Cafeteria Times - "Healthy Heart Month"

Talladega City CNP

February is the month of love, so it is only fitting that we make February "Healthy Heart Month."
Why should you be concerned with heart healthy eating? Heart disease is the #1 killer of American men and women. According to the American Heart Association, an American will suffer some type of coronary event every 33 seconds. Individuals with a family history of heart disease are more likely to develop heart disease. Unfortunately we cannot control our genetic make-up. The good news is that changing your daily eating can improve your heart health and lower your risk for heart disease.Studies have shown that signs of heart disease begin developing during childhood. A correlation between high cholesterol and heart disease has been clearly established. Even kids can have high cholesterol. According to the American Heart Association, approximately 10 percent of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 have “high” total cholesterol levels. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, it is important to establish healthy lifestyle habits early in life, in order to help keep the risk of heart disease low. According to health officials, approximately 25 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight. The Bogalusa Heart Study found that children between the ages of 5 and 17 who were overweight were 2.4 times more likely to have elevated blood cholesterol. The study also indicated that of those children who were overweight, more than half had at least one risk factor for heart disease.
Help protect your kids heart—live smart! "KEYS TO A HEALTHY HEART"
· 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
· Eat less than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol.
· Limit sodium intake to less than 2400 milligrams.
· Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat in place of processed meat.
· Go spicy instead of salty.
· Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt.
· Rinse canned foods like tuna to remove the sodium.
· Use fat free or 1 % milk products.