Healthy Habits Strong Heart

February is “Heart Health Month” which brings awareness to heart disease, the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.

We’re exceptionally lucky here in Rockland County to have a true champion raising awareness about this issue all year long and that’s Roxanne Watson. Roxanne has been a one-person army in getting folks to understand the tremendous gift they can give – the gift of life – by simply signing up to be an organ donor. I’m proud to say that she is my hero.

Roxanne’s donor, Michael, may have left this world but his heart is still beating within her. Four other recipients also either avoided death or had their lives significantly improved thanks to this donor. Think of the legacy Michael left behind for five people after he passed.

Since that day, Roxanne has dedicated her second chance to saving others and in the past decade, has signed up more than 12,000 organ donors while continuing to voice during February’s Heart Month how important it is to stay healthy and bring awareness to heart disease.

The good news is that living a healthy lifestyle can make a massive difference, ultimately reducing your risk for heart disease and heart attack.
Our County Health Department says one simple way to combat this condition is by staying active with walking. Walking is low-risk, easy to start and can help keep you fit while reducing your risk of serious diseases, like heart disease, stroke, diabetes and more.

Eating less sodium can also help reduce the rise in blood pressure that occurs with age and reduce your risk of heart attack and heart failure. Here are some cooking tips from the National Institutes of Health to help you:

• Choose low-sodium, reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added products.
• Choose fresh, frozen, or no-salt-added foods instead of pre-seasoned, sauce-marinated, brined, or processed meats, poultry and vegetables.
• Eat at home more often, so you can cook food from scratch, which will allow you to control the amount of sodium in your meals.
• Flavor foods with herbs and spices instead of salt.
• When cooking, limit your use of premade sauces, mixes, and instant products such as rice, noodles, and ready-made pasta.

Take this opportunity during Heart Health Month to protect yourself and please, consider signing up as an organ donor. Think of all the good you can do, the lives you can save and give the gift of life. For more information and to register visit: https://donatelife.ny.gov/