Heart Health

Heart disease is the number 1 killer in America and 1 in 3 women are diagnosed with heard disease every year. The U.S. Presidents have declared February as National Heart Month annually and the American Heart Association's Wear Red Day is the first Friday of the month, February 7th.

What are the benefits of focusing on heart health?

• Improvement in cardiovascular health - prevent heart disease by
  improving cholesterol/lipids and blood pressure
• Less chronic illnesses
• Improved energy levels
• Reduced inflammation
• Improve risk and/or progression of diabetes

Here are some ways to improve your heart health with food:

• Limit saturated fat intake to <6% total calories per day - Saturated fats turn into cholesterol in the body and can clog the arteries.

• Eat a combination of lean meats and vegetarian proteins like peas, beans and lentils.

• Focus on 25-30 gm fiber per day - Fiber helps your body eliminate fats during the digestive process. When picking carbohydrates, go for complex carbs such as whole grains and brown or whiled rice. Limit low nutrition value carbohydrates such as white breads, pastas and rice.

• Eat healthy fats - You can obtain healthy fats from nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, and fish with Omega-3s such as salmon.

• Limit eating fast food and fried foods - these foods are typically high in unhealthy fats

More ways to improve your heart health:

• Weight loss: 5% to >/=15% of body weight loss is needed for
  improvement
• Exercise: Adults need 150-300 minutes/week of moderate intensity activity or 75-150 minutes/week of vigorous activity or a combination of both
• Sleep: Adults should have 7-9 hours of sleep per night
• Mental health: Stress can increase blood pressure and can trigger unhealthy eating habits. Check-in with your self and incorporate stress reducing activities - yoga, getting sunshine, meditation etc.

Heart Healthy Valentine's Day Recipes

Chocolate Chia Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Chobani vanilla less sugar greek yogurt (5.3 oz)
• 1 scoop Orgain chocolate protein powder
• 1/2 cup mixed berries fresh or frozen
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp coconut flakes
• 1 tbsp chopped walnuts

Instructions:

• Mix yogurt, protein powder and chia seeds in a bowl
• Add toppings - berries, walnuts, coconut flakes
• Place in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours

Nutrition: contains 1 serving
Calories 317 kcal | Protein 25 gm | Carbs 31 gm | Fat 12 gm

Tip: Reduce fats by limiting nuts, seeds and coconut flakes

Protein Chocolate Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 16 ounce can chickpeas
• 4 pitted dates
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder1/4 cup Lilly’s dark chocolate chips
• 2 scoops Orgain chocolate protein powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1tsp honey

Instructions:

• Soak canned chickpeas in fresh water for 5-10 minutes, then drain
• Place all ingredients in blender with 1/2 cup of the warm water
• Blend until ingredients are combined and then add in last 1/2 cup warm water.
• Blend until smooth, add addition water as needed for desired
  consistency

Nutrition: 8 servings
Calories 145 kcal | Protein 7.4 gm | Carbs 27.7 gm | Fat 4.3 gm

Tip: Reduce carbs by using alternative sweeteners in place of honey