This February, Love Your Heart
(In Raleigh)
Meghan Grady, Staff Writer
Oh, it’s February again, which
means one thing...Valentine’s Day.
And in true fashion, shortly after
the holiday season in December,
we’ve been bombarded by hearts!
They’re everywhere- heart figu
rines, heart cards, heart shaped
boxes filled with chocolates, and a
personal favorite, those delectable
Necco Sweethearts! But, dur
ing this Valentine’s Day frenzy,
it is important to remember our
real, beating heart. According to
the American Heart Association
(AHA), February, 1963 was de
clared by Congress to be American
Heart Month. Today, it is impor
tant to note that heart disease
is the leading cause of death in
women around the world. Across
the nation, Americans are taking
a closer look at how they treat this
organ.
Whether or not you or some
one in your family has experi
enced heart disease in the past or
has never had any trouble at all,
there are ways to keep your heart
in tip-top shape. First, we’ve all
heard the adage “you are what you
eat.” Thus, the AHA guidelines
recommend eating no more than 6
ounces of lean meat a day, which
includes poultry, fish and beans.
Also, recommended are about 8
to 10 servings of fruits and veg
etables, 2 to 3 servings of low fat
dairy, 6 or more servings of whole
grains, and about 2 servings of fats
and oils. They say to “boil, broil,
grill, bake, roast, steam, stir-fiy, or
microwave, don’t fry in oil.” If you
must use oil for cooking, give olive
oil a try. Be sure to drink lots of
water and cut back on the caffeine.
In addition to a healthy diet,
it’s time to get those sneakers out
of the closet and get moving. Click
ing the buttons on the TV remote
control does not equal exercise
folks! Exercise can help reduce
stress levels by increasing endor
phins. Endorphins are our friends!
According to the Mayo Clinic staff,
you should shoot for about 30-60
minutes of moderate exercise most
days of the week. If you haven’t
done a lot of exercise recently, be
sure to check with your physician
and take it easy at the beginning.
Try taking a walk on the Greenway
with access at the front entrance of
STAFF
^.''Kerald(g'meredith.edu layout Editor
- ' ■ itshlev Matthews
.Editor
Courtney Angers Literature Advisor
, angerscofu meredith.edu Suzanne Britt
Assistant Editors
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Staff Writers
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r.rin Ktheridgc
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Meglian Cirady
('aitlin Griffin
Galley .Jones
Alcigha I’age
Anna Turner
Mengjie Zhang
Design Advisor
Dana Gay
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Meredith’s campus. By exercising,
you’ll work to maintain a healthy
weight and combat stress.
And lastly, put that cigarette
down! The nicotine in tobacco
products actually makes your heart
work harder by narrowing blood
vessels. Quitting smoking can
be a difficult task to accomplish.
However, the rewards for the body
and environment are monumental.
For tips on how to improve your
lifestyle, visit goredforwomen.org.
They have lots of information in
cluding heart healthy recipes. You
A Heart, photo by Meghan Grady
/
can also sign up to receive their
newsletter or join their “BetterU”
lifestyle makeover program. In
addition, Rex Hospital is host
ing community events; visit their
website for more information. Rex
is also teaming up with the Caro
lina Hurricanes; you could enter
their contest to win season tickets
for next year! Go to: www.caroli-
nahurricanes.com/rexheart, and
make this February a new start for
your heart!
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