February is American Heart Month

The American Heart Foundation encourages everyone to celebrate Heart Month by learning ways to decrease your risk for the disease and to make changes for a healthier heart.  While heart disease is still the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, according to the American Heart Foundation, it is one of the most preventable. 

Their advice includes: making heart-healthy choices; knowing your family health history and the risk factors for heart disease; getting regular check-ups; and working with your physician to help you follow these recommendations.  In addition, they advise everyone to encourage their family and friends to have check-ups and lead heart-healthy lives.   

Many of the things we can do to improve our heart health are easy and some are actually enjoyable.  One of the easiest things to do is to eat more dark chocolate, which the experts say can help to restore flexibility to the heart’s arteries.  It also can prevent white blood cells from clinging to blood vessels.

Other recommendations include getting active and experts say seniors should engage in regular moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes five days a week.  Eating a balanced diet that consists of lean proteins and unsaturated fat, whole gain carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables is also important.  Another heart healthy tip is to maintain a normal, healthy body weight.  In addition, avoid smoking and get enough sleep as sleep deprivation puts an extra strain on the heart.

MorningStar at Jordan Creek could not agree more with these healthy heart tips and offer seniors a lifestyle that integrates them into our community’s daily routines.  Our meals are largely prepared from scratch and use many heart healthy foods including dark chocolate!  Furthermore, our wellness programs and activities provide moderate exercise programs that keeps our residents moving.  Our goal is to provide the best assisted living Des Moines and the surrounding area has to offer, and we work hard to keep our residents happy and healthy!

MorningStar at Jordan Creek proudly provides the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents amid a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about the finest assisted living Des Moines offers.


Source: theheartfoundation.org/heart-disease-facts/reducing-your-risk/

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