So how to keep your heart healthy? With so many heart diseases on the rise, most health-conscious people strive to seek the answer to this question. This article attempts to help you find the answer.

Go Green

When we speak of heart, we cannot miss out on the importance and benefits of plant foods. Vegetables are an excellent source of amino acids that help maintain blood pressure at lower levels; in the so-called safe zone. What's more? The plant-based diet lacks cholesterol and other harmful fats, which are usually the cause of heart disease. Not to mention that the amount of vitamins and minerals that vegetables and fruits provide are the most beneficial to health. For even greater effect, reach for organic fruits or vegetables, so your body will not have to deal with a lot of harmful chemicals from pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, fungicides and insecticides.

Be Active

Without the aid of daily exercise, maintaining a good overall health is just more than a daunting task. Exercises not only improve heart function, but also help in bringing down blood pressure, and cholesterol levels in the body. A mere 30 minutes stroll daily does good for the heart, if not much. It is recommended that sprinting is more beneficial for the heart, than jogging.

Reduce Oil

The next tip is about keeping oil from your diet. Although, you cannot avoid oil completely, you can keep its consumption to a small amount. Although oils contain some vitamins and minerals, they also contain fat. Therefore, it is likely that their excessive consumption can lead to the development of a coating in the arteries, which can cause unpleasant heart problems. Although fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, it also contains mercury, which is toxic to the body. If you want to indulge in these rare omega acids, it is safer to reach for their plant sources. For example, hemp seeds contain all known amino acids. Hemp oil has a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids of 3:1. According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a group of patients with cardiovascular disease was 30% less likely to have a heart attack due to omega-3 fatty acids. Good sources also include flax seeds and walnuts.

Cut the Smoke

If you think you cannot shun the habit of smoking, then you might as well know that you cannot do anything good for your heart. One of the most severe risks of smoking relates to heart diseases in almost every smoker. Quit smoking, and you have done half the job in keeping your heart healthy!

Lose Weight

If your figure is slim, and belly flat, then you may have less things to worry about heart diseases. I am talking about weight loss. Being overweight puts extra load on the heart thus, increases the risk of heart conditions. So, consume less sugary foods and more of fiber and complex carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the basic necessities for a healthy heart today.

Add More Fiber

Fiber exists in two major groups; soluble (dissolves in water) and insoluble (does not dissolve in water). Although both the types are beneficial to health, it is the former type that does way better to reduce cholesterol levels in the body. Due to its soluble nature, it binds with the cholesterol in the intestines thus, keep it from being absorbed. This keeps the level of LDL and total cholesterol down, while not affecting the HDL cholesterol level in any way. All a healthy person requires is a serving of 5 to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber in a day to avail this benefit of low cholesterol. Foods rich in this fiber include apples, peas, kidney beans, prunes, etc.

Beware of Saturated Fats

It is important that you limit the amount of saturated and trans fats you consume from your food. These spike cholesterol levels in the body thus, increasing the risk of coronary artery disease. So avoid or limit consumption of food such as red meat, dairy products and palm oil. These are rich in saturated fatty acids. To avoid trans fats, eat less of fast foods, bakery products, snacks, crackers, and margarines. Go for foods rich in healthy fats such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

Eat Less Salt

Sodium is good for the body, but in petty amounts. High salt intake means high blood pressure, which eventually points out to heart conditions. When sodium starts accumulating in the blood, it attracts water which in turn, increases the blood volume. Now to keep this blood circulating through the blood vessels, the heart has to work harder thus, causing high blood pressure. The recommended amount of sodium in the food per day must be less than 2300 milligrams.

Take the Right Medication

In most cases, heart diseases are also related to the use of drugs. So, it is important that you take medicines as prescribed by the doctors, or get them altered if necessary.

Moderate Alcohol

Drinking alcohol damages the body. In fact, some studies show that moderate consumption of red wine provides certain benefits to the heart. However, alcohol does not benefit the liver, which is responsible for filtering blood. The habit of drinking is similar to walking on thin ice. It is not difficult for anyone to step out of their limit. Alcohol is used and present in our society at almost every occasion. So make sure you stick to a light drink or you don't drink at all.

Manage Stress

Stress has also been known to be one of the common culprits of heart problems. Any stressful situation elevates blood pressure and this response takes its toll on the heart. So, keep yourself relaxed by practicing meditation, yoga, and other relaxation techniques.

To conclude, make a note of the above methods, and keep them handy in case you find it difficult to recall them. Take care!