold turkey is difficult for most, so try eliminating or changing one part of your diet per week. This will help you create new, healthy habits.
Stop smoking. Please.
Limit your alcohol consumption.
These are some things you can change about your lifestyle and while they may take some effort, you will notice very positive changes as a result of your consistency. It’s not always easy to make dramatic lifestyle changes, especially if some of these were the way you were raised. It takes determination, keeping your eyes on your goal and, for most, an accountability partner to keep you on track.
Take care of your children’s future by creating good habits early. They will be at a lower risk for high cholesterol which can lead to heart disease. Remember that when you are taking something out of your diet or daily regimen, it is important to replace it with a healthy alternative. When you fail to have something good in its place, you leave yourself open for going back to bad habits. Should that happen, start over again tomorrow and please do not beat yourself up.
Educate yourself on how to take care of your heart. You will live a more energetic and healthy life when you do. Check out websites for the American Heart Association (americanheart.org) and other healthy heart organizations. You can find heart healthy recipes, exercise tips and great ideas to strengthen your heart in 2011.