(Family Features) Taking steps to improve your overall health can help you live a longer, healthier life. One key component of overall well-being – heart health – is especially critical as heart disease has been the leading cause of death among Americans since 1950, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Adopting habits like exercising regularly, eating a heart-healthy diet with lots of vegetables and fruits like grapes and getting the proper amount of sleep can set you on the right path.

Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats can have a positive impact on heart health and may lower your risk for heart disease. For example, grapes are easy to keep on hand as a heart-healthy snack. They have no saturated fat or cholesterol and are low in sodium; contain 7% of the daily recommended intake of potassium; and are a good source of vitamin K. Grapes are also a natural source of beneficial antioxidants and other polyphenols and help maintain healthy circulation by promoting the relaxation of blood vessels.

Whether enjoying them by the handful on their own or as part of recipes like these Baked Grape Falafel Bites, where Grapes from California add juicy goodness to a classic chickpea fritter, grapes are a perfect ingredient for heart-friendly eating plans. Research suggests eating grapes daily helps support heart health. In one study, for example, women who consumed 1 1/4 cups of grapes every day benefited from reduced blood triglyceride levels, LDL cholesterol levels, inflammatory proteins and other markers of heart disease.

Exercise Regularly
Getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, as recommended by the American Heart Association, can have a positive impact on heart health by lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation and aiding in maintaining a healthy weight.

Get the Proper Amount of Sleep
A crucial component of heart health, experts recommend adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Creating a cozy sleep space by turning off electronics and setting the thermostat to a comfortable temperature is the first step toward a restful night’s sleep. Also aim for consistency with your bedtime routine, including going to sleep and waking at the same times each day (including weekends), for best results.

Learn more about the heart-health benefits of grapes, and find additional heart-friendly recipes, at GrapesFromCalifornia.com.

Baked Grape Falafel Bites

• 1 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed
• cold water, for soaking
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in wedges
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 18 red Grapes from California
• vegetable oil cooking spray
• tahini sauce or baba ghanoush, for dipping

1. In medium bowl, cover chickpeas with at least 2 inches cold water. Let soak at least 12 hours, or overnight, at room temperature.
2. To make falafel bites: Drain soaked chickpeas, rinse well in colander and let stand.
3. In bowl of food processor, process parsley and cilantro until chopped herbs stick to sides of bowl. Do not scrape down. With motor still running, drop garlic through feed tube; it will also stick to sides of bowl. Remove lid, add onion and pulse to chop well. Add chickpeas, cumin, salt and baking powder. Scrape everything off sides of bowl and process until mixture is well chopped and looks mealy. Add flour and pulse to blend. Cover mixture and chill at least 1 hour.
4. Using 1-ounce scoop or tablespoon, drop 2-tablespoon mounds of chickpea mixture onto plate. Shape into balls, stuffing one grape inside each.
5. Heat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with foil then parchment paper.
6. Place falafel balls on sheet and spray with vegetable oil cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes, turning 1-2 times with tongs, until golden brown.

Nutritional information per serving: 240 calories; 8 g protein; 30 g carbohydrates; 11 g fat (41% calories from fat); 1 g saturated fat (4% calories from saturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 480 mg sodium; 6 g fiber.

SOURCE:
California Table Grape Commission

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