Valentine’s day is coming up this Sunday, therefore, we are providing you all with various heart-healthy Valentine’s Day Tips. These tips will assist you and your partner in balancing your health goals while enjoying everything Valentine’s Day has to offer.
Rather than tempting your partner with sweets, consider a gift that has more permanence, such as quality time. Quality time is one of the most meaningful gifts and it looks different for everyone.
A few ways to spend quality time together are to:
Bundle up and plan an active outing such as sledding, ice skating, or taking a walk at the park. Alternatively, you can plan an indoor activity such as going to a rock climbing wall, mall walking or taking a yoga class.
Prepare a candlelit dinner at home. Cooking at home is an excellent way to control the quality and amounts of what you eat. Try to incorporate healthier seasonings and/or sauces and incorporate a new food into the recipe.
If you and your partner aren’t familiar with basic cooking practices, then consider taking a date to a local cooking class to practice your skills or learn a new technique.
If you do go out for a dinner date, make it a point to look up the nutrition information for the restaurant you’re going to. Consider ordering one entrée to share because many restaurant servings are enough for two.
Give to one another by giving back. Giving back is a healthy habit that will boost your mood and decrease stress, so consider volunteering together at a local charity.
If you are craving something sweet for Valentine’s Day, then consider sending or asking for a fruit basket that has natural sugar as well as healthy nutrients instead of sending or receiving sweets with added sugars. If you are gifted a box of chocolate, then stick it in the fridge or freezer and enjoy in moderation over several weeks.
Use this day as an opportunity to tell your partner how you feel about him or her and share ways that you can support each other’s health and wellness. For more information on heart-healthy eating, visit www.Heart.org/Nutrition or contact the American Heart Association at inquiries@heart.org or (800) 242-8721. For more information about supporting each other’s health and wellness, get started by taking the My Life Check (mylifecheck.heart.org).