Experts provide healthy tips during American heart month

Friday, February 07, 2014 by: Antonia
Tags: heart health, disease prevention, American Heart Association

(NaturalNews) February is American Heart Month, dedicated to educate people about the importance of keeping their heart healthy. The urging to take care of our heart is embraced across the nation, and for good reason.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), "Every year, about 715,000 Americans have a heart attack. About 600,000 people die from heart disease in the United States each year - that's 1 out of every 4 deaths." And many of us have already heard another one of the CDCs alarming facts which is that "heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women."

Taking charge of our health means becoming educated, inspiring others to take control and of course, taking steps to live long, healthy lives. From expert health advice to turning to helpful organizations, the ways to get (or stay) heart healthy are plentiful.

Expert heart-healthy advice

Lay off the sugar, eat right and exercise. It's no secret that eating right can improve health, and heart health is no different. One of the most recent studies advises us to lay off the excess sugar. The study, conducted by the CDC and published in February 3, 2014 journal JAMA Internal Medicine, indicates that consuming excess sugar puts our "chance of dying prematurely from heart problems" at a rate that "is nearly three times greater than for people who eat only foods with little added sugar."

Experts also suggest that eating more turmeric may play a role in improving heart health. In addition to exercise (always a heart-healthy, anti-obesity tip), researches have determined that a key antioxidant in turmeric called curcumin plays a role in improving heart health.

Other heart healthy foods include salmon, avocado, walnuts, blueberries and lentils.

Log in. Social media and other media outlets are encouraging the masses to spread heart-health awareness. For example, Twitter's hashtag, #hearthealth is popular and several health-related feeds are discussing heart topics. Log in, tune in . . . it's all a great way to stay on top of heart-healthy advice.

Check out informative websites. Many web sites are brimming with helpful heart-related information. The American Heart Association, for example, has downloadable materials, heart FAQs and a bevy of other resources ranging from how to recognize heart attack and stroke warning signs to suggested eating plans. Read up, then get out there and get at least 30 minutes of exercise.

The resources are available if we chose to use them. Today, there's no excuse to not keep our heart in shape, not just during American Heart Month, but every month.

Sources for this article include:

www.cdc.gov

www.heart.org

www.naturalnews.com

www.health.com

healthyliving.msn.com

About the author:
A science enthusiast with a keen interest in health nutrition, Antonia has been intensely researching various dieting routines for several years now, weighing their highs and their lows, to bring readers the most interesting info and news in the field. While she is very excited about a high raw diet, she likes to keep a fair and balanced approach towards non-raw methods of food preparation as well. >>> Click here to see more by Antonia