February is Heart Month

The month of February is set aside for the heart and not just Valentine’s Day. The American Heart Association looks to keep awareness of how a healthy lifestyle can keep our hearts in top shape this month too.  

In the United States according to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women and men across most racial and ethnic groups.  There are things that all of us can do to have healthier diets and healthier lifestyles.

Today Private Home Health Care would like to share some tips that will lead to a healthier diet.  These are recommendations from the Mayo and Cleveland Clinics.

Control portion sizes – eat more low calorie, nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables; meat, fish and chicken should be the size of a deck of cards (about 2-3 oz); pasta should be the size of a hockey puck (about ⅓-½ c)

Eat more fruits and vegetables – this includes fresh or frozen, low sodium canned vegetables, canned fruit in juice or water

Choose whole grains – use wheat flour and wheat bread; choose high fiber cereal; cook brown rice or barley and wheat pastas; eat oatmeal (regular or steel-cut)

This is the first of a two-part blog about heart healthy lifestyles.  Look tomorrow for more information!