heart health

February is Heart Health Month

family walking together
February is National Heart Health Month! Did you know that walking is one of the simplest ways to get active and stay active? With each step, you improve your mental and physical health. Research has shown that simply being outdoors can help brighten your mood, and relieve stress. And walking can have a significant impact on your health by lowering your chances of heart disease. So start walking your way to a healthier heart!
 
This message is brought to you by the UConn Extension PATHS team – People Active on Trails for Health and Sustainability. We are an interdisciplinary team of UConn extension educators, faculty, and staff committed to understanding and promoting the benefits of trails and natural resources for health, community & economic development and implementing a social ecological approach to health education.

February is Heart Health Month – Hit the Trails for Your Heart

people walking on a shaded, snowy trail in the winter
Photo: Virginia Raff, Shoreline Greenway

February is heart health month – to raise awareness about heart disease and how people can prevent it. Walking is one easy way to increase physical fitness. Every step counts. Most adults should try for at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) a week of moderate intensity activity. 30 minutes of brisk walking on at least five days a week is one way to meet this goal. Break it up in 10 minute segments – before , during and after work is an easy way to do this. Or do 30 minutes before or after work by walking in your neighborhood or on a walking trail. Know your maximum and target heart rate by checking the American Heart Association webpage at www.heart.org. You can learn tips for walking to improve your heart health! Find more information at: www.heart.org.

 
This message is brought to you by the UConn Extension PATHS team – People Active on Trails for Health and Sustainability. We are extension educators in health education and community development committed to implementing a social ecological approach to health education as well as understanding and promoting the benefits of trails and natural resources for health.

See RED on Valentine’s Day

By Alice Henneman, MS, RDN

Nebraska Extension Educator

 

red heartSee “Red” on Valentine’s Day and throughout the year. Red fruits and vegetables contain many health-promoting phytochemicals including lycopene and anthocyanins. This color group may help promote:

  • A lower risk of some cancers
  • A healthy heart
  • Memory health
  • Urinary tract health

Red fruits and vegetables include: Tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, tomato juice, red peppers, red onions, beets, red cabbage, kidney beans, apples, pink grapefruit, red grapes, strawberries, cherries, watermelon, raspberries, cranberries and pomegranates. Some “red” ideas for Valentine’s Day (or any day!) include:

– Heart-shaped pizza. Shape pizza dough into a heart. Or, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make individual hearts from pizza dough. Spread with your favorite tomato pizza sauce. Add your choice of toppings.

– Pasta with tomato sauce. For added fun, serve heart-shaped pasta — check with stores offering specialty pasta shapes or order some online. Check delivery time if you order online.

– Add a few of those tiny red-hot cinnamon heart candies to a popcorn snack

– Tossed salad with such red additions as red bell peppers, cherry or grape tomatoes

– Make a polka-dotted open-faced peanut butter sandwich. Cut bread into a heart shape, spread with peanut butter and dot with dried cranberries. Or, make a smiley face with the dried cranberries. Another idea would be to purchase some heart-shaped crackers, if available at your local store; substitute for the bread.

– Cole slaw made with such red foods as red peppers, red onions, and apples or made with red cabbage Cranberry sauce — use that bag of cranberries in your freezer that you bought when they were on sale

– Oatmeal topped with a heart shape, made with dried cranberries or dried cherries

– Raspberry smoothie — Put 3/4 to 1 cup vanilla-flavored yogurt in a blender. Add a few tablespoons of frozen raspberries at a time; blend until desired consistency. After mixing — if desired — blend in 1 or more teaspoons of sugar or no calorie sweetener to taste.

– Pink/red grapefruit half topped with a sprinkle of brown sugar

– Red grapes as a side dish to your sandwich for noontime nibbling