Take Valentine's Day to heart: 10 tips to better heart health

While boxes of decadent chocolate  treats, celebratory champagne and romantic, high-calorie dinners may dance in your mind as a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, your heart may be pining for something else. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it is a great time to look at the state of your heart.Despite recent progress, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States," said Dr. Sheila  Sahni, interventional cardiology fellow at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Barbra Streisand Women ’s Heart Health Program.  “Making heart-healthy lifestyle choices and taking control of yourcardiovascular risk factors can help prevent or slow the progression of heart disease.Everyday  decisions are important to cardiovascular health, she added, and Valentine’s Day is a good time to give yourself the gift of lifestyle changes that will benefit you through the year. Check out these tips.10  heart-healthy tips for Valentine’s Day and beyondStay active: The key to heart health is to keep moving and avoid being sedentary. Ideally, aim to get your heart rate up with at least 30 minutes of aerobicexercise at least five days a week. However, any movement will be good for your heart so keep moving and stay active.Limit your consumption of red meat, sugar and unhealthy fats. There are plenty of foods you can eat instead to enjoy aheart-healthy diet.   Add fruits and vegetables to your diet to increas...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news