As we jump head first into the holidays, consider these heart healthy tips as you go about your week:

• Keep up your exercise regimen during the holidays. Activity helps you metabolize food more quickly.
• Look for the American Heart Association’s “heart check-mark” on packaging as you shop, ensuring that the foods you cook with meet specific nutritional guidelines.
• Try to include as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible in your daily meal plan to counteract the high-starch and high-sugar foods that are so prevalent during the holidays.

Sea salt has some health benefits – but won’t lower your sodium content one bit.

Sea salt has boomed in popularity in restaurants and supermarket aisles across the country. Many gourmet chefs say they prefer it over table salt for its coarse, crunchy texture and stronger flavor. Manufacturers are using it in potato chips and other snacks because it’s “all natural,” and not processed like table salt. And some health-conscious consumers choose it because it contains minerals like magnesium.