Food to Eat

Many foods can help keep your heart at its best. Some help lower your blood pressure. Others keep your cholesterol in line. So add these items to your shopping cart:

Salmon

This ocean-going fish is a top choice because it's rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s have an anti-clotting effect, so they keep your blood flowing. They also help lower your triglycerides.

Oatmeal

The highly publicized benefits of eating your oatmeal have long shown it is a wonder meal for reducing cholesterol. But eat only the plain, non-processed kind. Instant and flavored oats are often drenched in processed sugar.

Walnuts

Nibbling on 5 ounces of nuts each week may cut your risk of heart disease in half. Walnuts have lots of "good" fats.

When you use these monounsaturated fats in place of saturated fats (such as butter), you cut your "bad" LDL cholesterol and raise your "good" HDL cholesterol. Walnuts are also a good source of omega-3 fats.

Raspberries

These berries are loaded with polyphenols -- antioxidants that mop up damage-causing free radicals in your body. They also deliver fiber and vitamin C, whic are both linked to a lower risk of stroke.

Fat-Free or Low-fat Milk or Yogurt

Dairy products are high in potassium, and that has a blood-pressure-lowering effect," Johnson says. When you choose low-fat or fat-free dairy, you get little to no saturated fat, the kind of fat that can raise your cholesterol.

Chickpeas

Chickpeas and other legumes (lentils, other kinds of beans) are a top-notch source of soluble fiber - the kind of fiber that can lower your "bad" LDL cholesterol. If you buy canned beans, look for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties (sodium can raise your blood pressure). Rinse them in water to wash off any added salt.

Olive oil

A cornerstone of the traditional Mediterranean diet, olive oil is a great pick when you need to limit saturated fat (found in meat, whole milk, and butter). Fats from animal products, and trans fats raise your "bad" cholesterol and can make fat build up inside your arteries.

Dark Chocolate

Cacao, the plant from which chocolate is made, is rich in flavanols, which can help lower your blood pressure and prevent blood clots. It also acts as an antioxidant, which can keep "bad" cholesterol from
sticking to your artery walls.

Unsalted almond butter

Nut butters are great on whole-grain toast instead of butter. They are a wonderful source of monounsaturated fatty acids. Use unsalted, natural options to avoid added salt, sugar, and hydrogenated fats found in other forms of peanut butter.

Red Grapes

These juicy fruits have resveratrol, which helps keep platelets in your blood from sticking together. That may partly be why red wine -- in moderation (1 glass for women, 2 for men) - may have some heart-healthy advantages over other types of alcohol. But health experts do not recommend that anyone start drinking, because alcohol does have some health risks.