Heart Health Month

February is Valentine's Day, and your heart is feeling full of love for your new baby. But February is also Heart Health Month, which means it's a good time to do what you can to keep your own heart healthy.

Getting plenty of exercise is a great way to boost your heart health. Take your baby out for a walk, or sneak in a few high-energy moves while he or she is asleep — every little bit counts. The other thing you can do for your heart is to follow a heart-healthy diet, such as a Mediterranean-style diet.

How to follow the Mediterranean diet

• Use extra virgin olive oil. Use olive oil instead of butter or other fats when cooking. Try swapping olive oil for butter on bread, too.
• Have salad every day. Choose crisp, dark greens and whatever vegetables are in season.
• Go nuts. Instead of a bag of chips or cookies, eat a handful of raw nuts as a healthy snack.
• Add more whole grains to your meals. Try bulgur, barley, farro, brown rice and whole-grain pasta. Eat whole-wheat bread instead of white.
• Add vegetables. Add more vegetables to both lunch and dinner, aiming for three to four servings a day. Try a new vegetable every week.
• Eat more beans. Lentils, chickpeas, pinto beans and black beans are heathy and affordable.
• Eat less meat. Choose lean poultry in moderate, 3- to 4-ounce portions. Save red meat for a special treat, or eat less of it. Eat more fish, aiming for two servings a week. Both canned and fresh fish are fine. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, avoid fish with high mercury content, such as swordfish, orange roughy, tilefish or shark.
• Drink less sugar. Instead of soda or juice, drink more water, tea or other drinks without sugar.
• Eat less dessert. Fresh fruit is best. Aim for three servings of fresh fruit a day. Save cakes and pastries for a special treat.