It’s American Heart Month: How to Prevent Heart Disease

It’s the month of LOVE! Ooh lah, lah, fancy schmacy, right? Partially… February is also American Heart Month. Do you think about your heart health often? I can tell you that even though I do have heart disease in my family (both my deceased half-brother and father had heart disease), it’s not something that crosses my mind all of the time.

Check-out these pictures from a free community class FIT4MOM Front Range offered last year:

Maybe these statistics will help us remember how important our heart health is:

• It’s the #1 killer of both men and women in the United States
• 1 in 4 deaths is caused by heart disease
• It costs the U.S. over $300 billion each year in health care services, medications, and loss of productivity
• Men are more than twice as likely to die from heart disease than women
• Heart disease is most prevalent in the south and least in the west
• Heart disease is preventable!

So, how can we prevent it?

• EXERCISE, of course! This my absolute favorite! We all know we should exercise, so get out there and find a group to keep yourself accountable!
  • If you’re in Colorado, contact FIT4MOM Front Range for classes with strollers, boot camps for moms, prenatal classes, and running programs!
  • If you live elsewhere, find your nearest location here.
  • Join a local gym,
  • Find neighbors or friends who have a common goal,
  • Bond with your spouse over some gym or running training,
  • Find fun, active activities to do with your kids like spending time at a jump house business, going to a trampoline park, rollerskating, ice skating, skiing, etc.
  • Join a local running group, or
  • Find some DVDs that motivate you to get off the couch for at least an hour a day
• EATING HEALTHY! Clean-eating is my go-to. Let’s get back to eating what the Earth gave us and cut out the processed foods. Some of my favorite online resources include:
  • Fit Foodie Mom (this website!)
  • The Gracious Pantry,
  • Clean Eating Mag,
  • He and She Eat Clean,
  • Cooking Light, and
  • 100 Days of Real Food
• Don’t smoke
• Limit alcohol
• Maintain a healthy blood pressure and cholesterol (monitor them and maintain them as prescribed by doctor’s orders)

Resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American Recall Center