Recipe for Health– Winter is the perfect time for a warm breakfast and apples.

Apples can be added to a lmost anything. They are heart healthy, loaded with fiber and keep you full a ll day.

This makes a thick oatmeal so you can add additional water, milk or even applesauce if you like it thinner.

Minutes to Prepare: 1 Minutes to Cook: 6

Ingredients

1 cup chopped sweet apple (1 large)1/8 tsp salt (optional)2 cups old fash-ioned oats1/4 cup brown sugar, packed1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Put chopped apple & salt in a large saucepan and add 3 cups water, bring to a boil, then st ir in the oats. Reduce heat and continue cooking unt il oats are tender and oatmeal is th ick, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar & cinnamon. Serve hot.

Makes 4 (1 1/4 c) servings.

Number of Servings: 4

Calories 217.9

Total fat 2 .6 g

Sodium 484.2 mg

Carbs 43.7

Dietary fiber 5.1 g

Protein 6.3 g

Recipe courtesy of sparkpeople.com sub-mitted by VRAKLIS

Healthy Heart Tips Heart disease can happen at any age.

Manage your weight by eating healthy foods and controlling your portion sizes. How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. Keep track of serving sizes and use smaller plates to control portions.

Plan your meals ahead of time.

Create daily menus to keep on track.

Make meals more interesting by trying something new.

Include vegetables and fruit in your snacks.

Allow yourself a treat every now and then. A candy bar or handful of chips

won’t hurt you on occasion.

What's important is that you eat healthy foods most of the time.

Make fresh vegetables and fruits the star of your diet. They are rich in vitamins,

minerals and dietary fiber while being low in fat. They help to fill you up to avoid

overeating less healthier foods.

Select whole grains. Whole grains are important sources of fiber and regulate

blood pressure. Don’t just think whole grain bread, try oats, quinoa, farro or barley.

Limit unhealthy fats by reducing your saturated fats and avoiding trans fats. Trim

your meats, use less butter, margarine and shortening when cooking. Choose good

fats such as olive oil or canola. Polyunsaturated fats are found in certain fish,

avocados, nuts and seeds and are good choices for a heart healthy diet. Ground

flaxseed is an easy way to add fiber and healthy fat to your diet.

Choose low fat protein sources. For your best source of proteins eat lean meat,

fish, poultry, low fat dairy, legumes and eggs.

Reducing the amount of sodium in your diet is important to heart health.

Sodium contributes to high blood pressure. The recommended amount is no more

than 2300 (mg) of sodium per day. Cooking your own meals instead of eating out

and not eating processed foods helps to reduce your sodium amounts. Choose low

salt options when possible, especially condiments, frozen meals and soups.

Be active. The heart is a muscle that needs exercise to pump your blood through

your body. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate intensity a day. Don’t sit for long periods

without taking a break to move around.

Tobacco and alcohol are hard on the heart. Quitting smoking is important to your

heart health, smokers are twice as likely to have a heart attack. Too much alcohol

can damage your heart, cause weight gain and raise your blood pressure. Limit your

drinks to one or two a day.

Manage your stress levels. Stress can increase your risk of a heart attack. Take a

few deep breaths throughout the day. Remember to laugh.

Family history and early signs. If you have a family history or any signs such as

tight pains during exertion that disappear when with rest go see your doctor to get

checked out.

Get plenty of rest. Aim for seven hours a night of sleep

Excerpts from the Mayo clinic Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease

February is Heart Health Month

Path to Health– February 2019

Like Us on FB @ Washington County Health Department

Washington County

Health Department

Creating a State of Health

FLOWCo FREE Couch to 5k Program

Information Meeting—Feb. 18th—6:00 p.m. Jane Phillips Medical Center-1st Floor Classroom

Pre-Mile Workout—Feb. 21st—6:00 p.m.

Madison Middle School Track First Workout—Feb. 25th– 6:00 p.m.

Sooner Park

For questions and information call 918-331-1102 or email wellnessconnection@ascension.org