Top 10 healthy heart tips

Give up smoking

If you’re a smoker, quit. It’s the single best thing you can do for your heart health.

Get active

Getting – and staying – active can reduce your risk of developing heart disease. It can also be a great mood booster and stress buster.

Do 30 minutes of activity on five days a week. Fit it in where you can, such as by cycling to work.

Manage your weight

Being overweight can increase your risk of heart disease. Stick to a healthy balanced diet low in fat and sugar,with plenty of fruit and vegetables combined with regular physical activity.

Eat more fibre

Eat plenty of fibre to help lower your risk of heart disease – aim for at least 30g a day.

Cut down on saturated fat

Eating too many foods that are high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood. This increases your risk of heart disease. Choose leaner cuts of meat and lower-fat dairy products like 1% fat milk over full-fat (or whole) milk.

Get your 5 A DAY

Eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day. They’re a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals. There are lots of tasty ways to get your 5 A DAY, like adding chopped fruit to cereal or including vegetables in your pasta sauces and curries.

Cut down on salt

To maintain healthy blood pressure,  avoid using salt at the table and try adding less to your cooking.

Eat fish

Eat fish at least twice a week, including a portion of oily fish.

Don’t drink alcohol

Read the food label

When shopping, it’s a good idea to look at the food label on food and drink packaging to see how many calories and how much fat, salt and sugar the product contains. Understanding what is in food and how it fits in with the rest of your diet will help you make healthier choices.