Amy Jones, Human Sciences Specialist, Food and Health
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Men are more likely to develop heat disease after age 45 and women after age 55. Fortunately, many risk factors are things we have control over, such as our food and lifestyle choices. Making nutritious food choices and working in physical activity throughout the day are two excellent ways to help keep your family’s hearts beating strong.
Remember the Food Pyramid? The new healthy eating model is MyPlate. MyPlate is a picture of how to make healthy eating choices. I encourage you to model your plate using MyPlate. Visit MyPlate.gov for healthy eating resources, and to learn about the five food groups and good nutrition for each life stage.
Fiber is great for heart health because it can bind with bad cholesterol and remove it from the body. Foods high in dietary fiber include whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. To increase your fiber intake from foods, include more plant-based sources of protein such as beans and peas, choose whole-grains whenever possible, and make half your plate fruits and vegetables at each meal.
Challenge your family to try a new fruit or vegetable each week, and the next time you are at the grocery store, pick up some of these heart-healthy items:

• Beans, peas and lentils
• Soybeans and tofu
• Fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned without salt or added sugars)
• Salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel
• Whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta, brown rice and barley
• Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts
  Another way to reduce your risk of heart disease is to be active.
• Encourage pre-school-aged children to engage in three hours of varied active play each day.
• Children (6 years and older) and teens should get 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day, including aerobic activity as well as muscle and bone strengthening activities.
• Adults should get at least two hours and 30 minutes of physical activity per week, including muscle strengthening activities twice a week.
  Being physically active helps to lower blood pressure, manage stress and control weight. Be physically active in your own way and start with what you can. Any physical activity is better than none. Reach your goals together by encouraging your family to take a walk after dinner, go for a bike ride or play a game of basketball.
  Find exercise videos for the whole family under the Move tab on Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s “Spend Smart. Eat Smart.” website, https://spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/.
  Finally, prioritize sleep. Recent studies show that adequate sleep improves health. The CDC recommends adults sleep 7-9 hours per night, pre-school-aged children sleep 10-13 hours per 24-hour period (including naps), and school age and teens sleep between 8-12 hours per night.
  Be kind to your heart this February and all of 2024 by increasing physical activity, prioritizing sleep, and making conscious efforts to eat healthy. Small changes can lead to big results!

Adapted from: https://www.eatright.org/food/food-preparation/cooking-tips/prepare-heart-healthy-foods-for-your-family, https://www.myplate.gov/, and https://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/wellness.