Be smart, eat for your heart

In the middle of your chest, tilted slightly to the left, you have an amazing, mostly hollow, pumping machine about the size of a clenched fist. It is divided into two parts by the septum, a thick band of muscle tissue.

Of course, this organ is your heart.

February is Heart Healthy Month. It is a time of year when everyone should evaluate his or her lifestyle and make a checklist of what can be changed.

Knowing your risk for heart disease is an important step to taking charge of your health. There are some risk factors which can't be controlled, but some changes can be made through lifestyle modifications.

You can't control your heredity, your age or what has happened in the past, but you can control the food you eat.

Changing your diet often is the most effective way to lower your cholesterol, blood pressure and weight -- three contributing factors to heart disease.

Protein, fat, carbohydrates, water and a number of vitamins and minerals also are necessary for good health.

A variety of foods can provide all these nutrients. Eating less fat and more complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain breads and beans can be a start to changing a lifestyle for better heart health.

Learn to love chicken. Skinless poultry is generally lower in saturated fat than red meat. Chicken also is versatile and can be used in endless amounts of different and delicious dishes. Choose white meat over dark meat. The skin should be removed before cooking.

Being "fishy" is great and easy here in the Lowcountry. The choices are just right for a healthy heart. Evidence is growing that the more fish you eat, the better your heart. Research has shown that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils are polyunsaturated -- the good kind of fat. These findings lead to the recommendation that fresh or frozen fish should be eaten at least twice a week. Easy, heart-healthy ways to prepare fish include poaching, broiling and baking.

Go green with salads. Eating a variety of salads can be an enjoyable way to add a variety of vegetables and texture to the diet.

Celebrate life this month. Join the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement as it helps women raise awareness about heart disease. Find out more at www.goredforwomen.org.

Port Royal resident Ervena Faulkner is a retired educator who has always had an interest in food and nutrition. E-mail her at features@beaufortgazette.com.