The heart is one of the most important organs in the body. It pumps blood throughout the body, delivering essential nutrients and oxygen to all the organs and tissues. Keeping your heart healthy is crucial for your overall wellbeing.

Your diet plays a significant role in maintaining heart health. Your food choices can either protect or damage your heart.

1. Know Your Fats

The type of fat you consume affects your heart health. Saturated and trans fats are unhealthy fats that increase cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. Saturated fats are found in animal products like meat, butter, and cheese.

Trans fats are found in processed foods like packaged snacks, baked goods, and fast food.

On the other hand, unsaturated fats are healthy fats that lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Good sources of unsaturated fats include nuts, seeds, avocados, fatty fish, and olive oil.

It’s important to include healthy fats in your diet in moderation.

2. Eat a Balanced Diet

A balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats can help maintain heart health.

Focus on consuming a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables as they are rich in antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that help protect the heart. Include whole-grain carbohydrates like brown rice, whole wheat bread, and whole-grain pasta. Add lean protein sources like chicken, turkey, fish, and legumes.

Limit your intake of processed and refined foods like sugary drinks, white bread, and packaged snacks as they are high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats that contribute to heart disease risk.

3. Increase Fiber Intake

Fiber is essential for heart health. Soluble fibers found in oats, legumes, fruits like apples and citrus fruits, and vegetables like carrots and Brussels sprouts help lower bad cholesterol levels.

Insoluble fibers found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables promote digestion and prevent constipation, which is important for heart health as it reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.

4. Reduce Salt Intake

Consuming too much salt can increase blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends limiting salt intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day.

To reduce salt intake, avoid processed and packaged foods, use herbs and spices to season food instead of salt, and choose fresh foods.

5. Include Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines, help prevent heart disease by reducing inflammation, lowering triglyceride levels, and lowering blood pressure.

If you don’t like fish, you can also get omega-3 fatty acids from chia seeds, flaxseeds, and walnuts.

6. Limit Alcohol Intake

Drinking too much alcohol can damage the heart and increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. The American Heart Association recommends limiting alcohol intake to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

7. Watch Your Portion Sizes

Eating too much food can contribute to weight gain, which increases the risk of heart disease. Watch your portion sizes and avoid overeating. Use a smaller plate, chew your food slowly, and stop eating when you feel full.

8. Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is crucial for heart health. Drinking water and other fluids like herbal tea, green tea, and coconut water help maintain healthy blood flow, regulate blood pressure, and prevent dehydration.

Avoid sugary drinks like soda and energy drinks as they contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of heart disease.

9. Quit Smoking

Smoking is a leading cause of heart disease. It damages blood vessels, increases blood pressure, and reduces oxygen flow, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Quit smoking to improve heart health and overall wellbeing.

10. Manage Stress

Stress can have a negative impact on heart health. Chronic stress can cause high blood pressure, trigger inflammation, and increase the risk of heart disease.

Practice stress management techniques like mindful meditation, deep breathing exercises, and yoga to lower stress levels and improve heart health.