February is a busy month! Not only in terms of Valentine’s but more importantly as Heart Month. Here’s a round up of heart healthy tips for you and for those you love this month or any month of the year.
The CDC has launched the Million Hearts campaign to empower everyone to make heart-healthy choices. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and also one that with smart choices, can be avoided. The Million Hearts™ Initiative seeks to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by the end of 2016 by encouraging proper nutrition and exercise and improving care for those that need it.
As a Million Hearts partner, the American Heart Association is a national voluntary health agency to help reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Check out 28 tips for a heart-healthy Valentine’s Day, like writing a poem to show how you feel for your loved one, finding quality time to spend with them, or engaging in an active outing. If you do receive chocolate, consider freezing it so you eat less and can enjoy longer.
From an article last year, it’s worth a replay from the Huffington Post - 5 Heart-Healthy Tips – highlighting key plays from the Steeler’s nutritionist. Making sure you get 25 grams of fiber a day, reducing saturated fat by replacing butter with olive and canola oils, and choosing lean meats, poultry, fish and beans instead of higher-fat meats are a few ways to keep yourself in all-star shape.
Down To Earth, shares 5 Ways to Raise Heart-Healthy Kids. With the path to heart disease beginning in childhood, introducing the concepts of good nutrition, exercise, outdoor play will lay the groundwork for healthy choices throughout a child’s life.
And if you need a little help to revamp your current at-home menu, the Mayo Clinic provides an easy, two day menu for heart-healthy eating to get started. Bottom line for top line success is to create a daily meal plan that emphasizes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and limits high-fat foods like red meat, cheese and sweets and canned or processed foods which are loaded with sodium. If you can stick to healthy eating habits on a daily basis, an occasional indulgence is fine and can be enjoyed and savored even more.
Happy Heart Month!
Have you asked yourself lately what’s essential in your life? Nordic Naturals wants to know and is sponsoring the What’s Essential contest to get people like you and me to share what’s essential in our lives and connect with others about what’s most important in theirs.
A trusted partner of Healthy Child Healthy World, Nordic Naturals is committed to delivering the world’s safest, most effective omega oils to help provide the essentials of a healthy life. Nordic Naturals offers more than 150 omega-3 products in a variety of flavors and formulations all with leading safety, efficacy and sustainability standards. With many health benefits of omega oils, to include lowering triglyceride levels, improved heart health, and my personal favorite, improved brainpower and memory, Nordic Naturals is committed to delivering the world’s safest, most effective omega oils, so you can do more of what you love with those you love.
The “What’s Essential” campaign and contest is designed to encourage you to think about what’s essential—what matters most in your lives. Is it spending time with friends and family? Is it walking the kids to school? Is it making a healthy, home-cooked meal once a week? Or is it sharing information to help others along their path towards good, green and healthy living?
The contest that will run from January to April 2012 with prizes to get you motivated and musing! Share your What’s Essential story, and enter for a chance to win some fun prizes.
How to Enter.
1. Like Nordic Naturals on Facebook or visit www.whatsessential.com
2. Submit your What’s Essential story and accompanying image.
3. Tell your friends, and their friends, to share their What’s Essential story, too!
Top Prizes!
The What’s Essential Contest will award 19 prizes to the top What’s Essential entries.
- Grand Prize Winner: One winner will receive a trip for two to Santa Cruz, California with all the trimmings, including airfare, car rental, hotel, spending money, Nordic Naturals award winning omegas and more*!
- Second Prize Winners: Each of the six Second Prize winners will receive one Canon® Vixia HF M400 camcorder and a one-year supply of Nordic Naturals award winning omegas.*
- Third Prize Winners: Each of the twelve Third Prize winners will receive a one-year supply of Nordic Naturals award winning omegas.*
*See official rules at whatsessential.com.
Share, inspire and win!
February is a busy month! Not only in terms of Valentine’s but more importantly as Heart Month. Here’s a round up of heart healthy tips for you and for those you love this month or any month of the year.
