Eat Smart. American Heart Association Cookbooks. Nutrition Basics. Healthy For Good: Spanish Infographics. Home Healthy Living Healthy Eating Eat Smart Nutrition Basics The American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations.

Use up at least as many calories as you take in. Start by knowing how many calories you should be eating and drinking to maintain your weight. Nutrition and calorie information on food labels is typically based on a 2, calorie per day diet.

You may need fewer or more calories depending on several factors including age, gender, and level of physical activity. Increase the amount and intensity of your physical activity to burn more calories. Aim for at least minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity or an equal combination of both each week.

Eat an overall healthy dietary pattern that emphasizes: a wide variety of fruits and vegetables whole grains and products made up mostly of whole grains healthy sources of protein mostly plants such as legumes and nuts ; fish and seafood ; low-fat or nonfat dairy; and, if you eat meat and poultry, ensuring it is lean and unprocessed liquid non-tropical vegetable oils minimally processed foods minimized intake of added sugars foods prepared with little or no salt limited or preferably no alcohol intake Apply this guidance wherever food is prepared or consumed.

There are more than 1, biochemical responses to stress , including a rise in blood pressure and a faster heart rate. If you don't manage your stress, it can create more stress and trap you in a stress cycle. UCI Health cardiologist Dr. Shaista Malik provides some tips and strategies for chilling out — and keeping your heart happy.

Medical Services Find a Doctor. News Events. About Us Contact Us. Make healthy food choices like more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products.

Eat less salt, saturated fat, and added sugar. Get at least minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week, plus muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days a week. Get at least minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week, plus muscle- strengthening activities at least 2 days a week.

Call QUIT-NOW for free help and take the first step on your journey to quit. Start your quit plan today! Take the first step and call QUIT-NOW for FREE support. Never stop taking your medicine without talking to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist. Substitute water for sugary drinks to reduce calories.

If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation by limiting consumption to no more than 1 drink for women and 2 for men on days that alcohol is consumed. Self-measured blood pressure monitors are easy and safe to use, and your doctor can show you how to use one if you need help.

Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods. Find healthy, seasonal recipes on the Million Hearts ® Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle page. People with overweight or obesity have a higher risk for heart disease.

Carrying extra weight can put extra stress on the heart and blood vessels. Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.

For adults, the Surgeon General recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking or bicycling, every week. Children and adolescents should get 1 hour of physical activity every day. Cigarette smoking greatly increases your risk for heart disease.

If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for heart disease. Your doctor can suggest ways to help you quit. If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, you can take steps to lower your risk for heart disease. Your health care team should test your blood levels of cholesterol at least once every 4 to 6 years.

If you have already been diagnosed with high cholesterol or have a family history of the condition, you may need to have your cholesterol checked more often. Talk with your health care team about this simple blood test. If you have high cholesterol, medicines and lifestyle changes can help reduce your risk for heart disease.

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so have it checked on a regular basis. Your health care team should measure your blood pressure at least once every 2 years if you have never had high blood pressure or other risk factors for heart disease.

If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, also called hypertension, your health care team will measure your blood pressure more often to make sure you have the condition under control.

Talk with your health care team about how often you should check your blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, your health care team might recommend some changes in your lifestyle, such as lowering the sodium in your diet; your doctor may also prescribe medicine to help lower your blood pressure.

If you have diabetes, monitor your blood sugar levels carefully. Talk with your health care team about treatment options. Your doctor may recommend certain lifestyle changes to help keep your blood sugar under control.

These actions will help reduce your risk for heart disease. Never stop taking your medicine without first talking to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.

You and your health care team can work together to prevent or treat the medical conditions that lead to heart disease. Discuss your treatment plan regularly, and bring a list of questions to your appointments. Talk with your health care team about how heart disease and mental health disorders are related.

Your treatment plan may include medicines or surgery and lifestyle changes to reduce your risk. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search. Español Other Languages. Prevent Heart Disease. Losing weight is more than just diet and exercise.

It's a personal journey that involves finding what you like and what works for you, says Dr. Bavani Nadeswaran. Read these long-term weight loss tips and see if any of them are something you can stick with.

The good news: chocolate and wine contribute to heart health. Alcohol and cocoa a key ingredient in chocolate have antioxidants that have been shown to increase good cholesterol, lower bad cholesterol and improve blood clotting function.

Although this advice primarily applies during the holidays, when deaths from heart attacks spike thanks to copious amounts of food and temptation, it's valid year round. There are more than 1, biochemical responses to stress , including a rise in blood pressure and a faster heart rate.

If you don't manage your stress, it can create more stress and trap you in a stress cycle. UCI Health cardiologist Dr. Shaista Malik provides some tips and strategies for chilling out — and keeping your heart happy.