5 Simple Tips for a Healthy and Happy Valentine's Day

Share the gift of Health this Valentine's Day with our 5 Simple Tips below. Share your Love with a Healthy, Romantic Dinner for Two Save money and calories by preparing a romantic meal at home. Set a lovely table, add some candles and spend time together preparing a healthy, delicious meal. Look for recipes that include several healthy ingredients like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and poultry, heart healthy oils like olive oil, whole grain breads and pastas and low fat dairy products. A favorite recipe from Eating Well magazine is Poached Salmon with Creamy Piccata Sauce, so scrumptious and easy to prepare. Laughter is Good For Your Health Laughing with others is more powerful than laughing alone and one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. Humor is a powerful way to heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. The physical and mental health benefits of sharing a laugh are many including relieves stress, boosts immunity and prevents heart disease, to name a few. So why not share a few chuckles with the ones you love on Valentine's Day and all year long. How about a Flowering Plant - A Perfect Valentine's Day Gift Cut flowers are beautiful but unfortunately have a short life. Why not consider buying a potted plant for your special someone. Not only do house plants add color to your home, but they've been shown to help fight colds by adding humidity to the home environment. They also serve as a long lasting reminder of the love you share with your sweetheart. Encourage your Loved Ones to Stay Healthy in a Fun Way Send Health e-cards for Valentines Day. These e-cards can be found on the CDC website and are a novel alternative to the traditional Valentine's Day card. A health tip is planted amongst hearts, flowers and cupid and shows you care about your loved ones' health. Enjoy the Dark Chocolate We can’t overlook the health benefits of eating chocolate, especially on Valentine's Day. Dark Chocolate is good for your heart; a small bar everyday can reduce blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. Dark chocolate has far more antioxidants than milk or white chocolate. Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause the damage that leads to heart disease. This is great news but does not mean that we should eat unlimited amounts of dark chocolate every day. Chocolate is still a high-calorie, high-fat food; the health benefits of dark chocolate are gained by eating 3.5 ounces per day, no more. (Easily measure 3.5 ounces with your Kitchen Scale!) Story by: Maria Geronimo, Public Relations Director