With Valentine’s Day this month, we often think of February as a time for love and cherishing your sweetheart (and beyond romantic love, showing love for friends, family, and pets). Did you know that February is literally Heart Health Awareness Month, and it’s an excellent time to focus on the importance of a healthy heart.
Many of us don’t think about our heart health until something serious happens and suddenly find ourselves at the doctor’s office. However, it’s important to integrate diet and lifestyle habits that will reduce your risk of heart issues.
To help celebrate this month, I wanted to share some simple food swaps and lifestyle changes that you can make to improve your heart health.
Following a healthy diet for your heart doesn’t have to be difficult. By following the simple basics of heart healthy nutrition, you can reduce your risk of developing major cardiovascular disease and make it easier for you to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Following a plant-forward Mediterranean-style diet has been shown to help support heart health.
– Follow a pant-forward Mediterranean-style diet. What that means, big picture: lots of veggies, and fiber-rich foods like legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and fruit ; healthy fat from sources like olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, and oily fish ; lean proteins like fish, poultry and legumes with minimal red meat and little to no processed meat ; minimal added sugar)
–Eat plenty of fiber (25-35 grams per day) to manage cholesterol. This also supports digestive regularity, blood sugar balance, and immune system function.
–Limit saturated and trans fats in foods like red and processed meat and ultra-processed packaged foods. Instead, get most of your fat from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat found in foods like oils, nuts, seeds, avocado, and oily fish.
–Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (a type of polyunsaturated fat shown to have anti-inflammatory benefits) from foods like chia seeds, ground flax, and oily fish
–Limit sodium to 2300 mg per day or less to keep blood pressure in check. Certain underlying conditions may affect needs so talk to your doctor for guidance.
–Eat foods rich in potassium to support healthy blood pressure. Find it in foods like like leafy greens, tomatoes, citrus, sweet potato, winter squash, bananas, and avocado (just to name a few sources).
–Eat antioxidant-rich foods. Antioxidants help fight cell damage caused by free radicals and can help protect heart health. A few of my favorites are berries, leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and other colorful produce. You’ll also find antioxidants in beans, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, and (everyone loves this one) dark chocolate.
Start by making it a goal to incorporate one of these healthy foods at each meal. Trying to reduce red and or processed meat intake? Start by swapping in fish, poultry, or a plant-based protein like beans, lentils, tofu, or tempeh for one meal per week and work from there at whatever pace serves you.
If you ever find yourself struggling to decide what foods are best for you to maintain a healthy heart, there’s tons of resources that can help you do so. For instance, the US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has a shopping list guideline that will help you tremendously. The American Heart Association is another resource I love for finding information on nutrition and lifestyle to support heart health—you’ll find lots of articles and tip sheets to simplify your routine there.
Grab a collection of some of my favorite heart-healthy recipes here.
Exercise and stress management also play a big role in supporting heart health.
Lifestyle changes and management are also important for improving your heart health. Of course, this is not a one-time thing, but you can build healthy, sustainable habits in your everyday life that will significantly improve your heart health over time.
For example, eating a heart healthy diet doesn’t mean you can skip exercise. Exercise is important for your heart because it helps the blood circulate through your body more efficiently, which reduces stress on your heart muscles. Additionally, exercise is helpful for weight management, mental health, and promoting restful sleep—all of which can play a role in heart health and overall wellbeing.
As shared in Healthline, some great places for you to start building your heart health are aerobics, strength training and flexibility training. Always talk to your doctor before starting an exercise routine. Beyond intentional exercise, there are tons of small habits that can have a significant impact. Increase your physical activity level through simple swaps like walking or biking to work or taking the stairs instead of an elevator.
According to Mayo Clinic, one of the best things you can do for your heart is to quit smoking. The risk of developing heart disease is roughly halved after a year of quitting smoking. No matter how much or how long you smoked, the benefits of quitting begin the moment you do.
Lastly, stress management is also critical to securing your heart health. The AHA recommends actively reducing your stress in a variety of ways. Stress, tension, anxiety, and depression can all be reduced by exercising regularly, socializing with friends and family, getting enough sleep, finding a stimulating hobby and maintaining a positive outlook on life.
Although there are numerous factors that can affect your heart health, such as genetics and family history, many of these risk factors can be prevented. By making small changes to your diet and lifestyle, you can help to ensure a healthier and longer life. Follow these heart healthy tips and you will be on your way to improving your overall health and reducing your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. All it takes is a little bit of effort and attention to what you put into your body. By changing even a few small things, you can have a noticeable improvement in your heart health.
So let’s do our hearts a favor and use February as a time to show our bodies some love during this Heart Month!