Heart disease (also referred to as cardiovascular disease) is a term that covers a number of health conditions affecting the heart, such as coronary artery disease, heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias), and congenital heart defects.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women, with half of all Americans (47%) qualifying for at least one of the three key risk factors (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking cigarettes).
The good news is that you can manage these risk factors by making some small changes to your weekly routine. By recommitting to simple health behaviors every Monday—moving more, stressing less, eating well, and quitting smoking—you can dramatically improve your health and reduce your chances of developing cardiovascular disease.
Download the Full Healthy Monday for Heart Health Package
Healthy Monday for Heart Health
The Healthy Monday for Heart Health Package applies the Monday Refresh to healthy behaviors identified by experts as reducing the risk of heart disease.
Starting at age 45, get your cardiovascular risk score if you are at risk for heart disease.
2. Eat a healthy diet, focused on less meat and more fruits, vegetables, and legumes
Reduce consumption of high-sugar, high-calorie junk foods such as potato chips, cookies, candy, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Substitute red meat with nuts, whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, legumes and other meat alternatives like tofu, and tempeh.
Use “Meatless Monday” as an opportunity replace animal proteins — especially red meat— with plant-based alternatives such as beans, lentils, nuts, tofu, and plant-based meat products.
3. Be and Stay Active
Add activity into your daily routine — Move it Monday by parking a little farther from the store, suggesting a “walking date, or trading the elevator for the stairs. Every bit counts.