February is worldwide symbol for love causing a lot of hearts to appear in different forms of merchandise. Although the heart you should be paying the closest attention to is your own. The American Heart Association has deemed the month of February as National Heart Awareness Month. Many ways you can improve your heart is by eating healthier, exercising often, and refraining from bad habits like smoking or drinking.

Wanting to eat healthier always starts off as a new years resolution but never follows through for most people. A phrase like ‘I’ll start tomorrow’ is commonly used, but your heart is begging you to start now. Simple ways to make a healthier diet is by using less sodium and substituting it for natural spices, adding more green leafy vegetables, and overall cutting out a lot of processed food. You can also always look up the heart association’s rules and guidelines to some tasty heart healthy recipes.

Another common resolution people make is working out and getting in shape. This is a key component alongside a healthy diet that can help your heart be healthier. The association recommends having about 150 minuets of exercise. They mention good and healthy work out tactics like lots of cardio, including running, ellipticals, and cycling. They also mention ways for kids to stay exercised too.

Nurse Sheila Kasulka, local nurse here at Bob Jones, recommended that for students to stay aware by, “Absolutely! Thanks for asking.  Students can make smart choices about what they eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins (meats with less fat) and low-fat dairy (one example 2% milk instead of whole milk).  Also they can learn how to do CPR and how to use an AED.”

Other small ways to be involved in being aware is attending a heart walk, there is a walk in Downtown Huntsville on April 13. For more information click here.