HEART HEALTHY AND HEART HAPPY

February is declared as American Heart Month and is a time for us to focus on heart healthy practices.  We often think about diet and exercise and their impact on a healthy heart.  Happiness and reducing stress also contributes to our heart health.  With Cardiovascular diseases being our nation's number one killer, Heart Month should be a focus for the whole family.  Now is the time to establish heart healthy practices for children.

The American Heart Association reminds us that it is important for Americans to be aware of the four most common kinds of cardiovascular disease:  heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and heart failure.  Your family can become educated on common heart attack warning signs which include pain or uneasiness in the jaw, neck, back, chest, arms, and shoulders; cold sweat; nausea; weakness or lightheadedness; pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder; and shortness of breath.  Being ready to recognize the symptoms of heart attack and stroke can lead to timely medical attention and can improve the outcome of the situation.  This is a great time for your family to research the family tree and uncover any heart disease in your family history.  This is important information for adults to share with their doctors and with their children’s doctors. 

One of the goals of the American Heart Month is to encourage lifestyle changes for improving quality of life and reducing heart disease risk.  Childhood obesity is one of our nation’s leading health threats. Today nearly one in three children and teens in the U.S. are overweight or obese. The obesity epidemic is clearly taking its toll, as more and more kids are developing conditions and diseases that likely will lead to heart problems.  Families can step up to the plate and make changes that will reduce illnesses associated with poor food choices and lack of physical activity. 

It is recommended that children get no more than one to two hours of sedentary TV/computer/video game time per day and increase their physical activity time to at least one hour a day.  Here are a few suggestions to limit the sedentary time for your child and increase physical activity time:   

• Have a plan for an alternative activities to TV or video games available, such as a family game night, shooting some hoops, walking the dog or exploring a nearby park.
• Be active with your children.  Children want time with their parents and are more likely to participate in physical activities or go outside if their parents join them.
• Don’t position your furniture so the TV is the main focus of the room. Remove televisions from bedrooms.
• Change family TV viewing habits by going through the TV guide and picking the shows you want to watch. Turn the TV on for those shows and turn it off afterwards. Don’t just watch whatever comes on next.
• Avoid using TV as a reward or punishment.
• Practice what you preach. Your kids won’t accept being restricted to two hours of TV watching if you watch TV for four hours a day. The best way to influence your kids’ behavior is through example.   Model physical activity for your children instead!

Another contributor to childhood obesity and heart disease that your family can focus on is nutrition.  Along with the sedentary practices common in today’s youth, many children are not eating a healthy diet.  Often, busy family schedules lead to fast, convenient food choices rather than healthy choices.  As your family reviews its eating habits and sets goals for improvement, the following guidelines should be kept in mind to support growth and development:

• Choose a variety of foods to get enough carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients.
• Eat foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
• Keep total fat intake between 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years of age, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.
• Eat only enough calories to maintain a healthy weight for your height and build.
• Serve whole-grain/high-fiber breads and cereals rather than refined grain products.
• Serve a variety of fruits and vegetables daily, while limiting juice intake.
• Introduce and regularly serve fish as an entrée. Avoid commercially fried fish.
• Serve fat-free and low-fat dairy foods. From ages 1–8, children need 2 cups of milk or its equivalent each day. Children ages 9–18 need 3 cups.
• Don’t overfeed children. Estimated calories needed by children range from 900-2200/day, for a 1-year-old 18 year old.

 In addition to increased physical activity and improved eating habits, focus your family on heart happiness.  Does your family take the time to think about what brings happiness and what adds stress to the family?  The following ideas can spark lifestyle changes that may bring more contentment to the family. 

• Reflect on the blessings your family has to be thankful for.
• Eat meals together as a family as often as possible.
• Think of ways your family can help others; research shows that when we reach out to others, we feel good about ourselves. 
• Celebrate individual family member’s accomplishments as a family.
• Discuss with family members what they feel good about in their lives and plan more of the things that bring happiness.
• Discuss with family members the things that bring them stress.  Make a plan to deal with the stress. 
• Plan family time together to share love and fun.

 Incorporating these ideas for activity, nutrition, and happiness can lead to better heart health for your entire family.  Changes are not easy but remember that these changes will have a positive effect on your health and your child’s health.  Let February be the kick-off month for a better heart healthy family lifestyle that continues!