February is American Heart Month!



Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans, but there are many ways to prevent this outcome. Give your heart a little extra loving this February by incorporating some self-care that’ll benefit not only your heart, but your whole self as well.

Here are some tips that can help improve and protect your overall health:

• Get a daily dose of physical activity, such as a brisk, 30-minute walk.
• Cook meals that are low in sodium and unhealthy fats.
• Take your medications as prescribed and keep your medical appointments
• Sleep 7-8 hours a night.
• Manage stress through, meditation, yoga, a warm bath, or quiet time with a good book or a funny movie.
• Try to reach or stay at a healthy weight by moving more and having snacks like fruits and veggies ready to grab when hunger hits.
• Foods to increase: A variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy sources of protein (legumes, nuts, fish/seafood, unprocessed meat and poultry)
• Foods to limit: Processed foods, sugar, red processed meats, and saturated fats.

Source: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/self-care-tips-heart-health-fact-sheet)

In honor of Valentine’s Day, you’ll find something red, along with its nutritional benefit, listed below.

• Beets have naturally occurring nitrates that help support blood pressure.
• Cranberries may prevent harmful bacteria from sticking to the walls of your bladder.
• Tomatoes have high levels of lycopene, which acts as an antioxidant.
• Red peppers have high levels of potassium, and are high in vitamins A and C.
• Strawberries contain vitamin C, potassium, and folate.
• Apples are rich in soluble fiber which can help with cholesterol.
• Red kidney beans have heart healthy fiber and high levels of zinc.
• Raspberries are high in fiber and antioxidants.

The list goes on, but those are just a few yummy red foods to try out these next two months. You may also be asking yourself, “What about chocolate?” Well fear not, chocolate has its own benefits to consider in moderation.

• Dark chocolate is high in flavonoids, which are associated with a lower risk of heart disease.

Let's Get Movin'!

“2/20” Challenge



While working at a desk, it's very easy to be sedentary throughout your day. This challenge encourages you to stand for at least 2 minutes for every 20 minutes of work, even if it's just to take a sip of water!

Harvest of the Month

Produce Tips 

• Look for firm, dark, and smooth sweet potatoes without wrinkles, bruises, or sprouts.

• Put sweet potatoes in a dry, cool place like a pantry or garage. If stored properly, sweet potatoes will keep for one month or longer.

• Wash sweet potatoes just before using them.

Healthy Serving Ideas

• Bake chopped sweet potatoes with apples and cinnamon for a warm dessert.

• Sauté small sweet potato cubes with chopped onions and bell peppers for a delicious sweet potato hash.

Source: https://ncstepstohealth.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/NC-HOTM-Sweet-Potatoes-English.pdf

Baked Sweet Potatoes & Apples

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 medium sweet potatoes (peeled, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices)
• 2 medium sweet apples (such as Rome Beauty or Gala) peeled, each sliced into 10 wedges
• 3 tablespoon light tub margarine

 Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly spray a 1 1/2-quart glass casserole dish with cooking spray
3. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon
4. In the casserole dish, layer in order half each of the sweet potatoes, apples, and cinnamon-sugar. Dot with about half the margarine. Repeat.
5. Bake, covered, for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and apples are soft

Source: https://www.heart.org/en/recipes/baked-sweet-potatoes-and-apples

Kids Corner

SNAP provides monetary assistance to supplement the food budget for households that meet the financial and resource requirements.

Foods available under SNAP:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Meat, poultry, and fish
• Dairy products
• Breads and cereals
• Other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages
• Seeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat

For questions or assistance, call (336) 422-7758 or email fnsoutreach@secondharvestnwnc.org