There are many things you can do to help keep your heart healthy and disease-free. You can start takin steps today to lower your risk of heart disease.

The food you eat has a great role to play in helping your heart to be healthy. There are also certain foods that can pose danger to the health of your heart. Avoiding them would help keep your heart healthy and prevent heart related diseases.

When you consume certain foods, they can trigger diseases like blood pressure, triglycerides, increase cholesterol levels and inflammation. They are high risk factors for heart disease.

Refined carbohydrates can increase the risk of coronary heart disease. While whole grain foods are protective and keep the heart healthy. 

An extra 1 or 2 servings per day of these foods increases or decreases risk by approximately 10% to 20%

Eating three more servings of whole grains  rich foods daily, was associated with a 22% lower risk of heart disease, according to researchers.

Taking a diet rich in whole grains, low fat dairy products, plant-based foods, within normal limits, can be effective in prevention and management of hypertension.


THERE ARE THINGS TO DO AND OTHERS TO AVOID TO KEEP YOUR HEART HEALTHY:

To help prevent heart disease, you can: 

1. Eat healthily (A balanced diet)

2. Get active

3. Stay at a healthy weight

4. Quit smoking and stay away from second hand smoke 

5. Control your cholesterol and blood pressure

6. Reduce and Manage stress.

7. Go for regular heart check up.

8. Avoid eating foods high in fat, cholesterol or sodium. They can be very dangerous for the heart.

9. Too much alcohol can hurt the heart. Alcohol may cause problems for people taking aspirin and other medications.


SOME HEART DISEASE ARE AGE RELATED

Your age and family history also affect your risk for heart disease. You can be at risk if:

  • You’re a woman over age 55.
  • You’re a man over age 45.
  • Your father or brother had heart disease before age 55.
  • Your mother or sister had heart disease before age 65.

But the good news is there's a lot you can do to prevent heart disease.


BELOW ARE 36 FOOD ITEMS THAT YOU SHOULD BE EATING TO MAXIMIZE YOUR HEART HEALTH.


1. Blueberry (Blackcurrant drink)

2. Avocado.

3. Oatmeal.

4. Tomatoes.

5. Red wine.

6. Nuts.

7. Dark chocolates.

8. Zobo scientific name is Roselle (Hibiscus Sabdariffa).

9. Strawberry.

10. Watermelon.

11. Red apples.

12. Whole grains.

13. Avocados.

14. Fatty fish like Salmon, Tuna fish, contains Omega-3 oil. 

15. Fish oil I'm sardines.

16. Walnuts.

17. Dark chocolate.

18. Blackberry.

19. Fresh herbs (green leafy vegetables).

20. Whole grain.
Studies have found that adding more whole grains to your diet can keep your heart healthy. 
Nutrient-rich part of the whole grain foods (e.g germ, endosperm, bran). 

Some common types of whole grains - Whole wheat, brown rice, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, quinoa.

When buying whole grains in a store, make sure to read the ingredients label carefully. “whole grain” or “whole wheat” indicate a whole grain product, while words like “wheat flour” or “multigrain” may not be whole grains products.

21. Tomatoes.

22. Almonds.

23. Seeds.

24. Garlic.

25. Olive oil.

26. Green tea.

27. Omega - 3 fatty acids

28. Asparagus.

29. Beans, black beans, honey beans, brown beans, peas, chicken peas and lentils.

30. Broccoli.

31. Chia seeds.

32. Flaxseed.

33. Coffee.

34. Liver.

35. Spinach.

36. Edamame.

37. Tofu.

38. Low fat yoghurt

39. Cherries.

40. Vitamin D rich foods.

41. Foods rich in sterols. Some type of margarines, almond milks, soy milks, and orange juices have cholesterol-fighting sterols and stanols added. These plant extracts block your gut from soaking up cholesterol. They can lower LDL levels by 10% without messing with good cholesterol.

42. My Red wine: Resveratrol and catechins are two antioxidants in Red wine, that may protect artery walls in the heart. Researchers have found out that the antioxidants in Red wine are beneficial for heart health  However, it is unlikely that the benefits of the antioxidants outweigh the dangers of alcohol in the Red wine.

In fact, all RED EDIBLE FRUITS are generally good and HELP to keep the heart healthy.