1. Eat your Veggies

Researchers have found that men and women that added a couple of servings of whole grains, nuts, beans,and tofu to their diets each day for a month lowered there LDL cholesterol by nearly 30 %.

2. Fight Cholesterol with the right Fat

A group of 17 Aussie men with high cholesterol swapped macadamia nuts for 15 % of the calories in their diets, and their total cholesterol dropped by 3 and 5%, while their HDL-good cholesterol rose by nearly 8%. Macadamia nuts are the best source of monounsaturated fat.

3. Run indoors on Hazy polluted days

Researchers in Finland found that exercising outside on hot and hazy days when air pollution was worst cut the oxygen supply to the blood, making it more likely to clot.

4. Avoid second hand smoke

Researchers in Greece found that people who were exposed to cigarette smoke for just 30 minutes three times a week had a 26 % greater risk of developing heart disease than people who were rarely exposed to secondhand smoke.

5. Engage in Strenuous Exercise like swimming and hiking

UK research has found that people who burn just 50 calories a day in strenuous activities are 62% less likely to die of heart disease than people who burn nearly seven imes as many calories during less active exercises like walking and golfing.

6. Meditate for 20 minutes a day

Thomas Jefferson University researchers have found that this down time may reduce anxiety and depression by more than 25 %. Research has also found that patients with coronary artery disease who had the most mental stress were 3 times more likely to die during the period of study than those with less stress.

7. Drink Cranberry Juice

University of Scranton scientists found that volunteers who drank three 8 ounce glasses a day for a month increased their HDL – good cholesterol levels by 10%, enough to cut the risk of heart disease by 40%

8. Eat Breakfast

In a study of 3900 people, Harvard researchers found that men and women who ate breakfast every day were 44% less likely to be overweight and 41% less likely to develop insuline resistance, both high risk factors for heart disease

9. Walk for 30 minutes a day

People who walked an extra 4,000 to 5,000 steps each ay lowered their blood pressure by an average of 11 points according to the University of Tennessee.

10. Eat Whole Grain Cereal

A study of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that 2 servings of whole grain cereal a day can reduce the risk of dying of heart disease by nearly 20%.

11.Make lots of friends

According to research from the University of Chicago, lonely people have a harder time dealing with stress and are at greater risk of heart disease than people with a wide circle of friends.

12. Slash the salt now

A 20 year study of the Journal of American Medical Association found that overweight men with the highest sodium intake were 61% more likely to die of heart disease than those with lower salt intakes. Mrs. Dash is a great alternative to salt.

13.Double the Tomato Sauce

The lycopene in tomato sauce prevents harmful buildup of cholesterol on artery walls.

14. Eat a Grapefruit a day

Eating a grapefruit a day or drinking 8 ounces of -not from concentrated - juice can reduce arterial narrowing by 46%, lower your bad cholesterol level by more than 10%, and help lower your blood pressure by more than 5 points.

15. Eat Garlic

In addition to lowering bad cholesterol and helping fight off infection, eating garlic may help limit damage to your heart after a heart attack or surgery. 16. Beans are a good for the Heart
Beans are a great source of homocysteine-folate and bad cholesterol lowering. Researchers have found that people who ate four or more servings a week had a 22% lower risk of developing heart disease .

17. Wash your Hands often

German researchers studied 570 people for an average of 3 years and found that those with the most antibodies (from fighing infection) in their systems also had the most significant clogging of their arteries, hearts, necks, and legs. Use liquid soap as germs may live on bars.

18. Lift weights

Harvard researchers found that lifting weights for just 30 minutes a week is enough to reduce your risk of heart disease by 23%.

19. Skip the french fries and bad trans fatty acids

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the exercise and nutritional habits of 80,000 women were recorded for 14 years. They found that the most important correlate of heart disease was the women’s dietary intake of fods containing trans fatty acids, mutated forms of fat that lower good HDL cholesterol, and increase bad LDL cholesterol. One of the worst foods is French fries.

20. Snack on Nuts instead

Harvard research has found that men who replaced 127 calories of carbohydrates – that is about 14 baked Lays potato chips – with 1 ounce of nuts decreased their risk of heart disease by 30%.

21. Rinse and brush

Rinse your mouth with Listerine and Brush with Colgate Total toothpaste. This should reduce oral bacteria, which can decrease your risk of heart attack by 200 – 300% according to U of Buffalo research.

22. Pour on the Olive Oil

Men whose diet include as much as 2 ounces of Olive oil a day have an 82% lower risk of having a fatal heart attack than men who consume little or none. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats-known to hinder the oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol into its artery – clogging form.

23. Lower your Blood Pressure under 120/80

If your blood pressure is high – more than 140/90 – knocking 20 points off the top number and 10 points off the bottom number can cut your risk of dying of heart disease in half.

24. French Red Wine versus German reds

According to the American College of American College of Cardiology, French red wine has up to 4 times more artery protecting enzymes than German reds.

25. Go fish

The American Heart association recommends eating fish at least twice a week. If not try taking a fish oil supplement instead. Besides lowering blood pressure and clearing plaque from arteries, 1 to 2 grams of fish oil improves the blood flow and helps maintain regular heartbeat.

26. Add Flaxseed to your diet

Flaxseed and Flaxseed oil is a natural source of omega 3s.

27. Take a baby Aspirin a day

Researchers at the University of North Carolina found that regular baby aspirin consumption cut the risk of coronary heart disease by 28% in people who had never had a heart attack or stroke, but were at heightened risk. For maximum impact on blood pressure, take a low dose aspirin before bedtime.

28. Fortify with Folic Acid

A study published in the British Medical Journal found that people who consume the recommended amount of Folic acid daily had a 16% lower risk of heart disease than those whose diets are lacking in this B vitamin. Good sources of Folic acid include…asparagus, broccoli, and fortified cereal.

29. Choose Dark Chocolate – Cocoa

Cocoa contains flavanoids that thin the blood and keep it from clotting. One of the good fats in dark cocoa is oleic acid, which is the same healthy monounsaturated fat found in Olive oil.

30. Get your daily B Vitamins

A study at the Cleveland clinic found that men with diets low in B vitamins were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease as men with higher levels of B vitamins in there system.

31. Potassium is good for health

Slice a banana on your cereal, bake a sweet potato or yam, cook some spinach. Studies show that not getting your daily 3,500 milligrams of potassium can set you up for high blood pressure. Other good sources include raisins, tomatoes and papayas.

32. Increase fiber intake

Eat bran cereal or take fiber supplements like Metamucil 15 minutes before eating each meal. It has shown to help slow the digestive process of highly processed starchs and sweets. Diets high in foods that quickly raise blood sugar may increase heart disease risk.

Source: Helpful Tips