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As we reach another February on the calendar, I’d like to take a moment to share that February is heart month. Heart month can be a great time to evaluate where you’re at when it comes to your heart health, as well as where you’d like to be in the future.
If a heart healthy diet and lifestyle are new topics to you, then this month can also be a wonderful time to learn more.
In this post, we’ll review why maintaining your heart health is so important, and I’ll share some top heart healthy nutrition and lifestyle tips you can start to implement right away.
Quick disclaimer—although I am a registered dietitian nutritionist, your reading of this or any articles on this website does not constitute medical nutrition therapy advice nor create a practitioner-client relationship. The information I provide here on this website is for educational and informational purposes only. Please see my full disclaimer for more information.
The Importance of a Healthy Heart
A rather sobering fact is that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States at this time. And it doesn’t affect just one age group—even people younger than 65 years old pass away regularly from cardiovascular concerns.
But an important point to realize is that diet and lifestyle factors can play a role in either increasing or reducing risk for or severity of heart disease.
Some factors that increase risk, as the CDC states, are as follows:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol levels
- Diabetes
- Being at an unhealthy weight
- Food and beverage choices lacking in nutritional quality
- Lack of or minimal physical activity
On an encouraging note, however, the first four points above can be positively influenced by healthier nutrition and lifestyle choices. And each small change counts when it comes to supporting your heart.
A Dietitian’s Top Heart Healthy Nutrition Tips
So what are a dietitian’s top nutrition tips for heart month (and all year long)?
Monitor Your Sodium Intake
A first major tip is to monitor how much sodium you’re taking in each day. One of the most frequent trends I see in practice is people taking in far more sodium in their diets than is recommended by the American Heart Association and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
This often happens because many foods contain extra sodium, from restaurant foods to pre-packaged foods you can pick up in the grocery store. Extra sodium is basically everywhere.
So why is cutting back on sodium important for your heart?
Reducing sodium intake can help improve blood pressure levels and decrease the risk for other vascular complications, like strokes, heart attacks, and kidney disease.
And for people with heart failure, controlling sodium intake can help them avoid holding on to extra fluid in their bodies, since that extra fluid can stress out their hearts’ abilities to work properly.
So how do you cut back on sodium to help your heart, even when the food supply seems to contain too much of it? I’d encourage you to visit the resources below to find out!
Related Blog Posts
The Low Sodium Diet Shopping List: Your Comprehensive Guide
Low Sodium Snacks to Benefit Your Heart: A Dietitian’s Favorites
The 2 Gram Sodium Diet Explained: What Does It Mean for Your Heart?
Low Sodium Restaurant Options: Navigating the Menu
Diet After Heart Attack: Managing Your Sodium Intake
Low Sodium Frozen Meals: How to Choose to Support Your Heart
Other Resources
The Sodium Section from the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association’s Recipe Collection
Eating Well’s Low Sodium Diet Center
Manage Your Added Sugar Intake
A second major area worth discussing is that of added sugars. Patients often come to me thinking they can’t have fruit or milk because these items contain sugar.
But the reality is that foods and beverages containing naturally occurring sugar (like a piece of fresh fruit or plain milk) are actually just fine to have a few times per day.
In contrast, foods with greater amounts of added sugar are the ones to be more mindful of, as they may not be as nutritious as foods lower in added sugar or foods without added sugars.
For context, added sugars, just like their title, are sugars that the manufacturer adds into a product before providing it to the consumer. They can also show up at home, such as if you were adding sugar or honey or a similar calorie-containing sweetener into a recipe you’re making.
When foods with added sugar show up more frequently in your diet, there is often not as much room for healthier items that can better support your heart. Higher reliance on foods with added sugars can also encourage people to take in more energy than they use, potentially leading to weight gain and other weight-related complications.
I’d encourage you to also review some of these resources to further acquaint yourself with added sugars and understand how you can manage them in your diet.
Related Blog Posts
What Is the Difference Between Total Sugars and Added Sugars? A Dietitian Explains
Heart-Healthy Eating Label Reading Tips: Using the Food Label to Improve Your Heart Health
Diet After Heart Attack: Reducing Added Sugars and Saturated and Trans Fats
Other Resources
Several pages on added sugars from the American Heart Association: a primer on added sugars, how much added sugar is too much, and sugar basics.
Make Wise Food and Beverage Swaps
A third suggestion I often share with patients is that some simple food and beverage swaps can actually support heart health. Although the swaps may not taste exactly the same, with time and a little experimenting, you can get used to them.
So let’s explore a few key areas for swaps. First up will be the grains category.
Swapping Whole Grains for Refined Grains
Many types of grain products exist on the market today. Some of them are quite nutritious, while others may not be.
The research we have available shows us that replacing more refined grains (such as white breads, pretzels, cereals, etc.) with whole grains (such as whole wheat bread, whole grain cereals, etc.) can result in improvements in cholesterol levels and reduce risk for vascular concerns in the future.
And with the higher fiber content of the whole grain products, you’ll also be supporting your gastrointestinal system. The right amount of daily fiber (as long as you drink enough water) can help with regulating your bowel movements and keeping your intestines (your gut) healthy.
So as you can, look for products with whole grains mentioned on the front of the packaging, as well as some kind of “whole wheat” or “whole grain” listing in the number one spot in the ingredients list.
Changing Up Your Fats
The next category for swapping is that of fats. Choosing heart healthier fats in place of less heart healthy ones can be done in several ways.
A first recommendation I make to my patients is to use more plant oils for cooking and baking instead of butter, bacon grease, lard, and similar items, which tend to be higher in saturated fat. (Saturated fat is more often associated with higher LDL cholesterol levels in the research we have.)
