Heart to Heart

Ever since President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the first American Heart Month in 1964, Americans have been celebrating both love and heart health during the month of February. The perfect gift for Valentine’s Day is the gift of life, for all of your loved ones, including yourself.

In an effort to combine Valentine’s Day and heart health month, consider having a romantic dinner with your loved ones, knowing that you are serving only the best known foods approved by doctors worldwide to prevent heart disease.

The American Heart Association recommends that healthy hearts, and lifestyles, start at home. Cooking more meals at home gives everyone in the family an opportunity to build better eating habits, one plate at a time.

• Sit down and eat as a family to help ensure healthy and balanced meals.

• Build your cooking skills so you can control the amount of sodium and ingredients used.

• Keep your kitchen stocked with fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains to add true nourishment to your life.

Focusing on healthy low-fat proteins such as fish, nuts, poultry and beans are a good way to start.

In the fish category, the recommendations are salmon and tuna, with wild, fresh or water packed canned as your healthier options. These two contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids that have shown to reduce cardiovascular issues as well as selenium and other beneficial vitamins. Other top options are trout, sardines and mackerel, keeping in mind that all wild caught fish have higher nutrient content and less fat than farm raised varieties.

Enjoy a salad of baby greens such as spinach and kale with tomatoes, drizzled with an extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing.

Greens such as spinach and kale are high in fiber and protein and contain beneficial vitamins and minerals, including omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain carotenoids, a type of antioxidant that may help rid your body of inflammation, which can be connected to heart disease.

High in potassium, tomatoes are an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene which may help rid the body of bad cholesterol, dilate blood vessels and therefore lower heart attack risk.

Extra-virgin olive oil is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, which helps to reduce the possibility of heart attack and stroke by reducing cholesterol and balancing blood sugar levels.

Red wine vinegar contains resveratrol, which may help reduce or slow cancer while the vinegar aspect helps to reduce heart disease and manage blood sugar levels.

Lower your cholesterol with a rich dish of lentils. They are high in dietary fiber, both insoluble and soluble, the latter of which creates a gel-like substance that grabs ahold of bile, the alkaline fluid in the digestive tract that contains cholesterol.

The insoluble fiber prevents constipation and may help to prevent irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis. According to the Archives of Internal Medicine, lentils and other high fiber foods do prevent heart disease.

In a study that lasted 19 years, test subjects who consumed 21 grams of fiber per day had 12 percent less heart disease compared to those who only consumed 5 grams per day. Lentils also contain magnesium, which improves blood flow, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body and may help to reduce stress.

Finish up with a bowl of fresh mixed berries, nuts and dark chocolate.

According to a recent study in the Circulation Journal, women who ate a serving of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries no less than three times a week showed a 32 percent lower risk of heart attack than those who did not. Berries contain antioxidants that may decrease blood pressure and dilate blood vessels.

Hearth healthy nuts include almonds, walnuts, macadamia, pistachios and peanuts. All contain fiber, similar to lentils and beans but some also contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, which help to lower cholesterol.

Dark chocolates, only those with at least 60-70 percent cocoa, have shown to contain polyphenols, which may help to control blood pressure, and prevent blood clotting and inflammation. Several studies have found that consuming the dark confectionery may reduct nonfatal heart attacks and stroke.

After dinner, take your loved ones on a beautiful sunset walk around your neighborhood. Knowing that something as simple an enjoyable as a walk with your family for 30 minutes a day can help in so many ways.

• Reducing risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

• Improving blood pressure, blood sugar levels and blood lipid profiles.

• Walking maintains body weight and lowers risk of obesity.

• Enhances mental and emotional well-being and reduces stress.

• Reduces the risk of osteoporosis, breast and colon cancer and type 2 diabetes.

So this year, give the gift that lasts a lifetime, a healthy and long life to yourself and those you love.

SOURCES: Healthline, WebMD, Mayo Clinic, Health.com, American Heart Association