February is American Heart Health Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the nation’s leading killer, and to remind our friends and loved ones that heart disease can be prevented 80% of the time! Heart Month is a great time to focus on steps we can take to keep our hearts healthy and strong. Often, these steps emphasize exercise, proper sleep, stress management, and nutritional strategies. Our diet plays a big role in reducing risk. One of the best strategies is to incorporate healthy fats—particularly the omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish— into our meals. The special fats found in fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, and herring support health and healing of the cardiovascular system, as well as other bodily systems. Why Fatty Fish are Essential Dietitians and other health scientists refer to nutrients as “essential” [...]