This month I've been using my Instagram account to generate awareness about heart health and heart disease. Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death of people in America? And that many cardiac-related illnesses are preventable with a good diet and conscious lifestyle? These issues are important to me because I was born with a congenital heart defect that requires me to maintain a regular relationship with my cardiologist, and to be conscious about my eating and exercises habits as well as my stress level. This is not always so easy for me as a privileged person living in the US. In the past two years my passion project has been to generate heart health awareness as a means of discussing health equity, identifying gaps in access to healthy foods and services in underserved communities, and using these conversations to advance discussions about the intersection between race, class, and health among American people.

You can view my posts here on instagram @jenlhyde. I have linked each photo I share to a page from the American Heart Association's website. I will post a full list of images and links on my news page on February 28th! Stay tuned!