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I truly believe that if your heart and mind are right, you can conquer the world. February is National Heart Month – which is so appropriate given it is also the month we celebrate Valentine’s Day. The American Heart month focuses on awareness and promoting healthy lifestyles for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. So, you can just imagine how giddy I get to celebrate a WHOLE month of heart awareness.
This week I am going to share what foods and exercise you can do for a healthy heart.
Heart Healthy Foods
Changing eating habits is no doubt difficult for most. However, I’m not talking about an overnight renovation. If you know me by now, you know I am all about small, sustainable changes, consistency and patience. This trio can certainly help you reach your health goals, so start taking some action if you haven’t already!
So, what do heart healthy foods look like? They are food choices that promote a healthy weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Berries are my number one go-to food for supporting my heart. They are full of antioxidants and fiber. I put them into my protein smoothie every day!
Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are also essential to a heart healthy diet. Foods like salmon, nuts, seeds, and avocados are all rich in Omega-3’s.
Try this Heart Healthy Protein Smoothie:
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
½ cup Organic Frozen Berry Blend (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
2 fist-size portions of Baby Spinach
2 tablespoons Ground Flax Seed
6-8 oz. Water or Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Blend all ingredients in blender or mixer until smooth. Enjoy!
Heart Healthy Movement
In conjunction with heart healthy foods, there are exercises that you can incorporate into your daily routine.
Cardiovascular exercise does not mean you have to be running a daily marathon… Okay, I’m exaggerating, but if you have a mindset that healthy cardio is only running you are very mistaken.
The goal here truly is movement, whether it is interval training or a walk around the block. This keeps the blood flowing, cells regenerating, and endorphins exploding-- all vital for heart health.
Not ready to brave the winter weather for a walk around the block? Try this HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout. All you need is a flight of stairs.
No Excuses HIIT Stair Workout
*Grab a stopwatch or tell Siri on your phone to set the timer for 1 minute for each interval.
1. Go up and down your stairs for 1 minute. Go as fast as you can!
2. Stop and rest for 1 minute.
Repeat 10 times for a total of 20 minutes.
This whole week I am going live in my Inner Fire private Facebook group for my Love to Move Challenge. Just request to join today, and check out all the fun. Hope to see you there!
Let’s get fired Upp!
Nat
