1.
Rather than tempting your beloved with
chocolates, consider a gift that has more permanence. Search for a poem that
describes your feelings and write it on beautiful paper for a handmade
Valentine.
2.
Quality time is one of the most meaningful
gifts. Bundle up and plan an active outing such as sledding, ice skating,
gathering wood for a fire, or if you’re feeling adventurous, visit an indoor
rock wall.
3. If
your children are having a Valentine’s Day party at their school or day care,
instead of sending candies, consider mini-boxes of raisins, mini-bags of
pretzels, pencils or stickers as tokens of their friendly affection.
4.
Cooking at home is an excellent way to
control the quality and amounts of what you eat. Take a date to a local cooking
class to practice your skills or learn a new technique.
5.
Prepare a romantic candlelit dinner at home
using one of our heart-healthy recipes.
6.
If you go to a restaurant to celebrate, check
out our heart-healthy tips for dining out.
7. Give
to one another by giving back. Ask a date to volunteer with you at a local
charity. Giving back is a healthy habit that will boost your mood and beat
stress.
8.
Visit www.ShopHeart.org
for gift ideas that benefit the American Heart Association.
9. Use
this day as an opportunity to tell your loved one how you feel about him or
her, and share ways that you can support each other’s health and wellness. Get
started by taking the My Life Check (mylifecheck.heart.org).
10. Still
craving something sweet? Send a fruit basket to your loved one that has natural
sugar as well as healthy nutrients instead of sending sweets with added sugars.
11. Spice
it up – try cooking at home with healthier seasonings and avoid prepackaged
mixes that may contain a lot of salt. Instead, add some spice with some
fresh hot peppers. Remove the membrane and seeds first,
then finely chop them up. A little goes a long way.
12. Sharing
is caring – if you do go out for a romantic dinner date, order one entrée to
share. Many restaurant servings are enough for two – splitting will keep you
from overdoing it.
13. Don’t
forget to love Fido, too! Give your pet a Valentine and remember to walk or
exercise them daily – getting active will benefit your health and your bond
with your pets.
14. Take
it slow – if you were gifted a luxurious box of chocolates from your sweetie
stick it in the fridge or freezer and enjoy in moderation over several weeks.
15. Still
seeing hearts? You’ve seen hearts all month long; look for them at the grocery
store and select products with the heart-check mark, which limits the amount of
total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium in a food.
16. One
of the best things you can do for your heart is to give up smoking or help a
loved one quit. Smoking is the most preventable cause of premature death.
17. Go
fish – did you know for ideal health you should eat fish (particularly oily
fish such as salmon, mackerel or tuna) twice a week?
18. Take
a walk – walking is free, and costs nothing to get started. Walking for as
little as 30 minutes a day provides heart-health benefits.
19. Instead
of frying foods – which adds unnecessary fats and calories – use cooking
methods that add little or no fat, like stir-frying, roasting, grilling or
steaming.
20. Try
something new – dare yourself to try a new fruit or vegetable. Next time you’re
at the store pick up something you’ve never made before. Many grocery stores
have free recipe cards in the produce section or just type the food into your
favorite search engine.
21. Rekindle
an old flame – try preparing one of your less-favorite foods in a new way. Not
crazy about bananas? Try grilling one for dessert. Pop grapes in the freezer
for mini-ice pop snacks.
22. Stay
hydrated – staying properly hydrated helps you feel (and look) better and water
is a great alternative to high-calorie, sugar-sweetened drinks. Treat yourself
to a fun new water bottle to encourage the habit – if it’s always handy, you’re
more likely to drink up.
23. Get
active inside – winter is almost over, but there are plenty of ways to get
moving indoors that don’t involve a gym membership; start mall walking, hit the
stairs at work, or check out a yoga video form the public library or your local
video store.
24. Know
before you go – make it a point next time you go out to eat to look up the
nutrition information for the restaurant you’re going to (most major chains
have this online) and note the nutrition information for what you plan or
usually order. Just knowing what you’re eating is a good step in the right
direction.
25. Make a
change – pick one small thing you can change about your daily diet – start
buying skim milk, order the nonfat latte, skip the afternoon vending machine visit
or add an extra veggie to your dinner plate.
26. Snacking
isn’t bad if done in moderation and eating a little throughout the day can
actually keep you from overdoing it at meal times. Check out some of our
heart-healthy snack ideas.
27. You
can make many of your favorite recipes healthier by using lower-fat or no-fat
ingredients. These healthy solutions can help you cut down on saturated fats, trans
fats and cholesterol, while noticing little, if any, difference in taste.
28. Whether
cooking or making dressings, use the oils that are lowest in saturated fats, trans
fats and cholesterol – such as canola oil, corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil,
sesame oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil – but use them sparingly, because
they contain 120 calories per tablespoon.
Oh:o
ReplyDeleteFirst u follow any one of ur tips????????????? pls pls reply
ReplyDelete