Prevent heart disease through diet and exercise
Stick to a diet and exercise regimen that will keep you healthy into old age

You already know that physical exercise is good for you, but did you know that regularly exercising in moderately vigorous activity can actually reduce your risk of heart disease by nearly 25 percent? If you combine regular physical exercise with other lifestyle changes, such as sticking to a low-fat diet, the benefits are even greater.
Benefits of Exercise
Regular exercise prevents heart disease by increasing the blood flow to your heart and letting your heart pump with less effort by strengthening your heart’s contractions. Physical activity also has the advantage of helping you manage your weight. It also reduces your chances of developing other health problems that put a strain on your heart, including hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels. Physical exercise also reduces stress, which is an important factor in many health problems related to heart disease.
Although federal guidelines recommend half an hour to an hour of moderately intense physical exercise most days of the week, shorter amounts of exercise still offer heart benefits. If you don’t meet those guidelines, don’t give up. Gardening, taking the stairs, and housekeeping can also count toward the total minutes of exercise you exert in one day. Although you don’t have to exercise too strenuously to see benefits to your health, you can maximize those benefits by increasing the duration and frequency of your workouts.
Sticking to a Low-fat Diet
Eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables help protect your heart. Eating low-fat protein, legumes, and certain kinds of fish can also help reduce your risk of heart disease.
It is important to limit your intake of fats. Saturated fat and trans fat increase your chance of getting coronary artery disease. These harmful fats raise blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fat sources include butter, cheese, milk, palm and coconut oils, and beef. Growing evidence suggests that trans fat is especially bad for you because it lowers your good cholesterol while raising your bad cholesterol. Trans fat sources include fast foods, bakery products, margarines, and crackers.
Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, might decrease your chances of getting a heart attack. It guards against irregular heartbeats and lowers your blood pressure. Certain types of fish are a rich source of omega-3 acids. Remember: pregnant women should avoid fish such as king mackerel, tilefish, shark, and swordfish because they contain high levels of mercury that may harm a developing fetus. For most people, the health benefits of eating fish outweigh risks associated with mercury. Omega-3 is also present in smaller quantities in soybean oil, canola oil, and flaxseed oil.
And finally, a heart-healthy diet requires that you drink only in moderation. Alcohol may actually have a positive effect on your heart when confined to no more than two drinks a day for men, and one drink a day for women.