Most of us desire to get the most out of our lives as is possible, but for some of us, there is an obstacle standing right in our path – heart disease. For this reason it is crucially important that Americans become educated as to what makes up a heart healthy meal. After all, these nutritionally balanced meals can do a great deal in helping to keep your ticker ticking as long as it possibly can.
Lack of Understanding
Many people are at risk of developing heart disease, and don’t even know it. Our society has become so enamored with the convenience of fast food that we have forgotten what it means to prepare and eat a heart healthy meal, on regular basis. This is a problem that can only be solved through proper education of the risks we all take when we opt to grab that quick bite to eat from our favorite drive through restaurant.
You might be surprised to learn that the CDC estimates that roughly 27.1 million American adults are currently suffering from heart disease. An even more shocking statistic is the number of deaths this disease causes each year. In the year 2009 alone, 599,413 Americans died from complications related to heart disease. This makes the disease the single largest cause of death in the United States; sobering numbers when you stop to think about it.
Education is Key
If we are to reverse the deadly trend of heart disease, Americans are going to have to take a more active role in their own health. All too often, we are content to eat our one heart healthy meal a day, and assume that we’ve done what’s necessary to protect our hearts – this is not nearly enough. Rather than simply eating the right foods, we must focus on the other factors that lead to heart problems. For example, you might not think that smoking cigarettes has anything to do with your heart – after all, it only affects your lungs right? Wrong.
You might think that exercise is important to keep from gaining weight, but have you ever considered the extra burden that your heart must take on in order to pump blood through a body that is far larger than its healthy weight?
There are a multitude of factors that influence your heart health. The key is to educate yourself on how to keep from becoming part of heart disease’s deadly statistics.
Heart Healthy Meal
Now, once you’ve opened your mind to the possibility of taking control of your own heart health, incorporating a heart healthy meal into your daily routine can only help you further your goal of overall heart health. With the help of tools like the internet, learning which foods best support heart health has never been easier. So why not use your next moment of free time to explore ingredients and learn which ones are necessary to make the perfect heart healthy meal for dinner tonight?
