LANSING - Heart health is an issue many Americans struggle with. “Actually one in three deaths can be attributed to heart disease, so it’s a huge problem it’s the number one killer of all Americans,” said Rodney Parkkonen, Heart Walk Director of the Mid-Michigan Heart Association.

February is Heart Health Month and is used to bring awareness to heart disease and educate the community on how to fight against it. Parkkonen explained, “our mission is to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. It’s a really broad mission so by 2020 our impact goal is to decease deaths by cardiovascular disease by 20 percent, while increasing the overall cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent as well.”

One way to prevent heart disease is to stick to a nutritional heart health diet. Clinical Registered Dietitian with Ingham Medical Care Facility, Andrea William explains, “in general you’re going to want foods that contain less than 5 grams of fat per serving, less than 30 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 15 grams of sugar and over all for the day as a whole less than 2400 milligrams of sodium.”
William also went on to say that eating a variety of different foods will help keep your diet interesting.

Another preventative method for heart disease is to stay active. Manager and Personal Trainer Kirk Henske at Court One Athletic Clubs said, “I base it on someone’s personal fitness level or activity level. If you’re not very active then 10 minutes a day might be all that you can do. And so if, you start small, you can make slow increments to increase the amount of time that you’re doing and then up to 60 minutes a day would be ideal.”

Before making any lifestyle changes to improve your heart health, The American Heart Association recommends speaking with your doctor to find the best method for you.