Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, killing nearly a half-million people yearly, according to the American Heart Association.

UMMA’s health education workshops, co-sponsored by ICOI, aim to raise health awareness among Muslim Americans.

Rahmi Mowjood, an UMMA volunteer health educator and professor at Western University, emphasized poor dietary habits and lack of exercise as major factors in heart related ailments.

Regular exercise, lower salt and saturated fat intake, and eating high fiber foods were among Mowjood’s recommendations.

"In addition to eating halal, we need to eat healthy and halal," Mowjood said.

Prior to the heart health lecture, UMMA’s most recent workshop prepared Hajj pilgrims for the physical rigors of the pilgrimage.