Recent studies have suggested that eating a heart-healthy diet can cut the risk of developing heart disease or stroke by 80%. Considering that heart disease is still the number one killer of both men and women in the United States, this is news worth considering!

Weight control and exercise are the primary steps to a healthy heart, but there are additional ways to boost the body’s immunity to heart disease. Take a closer look at how specific food choices impact our capacity to help manage or prevent heart disease and high blood pressure— two of the biggest health challenges we face today.

1. Limit your intake of saturated fats – Replace red meat with beans, nuts, poultry, and fish whenever possible, and switch from whole milk and other full-fat dairy foods to lower fat versions.

2. Use liquid vegetable oils rich in (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats) in place of butter in cooking and at the table.

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3. Aim to eat one or more good sources of omega-3 fats daily—fish, walnuts, canola or soybean oil, ground flax seeds or flaxseed oil.

In order to have a healthy heart, you need to minimize the amount of cholesterol in your body. Cholesterol comes from the foods you eat and from your body itself. However, your body alone creates the appropriate amount of cholesterol for you, so it doesn’t need any additional cholesterol from your food intake. In order to reduce the amount of cholesterol in your diet, you should limit the amount of red meat that you eat. Instead of red meat, you can eat fish and poultry. Use egg whites or substitutes instead of the whole egg. As a rule of thumb, if it’s greasy, you probably shouldn’t eat it.

Being successful at this diet can prevent a heart attack and a stroke. All in all, it should lead to a more healthy existence and give you more energy.

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• Diet for Blocked Arteries

Hardening of the arteries, blocked arteries, clogged arteries, and any other terms you may use is all common language for the medical terms atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. Equally mean hardening of the arteries, one just encompasses the other. Arteriosclerosis is a general term for any hardening/loss of elasticity of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries caused by a specific plaque like cholesterol or triglycerides. Thus, atherosclerosis is a form of arteriosclerosis. All of this seems rather complicated, but the bottom line is whichever “sclerosis” you are talking about, having either one isn’t a good thing. Both cause clots to form in the arteries, build-up and fatty residue sticking to the walls as well; leading to coronary artery disease, further leading to stroke or even myocardial infarction, a heart attack. A hospital run is inevitable if you do not control this life threatening disease.

This silent disease may not show itself for years, even decades. It typically begins in adolescence, remains asymptomatic, taking years to become detectable. The plaque build-up, artery damage, and ultimately the narrowing of the arteries from all these years of damage can show some signs, if the person is willing to test for it. A cardiac stress test is non-invasive and can detect blood flow limitations, which would give reason to do further testing. Some patients, once diagnosed, usually report having severe headaches and numbness, not thinking they were related to any blockage at the time.

Therefore, to combat this deadly disease, your doctor may recommend some lifestyle changes and/or medication. These may include eating a healthy diet, implementing some form of physical activity, and weight management.

1. In more detail, you should limit your saturated fats to less that 7% of your daily intake, and your overall fat intake should be around 25%. The fat source should come from mono- and poly-unsaturated sources, including omega-3 fatty acids. Some food sources that have omega-3 are salmon, tuna, and mackerel. Your fiber intake should be at least 25 g a day, and you should have less than 200 mg a day of cholesterol. To do this, increase your vegetable, fruit, legume and whole grain intake. You will not only increase your fiber intake, but also lower cholesterol as well. Lastly, you should limit your alcohol and sodium (salt) intake at all times. Too much alcohol raises your blood pressure and triglycerides; and too much sodium raises blood pressure as well.

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2. Maintain a healthy weight by increasing exercise. Cardiovascular and strength training are a must when implementing an exercise program. Both burn calories/fat and add lean tissue. It also increases the “good” cholesterol (HDL) that will help to clean out the arteries of the plaque and fatty deposits.

3. QUIT SMOKING!! Need I say more?

4. Reduce your stress in healthy ways. Don’t do it by eating, drinking or smoking. Use exercise, breathing, reading, or any other way that is relaxing to you to ease away stress in yourself.

Briefly, the main causes of atherosclerosis, or blocked arteries, are avoidable. Having the information and the ability to prevent a catastrophic event from ruining or ending you life is powerful. Take control of your fate, and do something to stop this silent killer from niggling up on you.

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