--- title: Your Guide to a Heart-Healthy Diet description: When you're ready to take your heart health seriously, here are steps and specific foods to help you start and maintain a heart-healthy diet. image: https://blog.hearthugger.com/hubfs/heart-healthy-diet.jpg --- [![Tribute Media](https://blog.hearthugger.com/hubfs/Heart_Hugger_April2018%20Theme/Images/logo.png)](https://www.hearthugger.com) - [Contact](https://www.hearthugger.com/contact) toll free 800.798.2667 outside the U.S.408.395.2100 [![Home](https://blog.hearthugger.com/hubfs/logo-icon.png)](https://www.hearthugger.com) - [About Heart Hugger](https://www.hearthugger.com/about-heart-hugger) - [What is Heart Hugger](https://www.hearthugger.com/what-heart-hugger) - [Why Heart Hugger](https://www.hearthugger.com/why-heart-hugger) - [How To Use](https://www.hearthugger.com/how-to-use) - [Sizing and Fitting](https://www.hearthugger.com/sizing-and-fitting) - [Surgi Support Vest](https://www.hearthugger.com/surgi-support-vest) - [For Patients](https://www.hearthugger.com/patients) - [Heart Health](https://www.hearthugger.com/heart-health) - [Preparing for Surgery](https://www.hearthugger.com/preparing-for-surgery) - [After Your Surgery](https://www.hearthugger.com/after-your-surgery) - [Complications & Solutions](https://www.hearthugger.com/complications-solutions) - [Respiratory Complications](https://www.hearthugger.com/respiratory-complications) - [Sternal Wound Complications](https://www.hearthugger.com/sternal-wound-complications) - [Sternal Wound Stability (and the Pillow)](https://www.hearthugger.com/sternal-wound-stability) - [FAQs](https://www.hearthugger.com/faqs) - [For Healthcare Professionals](https://www.hearthugger.com/healthcare-professionals) - [Studies & Resources](https://www.hearthugger.com/studies-and-resources) - [Economic Implications of Complications](https://www.hearthugger.com/economic-implications-of-complications) - [Patient Compliance & The Clinical Pathway](https://www.hearthugger.com/patient-compliance-and-the-clinical-pathway) - [Tradeshows](https://www.hearthugger.com/tradeshows) - [How to Purchase](https://www.hearthugger.com/how-to-purchase) - [Find a Rep in Your Area](https://www.hearthugger.com/request-rep-information) - [Request Sample](https://www.hearthugger.com/request-sample) - [FDA & Medicare](https://www.hearthugger.com/fda-and-medicare) - [Blog](https://www.hearthugger.com/blog) - [Buy Now](https://www.hearthugger.com/products) *menu* menu [800.798.2667](tel:+18007982667) # Your Guide to a Heart-Healthy Diet Posted by [Heart Hugger](https://blog.hearthugger.com/author/heart-hugger) on Mar 6, 2020 7:59:13 AM ![Selection of healthy food for heart, life concept](https://blog.hearthugger.com/hs-fs/hubfs/heart-healthy-diet.jpg?width=1240&name=heart-healthy-diet.jpg "Selection of healthy food for heart, life concept") As a living and breathing soul in today's world, it's essential to ensure your heart is in complete harmony with your daily life. Having a healthy heart is the epitome of conducting activities, working and being productive, and your relationships. If there's any one reason to wake up and love the life you're living, it is having a healthy heart. Diet, exercise, compassion, empathetic acts towards others, falling in love--each of these involve a heart that needs to be in good shape. It is also essential to preventing [heart disease](https://blog.hearthugger.com/are-you-at-risk-of-cardiovascular-disease), which tends to plague numerous citizens who take for granted how they eat. There are steps to get started on a path towards a heart-healthy diet. It's not easy to overhaul eating habits overnight. The key is to formulate a plan, write it down, place it on the refrigerator so you'll see it every day, and never give up. ## The Essential Steps for Heart Health First, we'll discuss dietary measures that are the cornerstone of any functioning wellness program. If you've already planned a grocery outing with a healthy list of items, the remainder of your goals must include the following: - Control your portion size - Avoid over-processed foods - Decrease unhealthy fats - Increase high-quality/low-fat protein sources - Reduce the amount of overall sodium - Plan ahead to create meals - Give yourself an occasional treat Next up in the essential steps process of [heart health](https://www.hearthugger.com/heart-health) is *exercise*. Working with a nutritionist or dietitian from the beginning is always recommended to ensure you're receiving the proper nutrients with each meal. Every professional understands that diet alone won't provide the heart-healthy results needed to attain ultimate wellness. You need to exercise! The best types of exercise are what you're able to do reasonably and what you enjoy. Running, hiking, walking, biking, swimming, weight-lifting, yoga, whatever type of movement increases your heart rate