Focus Express Mail Pharmacy > Heart Healthy > 10 Tips to Keep Your Heart Healthy : null

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of women in the United States.They are two of the many cardiovascular diseases that kill nearly 500,000 women each year.You can keep your heart healthy by following these 10 simple steps:

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN. Get your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels checked. Ask your doctor to help you reach or maintain a healthy weight.

STOP SMOKING. If you smoke, quit. Here�s four steps to snuff your smoking habit: Day 1 � cut the number of cigarettes you smoke in half. Day 3 � cut the number in half again. Day 5 � cut the number in half again. On your Quit Day� quit!

EXERCISE. Step, march or jog in place for at least 15 minutes a day while watching TV. Increase this exercise by five minutes each week until you�re getting at least 30 minutes of this exercise most days of the week. The Hunterdon Health and Wellness Center offers a variety of programs and their fitness staff can help you develop a program to meet your fitness goals.

EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. Your diet should include a variety of fruits and vegetables, which contain nutrients and phytonutrients to help prevent heart disease. Try to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

EAT NUTS. Nuts are rich sources of monounsaturated fats, which can help lower cholesterol. Try one ounce of nuts per day including almonds, walnuts, peanuts, brazil nuts and hazelnuts.

EAT SEAFOOD. Eating seafood once or twice a week increases the amount of healthy omega-3 fatty acids you eat and decreases your risk of heart disease. Fish such as mackerel, salmon, albacore tuna and sardines have the most omega-3 fatty acids.

REDUCE SATURATED FAT INTAKE. Saturated fats contribute to the plaque buildup inside your arteries and help raise blood levels of cholesterol. Butter, lard, whole milk, cream, animal fat and bacon are especially high in saturated fat, as are many snack products such as chips, biscuits, crackers and pastries. Read labels and choose foods with the lowest saturated fat possible.

USE MONOUNSATURATED FATS. Olive oil and canola oil are high in monounsaturates, which help to reduce blood cholesterol and may help raise levels of HDL (the �good� cholesterol).

INCREASE YOUR FIBER. Fiber helps to lower cholesterol and people who eat more fiber have a lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. Try to eat 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day.

REDUCE YOUR SODIUM INTAKE. The average American consumes about 2,300-6,900 milligrams of sodium each day. The human body only requires about 500 milligrams of sodium per day. Decreasing salt intake in a diet can help reduce high blood pressure and can also decrease your chances of having a stroke and developing heart disease.