Eat less fat: Some fats are more likely to cause heart diseases. These fats are usually found in foods from animals, such as meat, milk, cheese and butter. They also are found in foods with palm and coconut oils.

Take less sodium: Eating less sodium can help lower some people's blood pressure. This can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Sodium is something we need in our diets, but most of us eat too much of it. Much of the sodium we eat comes from salt we add to our food at the table or that food companies add to their foods. So, avoid adding salt to foods at the table.

Take fewer calories: When we eat more calories than we need, we gain weight. Being overweight can cause heart diseases.

Eat more fiber: Eating fiber from fruits, vegetables and grains may help lower your chances of getting heart diseases.

Diet tips for a healthy heart

*Eat a diet low in saturated fats, especially animal fats and palm and coconut oils.
*Add foods to your diet that are high in mono unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, canola oil, and seafood.
*Eat foods containing polyunsaturated fats found in plants and seafood. Safflower oil and corn oil are high in polyunsaturated fats.
*Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.
*Maintain or improve your weight.
*Eat plenty of grain products, fruit and vegetables.

Eating this way does not mean you have to spend more money on food. You can still eat many foods that cost the same or less than what you are eating now.

Here is how

*Instead of taking whole or 2 percent milk and cream, use 1 percent or skim milk.
*Instead of eating fried foods eat baked, steamed, boiled, broiled or micro waved foods.
*Instead of cooking with lard, butter, palm and coconut oils and shortenings made with these oils, cock with these oils corn, sunflower, soybean, cottonseeds, olive, canola, peanut. Sesame or shortenings made from these oils.
*Instead of eating smoked, cured, salted and canned meat, poultry and fish eat unsalted fresh or frozen meat, poultry and fish.
*Instead of eating fatty cuts of meat, such as prime rib eat lean cuts of meat or cut off the fatty parts of meat.
*Instead of using one whole egg in recipes use two egg whites.
*Instead of using sour cream and mayonnaise use plain low-fat yogurt. Low-fat cottage cheese, or low-fat or "light" sour cream and mayonnaise.
*Instead of eating sauces, butter and salt eat season vegetables including potatoes with herbs and spices.
*Instead of eating hard and processed cheeses eat low-fat, low-sodium whole wheat crackers.
*Instead of eating white bread, white rice and cereals made with white flour eat whole-wheat bread, brown rice and whole grain cereals.
*Instead of eating salted potato chips and other snacks choose low-fat, unsalted tortilla and potato chips and unsalted pretzels and popcorn.

Tips for losing weight

*Eat smaller portions
*Avoid second helpings
*Eat less fat by staying away from fried foods, rich desserts and chocolate candy. Foods with a lot of fat have a lot of calories
*Eat more fruits and vegetables

Read the food label

The food label can help you eat less fat and sodium, fewer calories and more fiber.

Some other things you can do to keep your heart healthy

Ask your doctor to check your cholesterol level. This is done with a blood teat. The test will show the amount of cholesterol in your blood with a number. Below 200 is good. The test will also show the amount of "good" and "bad" cholesterol. Your doctor can tell you more about what these numbers mean.

If your cholesterol is high, your doctor may suggest die changes, exercise, or drug to bring it down. Regular exercise like walking, swimming or gardening can help you keep your weight and cholesterol down.