In February we celebrate Valentine’s Day, a day that’s filled with love. Hearts are everywhere! That’s why it’s a perfect time to promote heart health. I cant think of a better way to say I love you then to make healthy changes in your lifestyle that will lead to a more healthy lifetime to spend with loved ones. I will be sending Valentine’s cards to all my friends and family with a request to join me in loving my health and heart and making the changes needed.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women. It doesn’t matter what ethnicity you are, or where you live. What does matter is the lifestyle you lead. By not taking the time and effort in making healthy choices in life puts us at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and/or strokes. 1 in every 4 Americans will die from a heart related complication yearly. That’s a very scary, but very real percentile that you or someone you know might get one of these preventable diseases.
To think of having to change your life you’ve become accustomed to may seem impossible. Habits are hard to break especially if we don’t see them as habits. Food is the hardest habit to break, we need food to give us the energy we need to take on life. For most, life is very busy with no time to spare. So how are you going to be able to take the time to eat healthy? It sounds to complicated to achieve, right? Wrong. Although it wont be easy, it is achievable. You just need some guidance to get you started. The Mayo Clinic and its staff have come up with a Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease is a great way to get started. This will give the basics on how to chose healthier eating choices.
The American Heart Association and the Department of Health and Human Services is calling on all Americans and join the Million Hearts initiative to help prevent the nations leading diseases in death and empower everyone to make heart healthy choices. Prevention starts with you. So join the millions already taking the Million Hearts Challenge. Make it your Valentine’s Day theme and help promote National Heart Health.