and gets it pumping and makes you sweat. If you're eating well, working out with cardiovascular exercise will only enhance heart health. ## Why the Foods You Eat Matter Instead of deprivation to prevent heart disease, focus more on allowance and imagination. The foods you eat drive every decision, every emotion, basically everything about your life. Having excellent heart health is central to your day-by-day activities, and keeps you on task and involved. It's vital to protect your heart with foods that matter. Here are a few things that you should be eating more of: - Healthy fats. This includes raw nuts, olive oil, and avocados. - Fruits and vegetables. They should be included in every meal. - Whole grains. High-fiber cereals, bread, or pasta made with whole grains. - Diary. Eggs, skim milk, or unsweetened yogurt are a great start. - Protein. Fish and poultry are some of the top high-quality proteins. There's not one single food that magically erases years of unhealthy buildup in your heart, yet the foods mentioned above need to be a mainstay. Avoiding processed foods and focusing more on home-cooked meals with natural or organic foods will raise the bar on heart health and heart disease prevention. ### Give Your Body the Gift of a Healthy Heart By sticking with a nutritious diet and daily exercise, your heart will soar! [Contact us](https://www.hearthugger.com/contact) today if you would like to learn more about maintaining excellent heart health! - Please Share: [Heart Health](https://blog.hearthugger.com/topic/heart-health) [Heart Healthy Diet](https://blog.hearthugger.com/topic/heart-healthy-diet) ![Heart Hugger](https://blog.hearthugger.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Heart_Hugger_April2018%20Theme/Images/logo-icon.png?width=100&height=100&name=logo-icon.png) #### Written by [Heart Hugger](https://blog.hearthugger.com/author/heart-hugger) ### Please Leave a Comment: - Recent - Popular - Tags - [Heart Surgery Recovery (22)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/heart-surgery-recovery) - [After Heart Surgery (16)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/after-heart-surgery) - [Postoperative Care (15)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/postoperative-care) - [Heart Health (12)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/heart-health) - [Sternum Stabilization (9)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/sternum-stabilization) - [Caring for Patients (8)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/caring-for-patients) - [cardiac rehab (7)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/cardiac-rehab) - [Sternal Dehiscence (6)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/sternal-dehiscence) - [Preparing for Heart Surgery (5)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/preparing-for-heart-surgery) - [Respiratory Splinting (4)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/respiratory-splinting) - [Postoperative Bra (3)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/postoperative-bra) - [sternotomy (3)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/sternotomy) - [Heart Healthy Diet (2)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/heart-healthy-diet) - [Managing Pain After Heart Surgery (2)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/managing-pain-after-heart-surgery) - [Support Device (2)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/support-device) - [Hospital Safety (1)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/hospital-safety) - [Patient Safety (1)](https://blog.hearthugger.com/tag/patient-safety) see all ©2018  General Cardiac Technology, Inc. 6489 Camden Ave Suite 106 San Jose CA 95120 800.798.2667 Phone 408.395.2100 (outside the U.S) Fax: 408.395.2113 powered by Tribute Media [a web marketing agency](https://www.tributemedia.com) | [login](https://www.hearthugger.com/user) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/hearthugger) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Heart_Hugger) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/heart-hugger) [Top](https://blog.hearthugger.com/best-heart-healthy-diet#top) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "NewsArticle", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Heart Hugger" }, "datePublished" : "2020-03-06T15:59:13+0000 ", "description" : "When you're ready to take your heart health seriously, here are steps and specific foods to help you start and maintain a heart-healthy diet. ", "headline" : "Your Guide to a Heart-Healthy Diet", "image" : [ "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4072946/heart-healthy-diet.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.hearthugger.com/best-heart-healthy-diet", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4072946/apple-touch-icon-144x144.png" }, "name" : "General Cardiac Technology, Inc." } } ```