Signature Homes - New Home Builder in the Bay Area

When February rolls around, pink hearts and flowers come to mind. Besides Valentine’s Day, there is a good reason for all those hearts floating around, February is American Heart Month. We can use this month to raise awareness about heart disease and how people can prevent it — both at home and in the community. Since healthy habits start at home, here are a few simple ways to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Get Your Heart Pumping
Our days are hectic and busy, filled with events and chores making it difficult to find time to be physically active on some days. Here are some suggestions from the American Heart Association on how to be physically active in your home, doing things you would have to do anyway!

– Get your kids active while doing housework. Place a sticky note on all of the items that need cleaning or tidying (like the kitchen table, the sofa, the bed). Your child will collect each sticky note after they clean the item. Make it a friendly competition to see who collects the most stickies. You could even offer a prize (like a Frisbee or jump rope) for the winner with the most stickies. Your kids will be physically active, helping with household chores and having fun!

– Increase the intensity of household chores by using time limits. Put on a favorite CD and allocate a certain number of songs to complete each chore. For example, allow two songs to vacuum the living room, three songs to wash the dishes, and one song to pick up toys in the playroom. You and your kids will be moving faster and working harder to beat the clock, causing your hearts to pump harder and get stronger.

– Get the entire family involved. After dinner, assign everyone a task in the cleanup. Everything from clearing the dishes, loading the dishwasher and putting away leftovers can get the family up and moving. Finish off the evening by going for a family walk or doing group physical activities like stretching. Not only will everyone be out of their chair, but this will also be fun bonding time for you and your family.

With a little creativity, you will be surprised by all the ways you and your family can be physically active in your very own home!

Feed Your Heart

Healthy foods are the fuel our bodies use to make new cells and create the energy we need to thrive and fight diseases. A great way to manage your healthy lifestyle is to take full advantage of your beautiful Signature Homes kitchen and make your meals at home.

Here are a few heart healthy recipes to get you started:

Salmon With Bok Choy and Apple Slaw

Oven-Fried Chicken with Roasted Potato Wedges

Sweet and Spicy Chicken With Soba Salad

Balsamic Chicken with Apple, Lentil and Spinach Salad

One-Pot Salmon With Snap Peas and Rice

You can also incorporate some romance this month while being good to your heart, here are a few heart healthy recipes for two.

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