Healthy Eating
Love Your Heart
Story
Every February, the American Heart Association marks American Heart Month, a chance to focus on the habits that protect the heart. Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States: in 2023 it caused almost one in four deaths, and an estimated 130.6 million people are living with some form of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke.
The American Heart Association groups the habits that matter most into what it calls Life's Essential 8.
- Eat better
- Move more
- Quit tobacco
- Get healthy sleep
- Manage weight
- Control cholesterol
- Manage blood sugar
- Manage blood pressure
None of the eight require a full overhaul. Filling half a plate with fruits and vegetables, choosing whole grains over refined ones, and working up to thirty minutes of activity most days are the kind of small changes the Association points to as a starting place.
This piece is part of a recurring Healthy Eating series Senior Services publishes on its site.