ILANA KATZ MS, RD, CSSD
The month of February triggers ideas of Valentine’s Day, love, and hearts. So in honor of your heart, feed your body heart healthy foods for a stronger and longer life.
Heart healthy diets include a large variety of fruits and vegetables, extra fiber, omega-3 fats, low amounts of saturated and trans fat, and limited cholesterol.
Read up for tips, facts, and fun!
Sweetness without the Guilt!
Not all chocolate bars are created equal.
To get the most benefit, consider those with 65% or more cocoa.
Indulgent and Delicious…
Dark chocolate has many surprising health benefits:
© May lower overall blood pressure
© Can lower cholesterol
© Contains serotonin which boosts mood
© High in antioxidants
© Flavanols found in chocolate may have other cardiovascular benefits such as improving circulation
© The scent of chocolate can induce relaxation
In general, research does not appear to indicate that more is better- so enjoy chocolate in moderation.
Approximately 3g/day of dark chocolate has shown to have potential health benefits. Now you can celebrate Valentine’s Day guilt-free with a few pieces of decadent dark chocolate.
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Recipe of the Month: Vanilla or Chocolate Coconut Mousse
Want some chocolate with your fruit?
Serves 4
- 1 can coconut milk
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (optional for chocolate mousse)
- ½ spoon pure vanilla extract
- Sweetener to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight.
- Remove from refrigerator in the morning, open can, and scrape the top solid layer into a mixing bowl. Do not place the thin liquid at the bottom of the can into the mixing bowl- instead consider using it for a smoothie or other recipe.
- Whip the coconut cream (*you can purchase premade coconut cream in many store and skip the above steps) with an electric mixer until it appears to have the consistency of of whipped cream.
- Gently mix cocoa powder, vanilla extract, sweetener, or anything else you might enjoy, such as cinnamon, into the bowl until uniform during the mixing process. Do not over mix.
- Pour over your favorite berries. For the data below, consider using 2 cups raw, halved strawberries:
Per serving:
| Calories | 128 |
| Protein | 2g |
| Total Fat | 13g |
| Carbs | 69g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 8mg |
| Fiber | 1g |
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February is American Heart Awareness Month and includes the National Go Red for Women Day.
The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes/week of moderate exercise or at least 75 minutes/week of vigorous exercise.
They suggest 30 minutes a day, consecutively or split into smaller sessions, 5 days a week.
How will you fit in 30 minutes of exercise into your day?
If you walked or exercised just 30 minutes – 1 hour a day you would:
© Improve knee arthritis pain and ability to move
© Reduce progression of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
© Reduce the ris of and/or Manage diabetes
© Reduce the number of hip fractures among post-menopausal women
© Decrease anxiety
© Reduce depression
© Lower overall risk of premature death
© Fight fatigue
In summary: Improves overall quality of life !!
SO – Here is a great youtube link to get you inspired:
Salmon with Cilantro Pesto
