Sophia Chon, Board Member
St John's School - Houston, Texas
Teen Board Member 2021 - Present
Sophia is a sophomore at St. John’s School. She is a member of her school dance team, as well as two competitive dance teams. Sophia is a member of Model UN and her school’s debate team. She participates in several clubs including Women Helping Empower Each Other (WHEE), Women of Color (WOC), and Girls Empowering Minds (GEMS). Sophia enjoys volunteering at the Nehemiah Center, Houston Food Bank, and the Mission Centers of Houston. In her free time, Sophia enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, and baking.
Food for the Heart
As Valentine’s Day approaches and stores become filled with hearts and roses, it is important to remember the hardest working muscle in our body, our heart. Not only does the heart pump blood to every part of the body, but it carries oxygen to every cell. Our hearts allow us to live and should be protected. The food we consume and lifestyle habits greatly affect the amount of work our hearts go through. Continuous strenuous work on our heart can lead to an increased rate for heart attacks and other health issues. However, there are ways to protect our hardworking hearts.
What can I do to help keep my heart healthy?
The American Heart Association identifies a list of heart-healthy factors, “Life’s Simple 7”:
- Quit smoking
- Get more exercise
- Lose weight
- Improve your diet
- Reduce your blood sugar level
- Control your cholesterol
- Manage your blood pressure
Easy ways to begin improving your heart health are by exercising and eating healthy foods lower in trans-fat. By getting active and exercising regularly, the muscles in the heart can better pull-out oxygen from the blood. A lack of exercise can limit the growth of the muscles within the heart which prevents the heart from growing stronger. Furthermore, trying to ease the amount of work the heart must accomplish will also help longevity. Consistently eating fatty, processed foods can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, making you more susceptible to heart attacks and other health issues. An abundance of saturated fats, like red meat and dairy, can increase your total cholesterol and prompts blockages to form in arteries. Clogged arteries prevent blood from flowing through them and increase your likelihood of heart attacks or strokes. In 2019, a study showed that replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats, essential fats that bodies need, in one’s diet reduced the risk of heart disease. Therefore, trying to consume healthy fats, like avocados and nuts/seeds, can help protect your heart.
Why is a healthy heart important?
Benefits of a healthy heart greatly impact your life and are worth the extra effort. A healthy heart can lower your risk for diabetes, heart attacks, and can even reduce your risk for certain cancers. Also, recent studies have shown that when the changes listed in “Life’s Simple 7” are incorporated into lifestyles, they do not only result in a healthier heart, but also improve overall brain health.
The key to loving yourself inside-out starts with taking care of your body. As the holiday of love approaches, remember to take care of your body, especially your heart. Taking care of your body does not solely need to be applied during the month of February but can be adapted to your lifestyle year-round.
Sophia Chon
February 2022
