February is American Heart Month, so it’s a great time to learn about making heart-healthy choices every day and to use your neighborhood library to help improve your heart health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States—but it is also one of the most preventable.

What you can do to improve your heart health:

1. Make heart-healthy choices
   Eat healthy. Be active. Maintain a healthy weight. Quit smoking. Control your cholesterol and blood pressure. If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. Manage your stress.
    
2. Know your family history and your risk factors.
   Everyone is at risk for heart disease, but some risk factors and family history of heart disease will put you at higher risk.
    
3. Have regular check-ups.
   Find a health center near you. Look into free health screenings in your neighborhood.
    

How can the Free Library help you with these goals?
We have plenty of helpful resources to help you get started or maintain your heart-healthy habits:

• Check out these library materials to help you in your healthy journey.
• Visit our South Philadelphia Library to speak with our Community Health Librarian. He can direct you to library resources about heart health. A good place to start online is MedlinePlus. 
• Check out blood pressure monitors and food scales at the South Philadelphia Library to help monitor your health and nutrition. 

And last but not least, attend one (or all!) of these Free Library health workshops:

• Meatless Mondays | Monday, February 5 @ 3:45 p.m. | South Philadelphia Library | 1700 South Broad Street
• Healthy Cooking Workshops | Tuesday, February 6 @ 11:00 a.m. | Lillian Marrero Library | 601 West Lehigh Avenue
• Yoga for Adults | Tuesday, February 6 @ 7:00 p.m. | Northeast Regional Library | 2228 Cottman Avenue
• PEACH: People Eating and Cooking Healthy | Wednesday, February 7 @ 2:00 p.m. | Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library | 2437 South Broad Street
• Monthly Family Health Fair | Wednesday, February 7 @ 4:00 p.m. | South Philadelphia Library | 1700 South Broad Street
• Hands-Only CPR Training with the Mobile CPR Project Wednesday, February 7 @ 5:00 p.m. | South Philadelphia Library | 1700 South Broad Street
• Meatless Mondays | Monday, February 12 @ 3:45 p.m. | South Philadelphia Library | 1700 South Broad Street
• Healthy Storytime | Thursday, February 22 @ 10:30 a.m. | South Philadelphia Library | 1700 South Broad Street
• Meatless Mondays | Monday, February 26 @ 3:45 p.m. | South Philadelphia Library | 1700 South Broad Street
• Soup for You | Monday, February 26 @ 6:00 p.m. | Fumo Family Library | 125 South 52nd Street
• Family Cooking for Black History Month | Tuesday, February 27 @ 4:30 p.m. | South Philadelphia Library | 1700 South Broad Street