February 2016

Heart of the matter- family dinner time

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Did you know that February, the

month of love, is also National

Heart Healthy month? Because

we want our families to have

healthy hearts we have to focus

on eating right. Having a diet

high in sodium can increase

their risk for high blood

pressure, which can eventually

lead to heart disease, stroke and

kidney disease. According to

the Centers for Disease Control,

the average child consumes

more than twice the daily-

recommended sodium intake.

So how can we make sure our

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families are eating a heart healthy

diet? Try these easy steps

this month-

• Read nutrition labels

and try to keep

sodium intake under

2,000 mg per day

• Look for foods low

in sodium

• When cooking, use

spices instead of salt

• Eat more vegetables

and fruit. Produce

contains little salt

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Vegetable of the Month: BEETS

Beets are highly nutritious and heart friendly root vegetables. Antioxidants in the root as well as in its top-greens have been found to offer protection against heart disease and stroke, and lower cholesterol levels within the body. Beets also contain many nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B and C, and folic acid.

Fun fact about beets- they were actually served in space to the astronauts of Apollo 18! Beets are out of this world!

Heart Healthy

Newsletter written

by Luisa Hammett,

MS- Dietetic Intern

at Southern

Regional Emory

Healthcare

LOVE FRUIT Recipe by Recipe by Photo