February is National Heart Month, 28 days (29 in a Leap Year), dedicated to promoting and keeping our hearts healthy.  Nestled beneath a fortress-like rib cage, we protect our most important organ like a precious Valentine, but sadly, our hearts are not always safe.  In fact, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U. S. today, responsible for a staggering 2,200 deaths per day.

But the American Heart Association (AHA) is working to change that with a few simple tips for keeping our hearts beating strong and true.

1. Healthy eating.  You don’t have to be a professional chef to prepare healthy and tasty foods for you and your family to enjoy.  Start by picking up fresh, wholesome ingredients at the grocery store, and delicious, nutritious recipes will follow.
2. Get physical. Walk, jog, hike, bike, swim,  or dance; it doesn’t matter what you do as long as it gets you moving and your heart pumping.  Calculate your target heart rate, then get set, ready, go!
3. Weigh In. As the AHA says, ‘Master the Scale!’ by reducing the number of calories you take in eating and drinking, and increasing the number of calories burned by being active. Managing your weight is easier when you think of it as a team effort.
4. Don’t Stress. No one is immune to it, but stress affects us all in different ways. Fortunately, there are also many means to managing stress when it strikes. Exercise, enjoy a hot bath, get a relaxing massage, or dare we suggest, read a good book?

At Brown Corliss Books, we’re also working to bring special attention to National Heart month, and keeping our readers heart-healthy. Please join us, Thursday, February 11th at The Copper Pelican gift shop in Tiverton, Rhode Island, for an evening of ‘Wine, Chocolate & Good Books.’ Enjoy wine tasting, and sample locally-made chocolates while shopping for the perfect gift for your Valentine; on this night, a portion of all sales will benefit The American Heart Association.   We hope to see you there.