The Dish

All Hearts for American Heart Month

It’s Valentine’s Day! Does today get you thinking about hearts? It gets me thinking about hearts. February is American Heart Month after all. So what better gift than the gift a heart health on this Valentine’s Day?!

It’s time to get serious for a minute. Did you know heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women? In fact, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease. See – serious stuff. But here’s the good news – heart disease can be prevented.

Yup, you heard me right- heart disease can be prevented. How? Live a healthy lifestyle. Okay – but what does this mean? Start making smart choices. Unhealthy behaviors such as poor eating habits and lack of exercise takes a toll on your health. Trust me – you will benefit from making some simple changes. And it’s never too late. You will reap the rewards of living a healthy lifestyle no matter what your age!

So what are some things you can do? Well, if you smoke, try to quit and try and stay away from second-hand smoke. If you’re overweight, try to lose weight. Be as physically active as you can and follow a healthy, balanced diet. See? Easy right? Okay – I get it, these things can be hard. But that’s why I’m here!

Make small changes. Many times when people jump on the “get healthy” bandwagon, they make goals that are impossible to achieve. Remember – Rome wasn’t built in a day so don’t think you are going to change all your habits overnight. Goals should be simple and achievable but also define what you are going to do while making you feel slightly challenged. For example, if you don’t eat vegetables (oh the horror!), saying you’ll eat vegetables at every meal is a bit unrealistic. Instead, start by adding vegetables to one meal three times a week then work up from there. It takes awhile to create a habit, be patient.

So, on this Valentine’s Day, give yourself the gift of heart health I encourage you to take charge of your health and start one new heart-healthy behavior this month. Making healthy changes will not only improve the way you feel today but also in the future as well.

What are your heart-healthy habits?