February is American Heart Month. Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women? Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease. To prevent heart disease and increase awareness of its effects, Forest County Potawatomi Community Health Department is proudly participating in American Heart Month. Within Forest County, the number one cause of death in 2017 was heart disease (Forest County Health Department Annual Report 2017).
You can make healthy changes to lower your risk of developing heart disease. To lower your risk, try these heart-healthy shopping tips/tricks:
- Fats and oils. Choose foods with unsaturated fats like seafood, nuts, seeds, avocados, and oils. Cut back on saturated fat and look for products with no Trans fats.
- Get more fiber. Eat vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to add fiber to your diet. Buy vegetables and fruits that are fresh, frozen, or canned.
- Eat less saturated fats. Cut back on fatty meats, high-fat dairy, cakes, cookies, and butter. This includes pizza, burgers, and foods with creamy sauce or gravy.
- Dairy. Look for fat-free or low-fat options.
- Breads, cereals, and other grains. For products with more than 1 ingredient, make sure whole wheat or another whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. Look for products that say 100% whole grain.
- Cut down on sodium (salt). Read the Nutrition Facts label and choose foods that are lower in sodium. Look for the low-sodium or “no salt added” types of canned soups, vegetables, packaged meals, snack foods, and lunch meats.
Heart Healthy Event: The Community Health Department and Land of Natural Resources are teaming up on Saturday, February 23rd, 2019 to host Devil’s Lake Fisheree. Get outside and get your heart pumping with some snowshoeing or enjoy a friendly fishing competition. Starts at 9AM with door prizes being announced around 3PM with breakfast and lunch provided. See you there! Please call LNR 715-478-7222 or Community Health at 715-478-4355 with any questions or to find out more information.
For more information, visit https://www.heart.org or https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/about.htm.