February is American Heart Month!
Thump-thump, thump-thump. Do you remember the first time you heard the steady rhythm of the human heart? Beating around 72 times per minute, the sound of the human heart beating is one of the sweetest we hear (and feel) in our lifetime- and it’s one we never want to stop!
Have you ever stopped to think about how amazing our heart is? From shortly after conception, until the day we breathe our last breath, our heart is beating strong. The heart is a powerful muscle that never takes a rest! Unlike our arms and legs that need a rest after jogging a mile or two, our little ticker just keeps going and going… and we don’t even have to think about it. If you live to be 80, your heart will beat over 3,363,840,000 times! To keep your heart beating for a long time to come, we need to cherish and take care of it every single day.
Regular physical activity is one of the best ways you can improve your heart health on a daily basis. It’s SO important, and yet can be SO difficult to implement a daily routine of exercise. Going along with our yearly theme to Savor the most out of this new year, JTA Wellness encourages you to grasp hold of physical activity and make the most of your heart health.
The recipe of the month is conservative on the carbs-NOT on the flavor! This funky-fresh, one-pot meal comes together in less than 15 minutes.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
- 4 medium zucchini, spiralized or 1 (10.7-ounce) pkg zucchini noodles
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Heat half of the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shrimp and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through and opaque. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add remaining olive oil to pan. Add zucchini noodles to pan and sauté for 2 minutes. Return shrimp to pan and stir in tomatoes. Toss with fresh lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
