Diet and exercise ads may be all your social media feed is filled with in January, however, resolutions to maintain balance are best for the heart.

In 2020, about 7% of North Carolina adults reported they'd had a heart attack, angina or coronary heart disease. Dietitians and the American Heart Association are reminding people to mind their heart health and overcome excuses in their post-holiday dieting.

Ariel Johnston, registered dietitian for The Tasty Balance in St. Louis, said so-called "yo-yo" dieting or crash diets, which are often popular after the holidays, can be detrimental to heart health.

"A lot of the rhetoric that we hear at this time of year, as far as, like, 'This is how many pounds people gain during the holidays' and then, you're going to start seeing all the advertising for the new diets coming up," Johnston observed. "Yes, people might lose weight and maybe improve lipid profiles a little bit. But really, they aren't sustainable."

Winter weather can be another trigger for increased heart attack risk, with cold temperatures restricting blood flow through already constricted blood vessels. But the research said even in a mild climate, about one-third more heart attack deaths occur in December and January than in June through September.

Johnston suggested it is fine to enjoy your favorite foods, too, but add something, to help keep your food intake balanced and think of creative ways to satisfy your palate.

"Maybe you have your favorite recipe that was handed down from Grandma and want to make that recipe and maybe it's not the most, quote/unquote, 'heart healthy.' You can still have that, but let's add some greens or salad, or your appetizers, that include some fruits and veggies," Johnston advised. "You don't want to deprive yourself of those favorite things."

The Heart Association also has recipes online to help with healthier substitutions or additions to daily meals. Also on the association's North Carolina website, you can sign up for "100 Ways in 100 Days," a series of daily emails to kick-start healthier habits for the new year.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is facing a class action lawsuit calling for the agency to add central air conditioning to all its prisons.

Only 30% of the prisons in Texas have central air, and advocates say the sweltering summer heat is inhumane and impacts the physical and emotional health of people who are incarcerated. Four organizations, including the Lioness Justice Impacted Women's Alliance, are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

Marci Marie Simmons, community outreach coordinator with the Alliance, said during her 10 years at the Dr. Lane Murray Unitin Gatesville, she was concerned about her health and the health of other women.

"I remember worrying about the insides of my body, like, 'What is this heat doing to my organs?' I watched older women have a really hard time in the summer. I watched women fall out with heat-induced seizures, " she explained.

The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require all Texas prisons have air conditioning by 2029, but the prison system only has to comply if the state provides the funding.

Over the last 10 years, 13 heat-related deaths have been documented in men's prisons in Texas. According to TDCJ policy, when the heat index is above 90 degrees, additional water, ice and cups are provided to people in prison, who also can wear shorts and t-shirts. In certain cases, they can receive permission to go into one of the designated air-conditioned spaces.

Simmons said about 90,000 people behind bars across the state don't have access to cool air.

"The lawsuit is asking for the same regulations that are on jails, which is to keep the temperatures between 65 degrees and 85 degrees. Currently about 30% of beds have climate control," she continued.

The Lone Star State is one of at least 13 in the country where all facilities are not air conditioned. Texas experienced the 2nd hottest summer on record last year and climate experts predict this year will be just as bad or worse.


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The message of the importance of heart health has arrived at construction sites. On Thursday, the American Heart Association is hosting its annual event, Hard Hats with Heart, in Seattle.

Americans are at high risk for cardiovascular diseases, and construction workers have high rates of some of the contributing factors, such as nearly half not getting enough exercise.

Mark Howell, senior vice president of Skanska U.S.A. Building and chairman of Puget Sound Hard Hats with Heart, said the American Heart Association hosts "Toolbox Talks" at job sites to raise awareness about heart health.

"We've had several workers find out they're diabetic and they didn't even know it, and the only way they found out was by going into the blood pressure challenge and ended up deciding to make a doctor's appointment and discovered they had diabetes," he said. "So, just bring that awareness into the industry so people can take care of underlying issues to improve their heart health."

Hard Hats with Heart takes place at The Shop in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood on Thursday.

Howell added the event highlights cardiovascular risks specific to the industry and ensures people on job sites understand how to be prepared in case of an emergency, such as having hands-only CPR training.

"It's an evening where we celebrate the progress we've made, the number of lives that we've impacted with the message about proper heart health, and it's also an opportunity to hear from some construction workers who have personally been impacted by cardiovascular disease and have been able to maybe make some corrections in their lives as a result of that awareness," he explained.

More than 340,000 construction workers have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Experts are traveling across the Commonwealth to help community professionals better understand and advocate for policies that help Kentuckians needing assistance with health care, housing, food, transportation, child care, suicide prevention and other resources. Thrive Roadshow workshops are free and available to the public.

Emily Beauregard, executive director of Kentucky Voices for Health, said attendees will receive updates on policy changes and funding for programs that impact folks in their communities.

"Our focus with the roadshow is to make sure community professionals who are interacting with folks on a daily basis really have the resources and skills that they need to advocate for the policies and programs that are right for their communities," she explained.

More information on Thrive Roadshow events happening in Frankfort, Pikeville, Williamsburg, Murray and elsewhere is online at ThrivingCommunities2024.

Tiffany Taul-Scruggs, patient service outreach manager with Mount Sterling Healthcare, said her team of Community Health Workers relied on the Thrive program to better understand the Medicaid Renewal process, so they could improve serving their patient population.

"One of the things that I really found useful is that they are a group that I can depend on, or if I need to call them to talk about things, they really do a lot of prep work behind the scenes, " she explained.

According to the healthcare advocacy group KFF, more than 1.6 million million people in Kentucky are covered by Medicaid. More than half of the Commonwealth's Medicaid spending is for people who are elderly or those with disabilities.