7 Steps to a Healthy Heart
By Tracy Rohland

"The single most important thing an individual can do for their health, for the environment,
and for the sake of the innocent animals is to adopt a vegetarian diet."
- Mark Fergusson, Down to Earth CEO

Celebrate American Heart Month and start your journey toward a healthier heart with these seven simple tips…

1. Go Vegetarian.  Adopting a plant-based diet can have a huge effect on the health of your heart.  Because a vegetarian diet is typically lower in cholesterol, excess protein and saturated fat, and higher in fiber, it is a natural component of a healthy heart.  Read this month’s Feature Article for further information about the correlation between meat-eating and heart disease.
   
   
2. Reduce your fat intake to 10% of your daily calories.  Especially limit saturated fats, trans fats (hydrogenated oils), and cholesterol. 
   
   
3. Consume whole, unrefined plant foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.  These foods are high in essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals and are high in fiber, which is absolutely essential in reducing and maintaining blood cholesterol levels.
   
   
4. Reduce your sodium intake.  An immensely important step you can take toward this is limiting the amount of processed foods in your diet.  Processed foods such as canned foods, microwavable meals, baked goods, and meat, tend to contain a lot of salt and are therefore the biggest contributors to a high sodium diet.
   
   
5. Manage your weight.  Being overweight greatly increases your chances of coronary heart disease. 
   
   
6. Quit Smoking!  The Surgeon General has called smoking "the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States."  Cigarette smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack.  A decision to stop smoking is a decision to drastically reduce your risk of heart attack.
   
   
7. Exercise.  The heart is a muscle and like any muscle, it needs to be exercised to stay fit and effectively circulate your blood through your body. According to the latest joint American Heart Association/American College of Sports Medicine guidelines on physical activity, adults ages 18-65 should be getting at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five days of the week.  Make these 30 minutes fun by incorporating a variety of activities into your exercise routine.

This month, make a conscious decision to improve the health of your heart.  Your heart will thank you for years to come!

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