Eat your veggies!
Enjoy colorful fruits and vegetables as their fiber, vitamins and minerals are great for your heart, blood pressure and cholesterol.
Only whole grains!
Replace your refined grains and eat at least three ounces of whole-grain foods daily such as wholegrain cereals, whole-wheat bread and pasta, and brown rice.
Hooked on Fish!
Fish contain unsaturated fatty acids and may lower your cholesterol when you substitute it for saturated fatty acids such as those in meat. Fish are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are a type of unsaturated fatty acid that's thought to reduce inflammation. Eat omega-3 rich fish such as salmon, trout and herring at least twice a week.
Go Nuts!
Choose modest portions of foods with unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.
Get Fiber!
The fiber in oatmeal, barley, fruits, vegetables and beans are associated with decreased cardiovascular risk and slower progression of cardiovascular disease in high-risk individuals and they help to reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol beyond levels achieved by a diet low in saturated and trans fats and cholesterol alone.
Drink a Little!
Drinking a little bit of alcohol - one drink a day for women, one or two a day for men - can raise HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce inflammation and blood clots. Don't drink too much as it can cause heart problems.
Lower Salt!
Too much salt in your diet can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
Exercise!
Regularly participating in moderately vigorous physical activity can reduce your risk of heart disease. And when you combine physical activity with other lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater.
Exercise the Heart!
American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine call for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, five days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous activity, such as jogging, three days a week.
Healthy weight!
Excess weight can lead to conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes that increase your chances of heart disease.
Manage the Stress!
If you find things are getting on top of you, you may fail to eat properly, smoke and drink too much. This may increase your risk of a heart attack. Practice yoga/meditation, exercise or take a vacation.
Check your family history!
If a close relative is at risk of developing coronary heart disease from smoking, high BP, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity, obesity and diabetes, then you could be at risk too.
Laughter is the best therapy
Laughter anytime will work wonders for you. It is an instant way to unleash the pressure and it makes you feel light.
Don't smoke.
Smoking or using other tobacco products is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. When it comes to heart disease prevention, no amount of smoking is safe. Smokeless tobacco and low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes also are risky, as is exposure to secondhand smoke.
Get Tested!
High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels. But without testing for them, you probably won't know whether you have these conditions. Regular screening can tell you what your numbers are and whether you need to take action.
