Heart Health Month Begins!

Buy this cute velvet heart here.

I know many of you have been waiting patiently, and it's finally here! Heart Health Month! As you may know, I have committed myself to eating heart healthy for the entire month of February. I'm hoping to learn:

• What foods are good for your heart and why
• What foods are not and why
• The impact of eating heart healthy on my general health
• How to incorporate heart healthy eating into my daily life, beyond the project

I'm starting by making a weekly menu for myself that includes a variety of heart healthy foods. I will also have a few dinner guests every week to share the experience with me.

So, what foods are heart healthy? After a bit of online research, I came up with the following list:

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Wild Salmon
• Ocean Fish
• Sweet Potatoes
• Spinach
• Cranberries
• Whole Grains
• Almonds
• Apples
• Carrots
• Milk
• Kidney Beans
• Oats
• Broccoli
• Walnuts
• Greek Yogurt
• Olive Oil
• Dark Chocolate (yes!)
• Avocado
• Beets
• Garlic
• Soy Protein
• Red Wine (yes!)
• Eggs
• Lean Beef
• Lean Pork
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Beans
• Tuna
• Nut Butter (including Peanut)
• Cantaloup
• Brown Rice
• Barley

I'm sure many of you are looking at this list and wondering "okay Katrina, where's the challenge?!" I thought the same thing when I first made the list (the only things I don't really care for are beets and cantaloup, but I'll eat them for the sake of the project). Then I gave some thought to the things not on the list.

• Crackers
• Chips
• Pop
• Popcorn
• Baked Goods
• Fried Foods
• Pasta
• Milk Chocolate
• Beer
• Butter
• Anything pickled

True, not all of those things are part of my daily diet, but I still like them all! And to be honest, I have a real weakness for baked goods... And I'm a big fan of butter... And popcorn... And pasta is SO easy!

One other foods not on the list that will need to be limited but not eliminated include:

• Cheese
• Plain Yogurt

I'm a huge fan of cheese and plain yogurt, but I realize that I probably eat more of both than is necessary, and I should be watching my portion sizes.

Menu

Monday, February 1

Breakfast: Oatmeal, 1 tsp. honey, milk & tea

Lunch: Soup & fruit juice

Dinner: Spinach salad with raspberries, almonds, 2 Tbsp. goat cheese, 1 Tbsp olive oil/balsamic vinegar for dressing & red wine