
February is Heart Health Month, and the Taney County Health Department (TCHD) put the spotlight on the vital organ and tips to guard it.
Heart disease refers to a group of conditions that affect the heart and its blood vessels, according to a press release from TCHD. It's the top cause of death in the nation. When it comes to educating oneself on maintaining health, it can help to know what threatens health.
TCHD's Community Health Educator Kara Miller told Ozarks DynaCom's news department about the nation's most formidable adversary to a healthy heart. Miller said she thinks inactivity is the biggest threat to heart health. She explained that many of the jobs available are done from the seated position.
She said people aren't moving as often but staying still. A TCHD press release highlighted some ways people can promote and protect the health of the important organ.
- Limit stress. Of course, it's not realistic to think people can eliminate all stress, but managing one's reaction to it remains within reach. TCHS lists several methods to manage stress: meditation, deep breathing, and stretching. "Taking a yoga or Taichi class or talking to a professional counselor can be a great way to decrease stress in your life," the news release said.
- Get moving and stay moving. "This can be as simple as parking further from the door when shopping, walking 10 minutes 3 times a day, or putting on some of your favorite music and dancing around the house," the health agency said in the release.
- Food is fuel. Consuming more fruit and vegetables is helpful. Additionally, eating low-fat or fat-free milk products, whole grains, eggs, and lean meats is critical for a top-notch ticker.
- Sleep helps heart health. Health issues such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity are some of the health problems that can have connections to low sleep quality, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The TCHD wants people informed as to what causes heart disease and to use that knowledge to take action to keep their hearts beating.