The heart is one of the most vital organs responsible for our survival. Our hearts are constantly working 24/7, beating approximately 2.5 billion times in an average lifetime. With that said, heart disease is also the number one cause of death, claiming about 1 million lives a year. Heart disease is often caused by buildup of plaque, calcium, cholesterol, and other substances inside the coronary arteries that are responsible for supplying oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscles. Too much buildup restricts blood flow to the heart, which can result in a heart attack, stroke, or death. Knowing this, we must do what we can to ensure our hearts are functioning properly and optimally. Thankfully, there are some relatively simple lifestyle changes you can adopt to help you avoid or slow down, or drastically improve heart-related issues. Keep reading to learn more about how to work towards a healthier heart!

As more and more Americans are being affected by obesity, it is more important than ever to be properly educated on foods we should be consuming and foods we should probably avoid if weight has been an ongoing issue. A lot of “diet foods” that are usually distinctly labeled with low-fat, low-calorie, or fat-free have been marketed to people wanting to lose the extra pounds. Unfortunately, some of these labels are actually misleading and can cause weight gain instead. Keep reading to learn more about these deceptive foods.