February is dedicated to issues of the heart in more ways than one. In addition to Valentine’s Day, February is also American Heart Health Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 610,000 deaths per year.
In honor of Heart Health Awareness Month, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension encourages you to make modifications and improve your lifestyle to reduce your risk of developing disease. “The human heart is the most vital muscle in our body, and with any muscle there are ways to strenghen it”, said Erica Reyes, Extension Program Specialist II with Healthy South Texas. “Make some easy adjustments that everyone can do, and you’ll be supporting and improving your heart health in no time,” Reyes adds.
According to the American Heart Association, Americans who intend to protect their hearts and control their risk factors should:
• Eat a heart-healthy diet.
• Increase physical activity.
• Maintain a healthy
weight.
• Know and control your heart health numbers.
• Get quality sleep.
• Stop smoking.
• Reduce stress. Maintain visits with your doctor. Boosting our heatlh and heart can be simple as eating a rainbow’s worth of fresh fruits and veggies every day. If you’re looking for healthy and delicious recipes to try, visit Dinner Tonight website at Dinnertonight.tamu.edu and sign up for a weekly enewsletter for menu planning and
food safety tips.
For more information about Texas A&M AgriLife Extension online and in-person health programs you can contact your County Extension Office at 806894-3159.