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American Heart Month
Gracie Stengel- February 15, 2022
February isn't just the month of love, it's the month of real hearts. American Heart Month advocates for cardiovascular health and raises awareness about heart disease. We should take this opportunity to focus on our own health and how we can help others.
"Every year, one in 4 people will die from heart disease"
These statistics are scary but there are things we can all do to change this
Reduce Stress
Reduce Stress
There are many benefits of reducing stress: better sleep, being happier, and most importantly keeping our hearts healthy. We can try different methods to accomplish this such as yoga and meditation. Being mindful of what causes stress in our lives and making changes can also improve our health and happiness.
Be Active
Be Active
Getting outside or into the gym can do amazing things for the heart. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise. Things like hiking, biking, and swimming are great ways to be active. Walking is also a great way to keep your heart active without the harsh impact on joints that high-intensity activities cause. By getting outside we are training our hearts and improving their ability to get blood throughout our bodies.
Eat Healthier Foods
Eat Healthier Foods
Eating healthy is about balance and control. The average adult should take in around 2,000 calories per day. Being active and reducing stress can make eating healthier easier. We should all make an effort to eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and protein. Eating cleaner is a priority also; staying away from processed foods can make a huge difference in our lives.
How Can We Help Others?
Keeping ourselves healthy is very important and could help someone else in the long run too.
"More than 3,000 people in the United States are waiting for a new heart"
A heart transplant is needed when a person is in heart failure and the doctors have exhausted every other course of treatment. Once someone is on the list they can wait for years until a heart becomes available. This only happens when someone is pronounced brain dead but remains on a ventilator.
Now you may be asking yourself what does this have to do with me? You can register to be an organ donor today. By doing so you agree to donate your organs in the case I talked about above or other similar circumstances. Organ donation isn't limited to just your heart. You can save up to 8, and heal up to 75 lives by giving your kidneys, liver, lungs, and other organs or tissues.
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