National American Heart Month

February is National American Heart Month...hope you were able to wear some red yesterday for #wearredday.

A bit of warning this post is a bit personal... My father had a massive stroke less than 2 weeks ago ... my father who exercised everyday practicing judo and karate ... whose blood pressure never passed 117/80 ... who DID NOT have diabetes ... who did not smoke ... who lived life to the fullest even though he is retired by traveling and taking art and computer classes ... who volunteered regularly for his neighborhood community groups ... had a massive stroke almost 2 weeks ago. He is alive but not the same and is still in the hospital recovering. This isn’t a pity post but I wanted to bring awareness to an important issue. Heart disease is the number one killer in the USA and essentially strokes are the fifth leading killer. It’s morbid, but the more people pay attention to their health the more we can decrease those numbers. What can you do? Things you know to do:

1. Eat a healthful diet in fruits, vegetables, high fiber grains and lean proteins 2. Reduce your sodium/salt intake 3. Get moving even if you break up your movement into 10 minute intervals throughout the day

Helpful reminders: ✅ See your doctor regularly ✅ Advocate for yourself - you know your body and know when something is “off”. ✅Don’t take no for an answer when asking to be checked out ✅ Check the medicine you are taking, birth control is one of the meds that can cause clots in women

Remember we only get this one body for life, invest in it for the long run...