February is American Heart Month and not only is it a great time to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, but also it is an opportunity for you to improve your health and strengthen your heart. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. They have reported that about 2,300 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day and this number is only expected to rise in the future. However, heart disease is largely preventable and people can stop the progress of heart disease through making healthy choices.
Even though you can’t change genetics or age, experts at the AHA believe that modest adjustments to your diet and lifestyle can improve your overall heart health as well as lower your risk for heart disease by as much as 80 percent. The Western Connecticut Health Network wants to help you strengthen your heart and they suggest that you can improve your heart health today by:
Quitting smoking
Eating a healthy diet
Reducing intake of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol
Aiming for 30 minutes of physical activity five or more days per week
Receiving regular heart-health screenings
Taking steps to cope and eliminate stress
For more information on American Heart Month, please visit the American Heart Association. Also, if you are looking for more advice on how to have a healthy heart, check out Western CT Health Network’s website.
A portion of this post was taken from the Western Connecticut Health Network.
