Happy Heart Month!

Here are some steps you can take to prevent heart disease and keep your “ticker ticking as they say it should” (Montgomery Gentry anyone???):

1. Watch Portions: Make most of your plate full of low-calorie foods that will give you a ton of nutrients – like fruits and veggies! If you are having trouble with portions, see the chart below as an easy way to measure portion sizes without measuring cups.

2. More fruits and veggies! These help prevent cardiovascular disease and give your body so many vitamins and minerals.

3. Whole grains: These are not as processed as refined grains and contain more vitamins and minerals. Try quinoa or flaxseed for something different!

4. Limit unhealthy fats and cholesterol: Did you know that there are healthy and unhealthy kinds of fat? Saturated and trans fat can clog up our veins and arteries. Try limiting butter and fatty meats.The good kind of fat is called unsaturated fat. This is the source we want most of our daily fat to come from!  Olive oil, canola oil, nuts, and seeds are healthy sources of unsaturated fat.

Cholesterol is needed for our body to build hormones and cell membranes. BUT, the beautiful thing is that our body makes most of the cholesterol we need! Therefore, we should not eat more than 300mg of cholesterol per day.

5. Low fat protein: Lean meats like skinless chicken and turkey, fish, low-fat dairy, and beans are great sources of low fat protein!

6. Reduce sodium: Try to limit your salt to 1 tsp per day, as too much salt can lead to high blood pressure. Be watchful of canned and processed foods (especially soup and frozen dinners). Make your own meals to cut back on sodium.

7. Plan ahead: Plan out your meals ahead of time so that you can ensure you are getting a variety of healthy foods to give you all the nutrients you need.

8. Treat yourself occasionally! What? Really??? I can have a treat???? YES. You can treat yourself every so often (aka not every day) without putting your health or heart in jeopardy. Aim to eat healthfully MOST of the time, and allow yourself a special treat on occasion. Make having a treat the exception rather than the rule.

Information take from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-healthy-diet/art-20047702

Make that heart Happy Happy Happy!