Follow Your Heart

The heart is the powerhouse of the body. It transports oxygenated blood to organs to keep them working, so it’s incredibly important to keep it in tip-top shape.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer worldwide, with stroke coming in at second place, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one person dies every 34 seconds from cardiovascular disease.

Organizations like the American Heart Association (AHA) are working to raise awareness about heartrelated diseases and teach people how to live a healthy and happy life. Like any muscle, it takes work to make your heart strong and keep it strong, so implementing these heart-healthy tips from the AHA into your life is a great place to start—or a good reminder of what you know you should be doing.

Healthy Eating

While those are scary statistics, there are plenty of steps to take to work toward keeping your heart (and body) healthy, so you can live a long life. Start simple—with food choices! You don’t need to be a trained chef to create healthy and delicious meals at home. Start by choosing whole grains, healthy proteins, and minimally processed foods at the store. The AHA makes it easy to shop for heart-healthy foods with the Heart-Check mark, a symbol that can be found on products that the association recommends.

Most Americans are used to a high-sodium diet, but excess sodium can pull water into the bloodstream, increasing the volume of blood and making the heart have to work harder. Over time, this high blood pressure can weaken blood vessel walls and contribute to the blockage of the vessels by sticky plaque. Along with high blood pressure in response to diet, it also naturally increases as we age, so it’s never too early to start trying to consume less sodium. The easiest way to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet is to pay attention to your food choices.

The AHA recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, and ideally moving toward a limit of no more than 1,500 milligrams for most adults. On average, American adults eat more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium daily, according to the AHA, which is more than double the ideal recommended limit. So while shopping, keep an eye out for low-sodium varieties of condiments and canned vegetables, and check the amount of sodium per serving in packaged and prepared foods. While the Heart-Check mark indicates heart-healthy food, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a product is also low-sodium, so be sure to double-check.

Here are sodium-related terms you might see on food packages:

SALT/SODIUM-FREE —Less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving

VERY LOW SODIUM —35 milligrams or less per serving

LOW SODIUM —140 milligrams or less per serving

REDUCED SODIUM —At least 25% less sodium per serving than the usual sodium level

LIGHT IN SODIUM OR LIGHTLY SALTED

At least 50% less sodium than the regular product

NO-SALT-ADDED OR UNSALTED —No salt is added during processing (but these products may not be salt/sodium-free unless stated)

When preparing meals, use onions, garlic, citrus, vinegars, and other herbs and spices to add flavor to your dish instead of adding more salt. Other tips are to rinse and drain canned beans and cook food by gilling, roasting, sauteing, or searing to bring out natural flavors and reduce the need for salt. Adding potassium to meals is a great way to counteract sodium. Incorporate tasty and high-potassium foods including potatoes, sweet potatoes, greens, white beans, cantaloupe, and bananas into your diet. And it’s all about balance: If you indulge with a less-than-healthy meal at one time in the day, adjust your other meals to keep within your daily guidelines for health.

Healthy Living

In addition to eating well, make sure to stay active and manage stress. Start by consulting your doctor to learn how many calories you should be eating or drinking to be at a healthy weight (as this naturally varies by height, age, gender, level of physical activity, etc.). Then, consider that nutrition facts on labels are usually based on a 2,000 calorie-perday diet, and work to balance your physical activity with the amount of food eaten. The AHA suggests aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (or an equal amount of both) every week. Don’t worry if you can’t meet those times right away, adding simple activities like gardening, dancing in the kitchen, or going for an evening walk all add up to heart-health contributions.

Along with eating right and staying active, it’s bene cial to get enough sleep and manage stress. Your mood, memory, organs, and eating habits can all be a ected if your sleep habits are out of whack. Try to keep your tech devices away from you before and during bedtime, aim for 7-9 hours of sleep, and try starting a new routine— like going to bed around the same time, not hi ing snooze, and having a healthy breakfast in the morning.

Like any endeavor, creating healthy habits starts with a single step. Focus on those small steps to keep yourself moving in a hearthealthy direction, including trying the recipe at right. After all, a healthy heart is a happy heart.

For more information, visit heart.org. Always consult your health care provider if you have health concerns or before making any major dietary changes.

Rosemary-Peach Chicken Kebabs with Orange Glaze

MAKES 4 SERVINGS | RECIPE FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION

End your day on a sweet note with these honey-citrus glaze kebabs.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, all visible fat discarded, cut into 16 11⁄2-inch pieces

2 large ripe but firm peaches, cut into 16 1-inch wedges

1 large green bell pepper, cut into 16 11⁄2-inch squares

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

for the glaze

3⁄4 teaspoon grated orange zest

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

11⁄2 teaspoons honey

11⁄2 teaspoons canola or corn oil

1. Lightly spray the grill rack with cooking spray. Preheat the grill on medium.

2. Meanwhile, thread the chicken, peaches, and bell pepper alternately onto four 14- to 16inch metal skewers. Sprinkle the pepper and salt over the kebabs.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients. Set aside half the glaze (about 2 tablespoons). Brush both sides of the kebabs with the remaining glaze.

4. Grill the kebabs for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the vegetables are almost tender, turning once halfway through and brushing with the reserved

2 tablespoons of glaze, using a clean basting brush. Reduce the heat or move the kebabs to a cooler area of the grill if they are cooking too fast.

Cook’s Notes:

Ripe but firm peaches are important for this recipe. The direct heat softens and sweetens the fruit, even if it’s not quite at its prime. You can replace the peaches with other stone fruits, such as nectarines and plums.

Nutrition (per 1 kebab serving):

Calories: 202, Fat: 5g (Sat: 1g),

Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 206mg, Carb: 14g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 11g,

Protein: 25g