Filed under: heart

Gorgeous made easy begins with a healthy heart.. ♥

Healthy_heart

 

Diet Coke and The Heart Truth join forces to raise awareness for woman's heart health problems.

Below are tips to keep your heart healthy and generally look after your inside body. Please see some of my favorites.. See http://www.dietcoke.com/hearttruth/ for the rest of the remaining 28 tips!

1. Don't Miss a Beat

To stay extraordinary, you've got to keep your heart healthy—it's what keeps movers and shakers like you moving and shaking.

When it comes to heart health, these three simple areas are a good place to start: diet, exercise and stress levels. Take a moment to consider each of these in your own life. Get out a piece of paper, and write down one simple change you will make to improve each. They shouldn’t be big or sweeping–make them specific and attainable. Here are some examples to get you started:

Diet: I will cut out potato chips–they’re not my favorite splurge anyway.
Exercise: I will take the stairs, not the elevator, at work.
Stress: I will reserve half an hour after breakfast just for me–no email or distractions.

Start with these simple changes. See how it feels.

3.Take Family Time to Heart 

Being active is easier to take on as a family than alone. And if you think an "active family" means group marathons, think again. Remember, as long as you're moving, it's better than sitting on the sofa.

Here are three unique and fun activities for you and your family to try.

Explore Your City

With that crazy carpooling schedule, it's easy to overlook the best parts of your city. Make sure you don't, and get some fresh air and easy exercise while you're at it. Find an area or attraction in your city, be it the arts district or a historic neighborhood. Then take to it on foot as a family.

Build Something Together
If you pick a project every family member is excited about, you'll all be happy with the results and the experience. Some ideas: build a doghouse, create a stone garden or design and put up a tree house.

Find a Different Angle
Get a new view of your city from someplace high. Whether it's a skyscraper or a mountain, get to the top as a family and take a good look. It'll lift your spirits and your heart rate.

Try a different activity a week. Let everyone throw out an idea and then vote for the favorite.

4. Fruits and Veggies ... Fast

You know you need to get your greens. And fresh fruit is tasty but easy to forget. Try these five tips for keeping heart-healthy fruits and veggies top of mind and easy to grab when you're rushing out the door.
  1. Keep a bowl of fruit on the table or counter. Looks good, tastes great.
  2. Pick up prewashed bags of greens and add baby carrots or grape tomatoes for a salad in minutes.
  3. Refrigerate or freeze cut-up fruit for yogurt smoothies.
  4. Precut packaged fruit is a healthy snack for on the go. Keep your fridge at work and home stocked.
  5. Keep a clear container of sliced up veggies in the fridge—you're more likely to snack on what you can see. Try carrot and celery sticks, broccoli florets and cucumber slices.
Try these five simple changes. You'll be more likely to choose something tasty and fresh on your way out the door.

14. Give Your Date a Lift

If dinner and a movie leave you feeling sluggish, turn up the heat with something more active. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Go hiking. The nice thing about hiking is you can do it at any level. Hit a challenging trail at a brisk pace for a workout. Or, take your time strolling through the park or woods to enjoy nature and your company.

Lace up your skates. Whether you go for the old school roller rink or for the ice, this is something fun you probably haven’t done in awhile. And, bad balance just makes for more excuses to get close.

Visit an art museum. This may be mellow, but you’ll get a lot more steps in than you realize—and definitely more than you will catching a movie at the theater or on the sofa.

Spend your next date trying one of these activities or coming up with your own. Or if you’re single, go it alone—you never know who you’ll meet along the way.

15. The Right Way to Crave

Cravings happen. But when you get the urge to splurge, smart selections can keep things in check. Here are some ideas:

Craving Chocolate? Go for Dark. Darkchocolate is rich in antioxidants and may contribute to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Want Chips and Dips? Try Pita and Hummus. The pita is a healthier alternative to a fried potato chip, and hummus is a high source of fiber andis filling.
Looking for Munchies? Go Nuts. Choose walnuts and almonds. Both help lower bad cholesterol and can help clear arteries. Plus, they’ve got that satisfying crunch you’re craving.

Satisfy your snacking the right way. Yourheart will thank you. 

25. Heart-Healthy Party Foods

If you're thinking of a sad little veggie tray, think again. You can serve heart-healthy party dishes that are bold in flavor and style. Here are three ideas.

♥ Veggie Roll-Ups. Lay tortillas flat, fill them with goodies, roll them up and then slice into bite-size pieces. Here are some spread and filling ideas to get you started: pesto, mango chutney, hummus, roasted bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, artichoke hearts &ellip; the list goes on and on!

♥ Sweet Potato Bar. Mash or puree sweet potatoes with a little bit of butter, and then let guests fill martini glasses and add their own toppings. Here are some topping ideas: mini marshmallows, brown sugar and turkey bacon bits.

♥ Fruit Kebabs. Slice and dice your favorite fruits—strawberries, pineapple, banana, mango are good starters. Then, alternate them on skewers and stack high on a platter. Poppy seed dressing makes a great topping.

Get creative with your dishes, and mix and match to your heart's desire.

MANY MORE TIPS HERE

Article based on information from http://www.mypyramid.gov & http://www.dietcoke.com/hearttruth
Posterous theme by Cory Watilo
  
​