Plant oils like olive oil, avocado oil, and canola oil have less saturated fat and a higher amount of mono- and polyunsaturated fats (heart healthy fats which are associated with improved cholesterol and triglyceride levels).
A second type of swap I encourage patients to try is substituting other heart healthy fats for butter or creamier ingredients in dips and spreads.
For example, you might use peanut butter, another nut butter, or avocado on toast instead of butter. Or you might choose hummus made with plant oil as a dip in place of a more traditional creamier dip.
A last swap is to consider healthy fat in the context of protein sources. Instead of red meat like a fattier cut of beef, you might try out a fatty fish like salmon or mackerel to get in more omega-3s, which are great for your labs, especially triglycerides.
Checking Your Beverages
One last area in which to make heart healthy swaps is that of beverages. Many people come to me, mentioning that they often drink regular energy drinks, soda/pop, sweet tea, sugary coffee drinks, and similar items.
The added sugar in these items can potentially add extra energy or calories that may end up contributing to weight gain and increase risk for heart and vascular issues in the future.
If you’re regularly drinking beverages that are higher in added sugar, consider reviewing your usual patterns to see if there is a time of day or week that you would feel most comfortable trying out a swap for.
Some people start by trying diet or sugar free options of their favorite beverages. They then might transition to fruit-infused or sparkling waters, or herbal teas, or plainer coffees when they’re ready.
It’s possible to end up decreasing added sugar intake by a fair amount this way!
So now that we’ve discussed some beneficial swaps for heart health, let’s move on to our last major nutrition tip for heart month.
Feature Plant Foods
While this point encompasses several of the other points before it, I want to make a special mention of how adding more plant foods to your eating plan can help to support heart health.
When I define plant foods, I’m really talking about actual fruits and vegetables (whether frozen, fresh, or canned), beans and legumes (whether dried or canned or in the form of soybeans or tofu), and nuts and seeds (whether raw or dry roasted, etc.).
Adding foods like these into your eating plan more often can help you add more fiber to your diet (to improve cholesterol levels and gut health) as well as protein and healthy fat. They also add volume or bulk to meals to help you feel fuller faster and longer, which may aid in weight management.
Many of these foods can be great additions to salads (like beans), or used as snacks (like nuts) or as a meat substitute if desired (like tofu). And more websites these days are providing recipes featuring these foods—with a little searching, you may find some enjoyable new recipes!
Top Lifestyle Tips
While managing your nutrition can be extremely helpful in supporting your heart, other lifestyle factors are just as important for keeping it healthy. Let’s discuss a few.
Add Physical Activity
Physical activity is a great complement to a heart healthy eating pattern. It can help the heart and vascular system grow stronger, as well as aid in controlling blood sugars better (this is especially important if you have pre-diabetes or diabetes).
Since everyone is different, it’s important to check with your doctor about a physical activity plan that is right for you.
If your doctor okays physical activity, consider obtaining professional guidance from your local gym or YMCA; reputable online sources, such as ACE; or from a cardiac rehab program staff member if you are in cardiac rehab. Exercise professionals can help you craft a safe plan for physical activity.
Manage Stress
Another area to look at for a healthier heart is that of managing stress. In today’s world, stress seems almost constant and ever increasing.
But increased stress is not exactly helpful to your heart. Many of my cardiac rehab patients had experienced heart attacks which were in part related to stress. That’s why proactively managing your stress can help reduce the potential for heart issues, or additional heart issues, in the future.
Consider finding hobbies or activities you enjoy to help reduce stress. You may also want to take breaks as possible, or practice taking deep breaths throughout the day.
While we likely can’t completely eliminate stress, managing it as much as possible can help your heart.
Maximize Your Sleep
A third lifestyle area to think about is sleep. Although sleep can sometimes fall by the wayside in the busyness of everyday life, it’s so important for allowing the body to rest and repair itself. Poor sleep quality and/or less sleep can hurt overall vascular health in the long run.
While it may take time to improve your sleep habits overall, focusing on small changes can still make a difference. Examples might include adjusting your bedtime so you can sleep longer or creating a more restful sleep environment so you can fall asleep more easily.
I’d encourage you to talk to your doctor for more guidance and support in this area if you’re struggling.
Remember Routine Checkups
This last lifestyle suggestion may be more challenging in some ways, but I’d encourage you to have your vital signs and overall health checked regularly by your provider. Regular checkups can help catch bigger issues sooner and potentially lessen their severity.
If you don’t love checkups, consider asking friends and family members for recommendations to help you find a provider you trust. Check provider ratings as well to help you narrow things down.
Although they may seem like an annoyance, checkups can potentially save you from more issues in the long run.
Conclusion
So after all of the information we’ve covered, how will you celebrate heart month?
Will you try a new recipe? The American Heart Association has some good ones!
Or maybe you and some friends or coworkers can create an accountability challenge, like getting a certain number of steps per day or trying a certain number of new plant foods per week.
Or maybe you’ll decide to focus on one main area, like improving sleep, or stress, or physical activity.
Whatever you choose, you’re taking the next step toward a healthier heart this February, and all year long!
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Sources
- CDC. Heart disease facts. Heart Disease. February 7, 2025. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
- Heart.org. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/how-much-sodium-should-i-eat-per-day
- Dietaryguidelines.gov. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans-2020-2025.pdf
- Diab A, Dastmalchi LN, Gulati M, Michos ED. A heart-healthy diet for cardiovascular disease prevention: Where are we now? Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2023;19:237-253. doi:10.2147/vhrm.s379874
- Heart.org. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifes-essential-8
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