February is Heart Health Month

When we think about hearts in February, it’s usually because of Valentine’s Day. But did you know that February is also heart health month?

It’s never too early for FAB Girls to take care of their health. According to the Minority Health Report, African American children are 30% more likely than other children to be overweight. This can cause high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both of which are risk factors for heart disease.  That alone is enough reason for us to encourage FAB Girls to get involved in taking care of themselves. A few easy things you can do:

* Exercise 30 minutes a day. Get a friend of get the family involved. It’s a lot easier to stick with an exercise routine when you have someone doing it with you. You can take a brisk walk, play a sport together, or even play a fitness game on Playstation. FAB Role Model and First Lady Michelle Obama has some more information on the ‘Let’s Move’ website.

* Eat a heart healthy diet. A balanced diet is one that includes choices from all food groups. Fruits and vegetables are a must, but so are whole grains, beans and fish. WebMD has a great piece about heart healthy foods here.

*Visit the Go Red For Women website with the FAB Women in your life and talk about learn more about heart disease together. There is a lot of information about heart disease from The American Heart Association, including a link for Heart Health at Any Age.

Related articles

• Reverse Heart Disease – Heart Fit Clinic Announce Heart Month Special (prweb.com)
• Wear red to raise awareness about heart disease, No. 1 killer of women (tcpalm.com)
• SNPwatch: KIF6 Tangos with LDL Cholesterol and Coronary Heart Disease (spittoon.23andme.com)
• Ignorance of heart disease deadly, Olympian Joannie Rochette says (vancouversun.com)