There are lots of ways to show love in February and our communities have been focused on being active and eating nutritious foods as part of Heart Health Month. It's all about these five simple ways to keep your ticker healthy:
1. Eat healthy, nutritious, protein packed foods! Cooking isn’t always easy, but we usually feel much better after we cook and eat a healthy and hearty meal! At Merrill Gardens at Monterey (CA), residents enjoyed a cooking demo. They learned the benefits of various fruits and vegetables and then got to chow down on some tasty food!
2. An apple a day keeps the doctor away! Merrill Gardens at First Hill (WA) taught their residents what goes into making a heart healthy smoothie. Whether you like banana, spinach, orange juice, mango, or berries in your smoothies, they are jam-packed full of health benefits! You can even spice it up a bit with avocado, nuts, veggies, or even coffee! Here are our two favorite smoothie recipes:
3. Stay active! Many Merrill Gardens communities kept their heart healthy by exercising and staying active this month.That can be as simple as walking 30 minutes per day or playing a friendly game of basketball. And it can be so much fun! Residents at The Pines (CA), University (WA), Kirkland (WA), and Anthem (AZ) all participated in some friendly competition this month.
Resident's at The Pines (CA) played chair volleyball!
Kirkland (WA) and University (WA) joined together for a game of basketball!
Merrill Gardens at Anthem (AZ) played a game of ping-pong after going to tennis match earlier that day! (See below)
4. Get outside! The great outdoors has proven to have many benefits on the overall health of humans. Spending time outside helps make exercising easier, decreases anxiety, and improves sleep.
Residents at Merrill Gardens at Willow Glen (CA) enjoyed some time outside with some colorful friends!
5. Maintain your health by being aware – it is very important to always see a doctor if you’re sick and get regular checkups. Checking and knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol are important aspects when it comes to being aware of your health – residents at The Pines (CA) are keeping up to date on their blood pressure checks!
What are you doing this month to keep your heart healthy? Share on Instagram with the hashtag #MGHeartHealthMonth and we may repost it!