February is Heart Health Month

A healthy diet and lifestyle are the best weapons you have to fight heart disease. Many people make it harder than it is. It is important to remember that it is the overall pattern of the choices you make that counts. As you make daily food choices, base your eating pattern on these recommendations:

Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.

Select fat-free, 1% fat, and low-fat dairy products.

Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet.

Cut back on foods high in dietary cholesterol. Aim to eat less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day.

Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.

Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. Aim to eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day (or less than 1,500 mg if you are in a higher risk group for high blood pressure).

If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. That means no more than one drink per day if you’re a woman and two drinks per day if you’re a man.

Keep an eye on your portion sizes.

And we all know that exercise is great for your heart! If you are not exercising, you can get out and start walking, it's FREE! You can join a gym or you can buy exercise DVD's.

For the month of February, I am offering 25% off of all DVD's at Team Beachbody. Simply email me at srojek@frontiernet.net and let me know which program you are interested in and we will get it ordered for you! You can choose from Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Jam, P90X and more!

And as they say on Cartoon Network, "get out and play just an hour a day"!

10 Best things you can do to get in shape or stay in shape

Below I am going to list 10 of the top EASY things you can do that will help you to get into shape or help you to stay in shape. The best part is they are simple. As we all know, it's easier to make small changes rather than big ones. So here we go....

1) Drink plenty of water.
2) Go outside.
(Yes, even in the cold and snow. I've been sledding with my kids this winter and loving it!)
3) Get moving. Park farther away and take the stairs.
4) Eat healthy foods. You will feel better just by eating better.
5) Watch your portions and take time to enjoy your food.
6) Eat healthy snacks.
7) Brush your teeth. When you teeth and mouth are clean, you are less likely to want to eat.
8) Join a club or a sport and do it with a friend or even your family!
9) Take time for yourself and spend time with your friends.
10) Exercise! I know our days are busy, but just squeeze in 10 minutes a day, or do a few 10 minute intervals.

I hope you will find these helpful and a way to get yourself motivated. Even though it is snowing here today, I know it won't be long before it is short and tank top season. I want to be ready this year!

Here's to your success!