National American Heart Month in Broward County

February is National American Heart Month. A time to raise awareness and learn how to keep a healthy heart.

Heart Disease in the United States

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, not only for seniors, but for the entire population. That makes it especially important to know what you can do to reduce your risk. There are many lifestyle changes you can make to help with heart health. This blog will focus on one in particular, diet. From tactics such as focusing on more fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, fish, vegetable oils, and more. Read on to learn what a heart-healthy diet can look like.

What Does Heart Healthy Diet Look Like?

One effective way to improve heart health is through eating a heart-healthy diet. By doing so, you will reduce your risk of developing heart disease by lowering your risk of high cholesterol and high blood pressure. This may sound intimidating, but small changes to your diet can have a massive impact.

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. The vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Eat more wholegrains. Foods like brown rice, whole-meal pasta, grainy bread, and oats are all high in fiber, which can lower your cholesterol.
• Aim for a variety of healthy protein-rich foods. Options such as legumes, nuts, seeds, fish, and seafood are all great. A small amount of eggs, lean chicken, and lean red meat is good 1-3 times a week.
• What about dairy? Dairy foods such as milk, yogurt, and cheese have not been proven to decrease your risk of heart disease, but they can be an important source of calcium, protein, and other minerals. Unflavored options with no added sugar are the healthiest option.
• Make sure to get enough healthy fats and oils. Foods that contain healthy fats include avocados, olives, nuts, and seeds. Healthy oils include olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil. These help lower cholesterol.
• Try to use more herbs and spices to season food instead of salt. High consumption of salt can lead to high blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart disease.

Other tips for eating healthier for your heart include skipping all-you-can-eat meals, splitting meals with friends or family, replacing fries with salads, and bringing salads with you to potlucks, ensuring you have something healthy to enjoy.

For more information regarding heart health and healthy recipes click here.

Local Resources

There are many places you can go to monitor your heart health right here in Broward County.

Broward Health – their heart and vascular experts provide high-quality care, including interventional catheter-guided procedures in dedicated, state-of-the-art facilities, and offer advanced heart failure expertise, cardiac rehabilitation, and more.

Holy Cross Health – their Heart and Vascular team connects patients to a full network of specialty physicians and clinicians dedicated to treating the entire spectrum of cardiovascular conditions.

Broward County & Florida Panthers Preventive Heart Program – At the November 18, 2025,​ meeting of the Broward County Commission, Mayor Mark D. Bogen announced the return of the County initiative to offer free preventive heart tests to qualified Broward County residents. The life-saving initiative is a partnership between Broward County and the Florida Panthers Foundation. The heart tests will be provided by the Cleveland Clinic.

How Can Griswold Help?

At Griswold Care Pairing for Broward County, our referred-Caregivers can help with a variety of activities that can improve heart health. This includes helping cook and prepare heart-healthy meals, encouraging and assisting with light exercise, supporting your active hobbies and interests, and more.

If you think it might be time to start home care for you or your loved one, give us a call today. Our referred-Caregivers can provide many different care services, including live-in care, respite care, fall prevention, and more. We service all of Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Coconut Creek, and the surrounding area. We would be happy to discuss care options and can pair you with a Caregiver and start care typically within 24 hours.

License #: NR30211028