4 ways to a healthy heart today

Many of us don't give much thought to our heart - it just keeps beating and we ignore its health until we have a problem.

Now's a good time to get smart about your heart. But where do you start?

At goodtoknow we're making it easy for you to look after your heart health. Read our 4 easy ways to improve the health of your heart today.

When we think about which foods are bad for our heart most of us think about fatty, deep fried foods, such as fish and chips, but not all fats are bad for our heart.

Bad fats are hydrogenated fats and saturated fats and bad fats can be found in:

*Cakes, biscuits, sweets *Meat pies, tarts and flans *Pies and pastries *Red meat, sausages, burgers *Full-fat dairy products, like cream, cheese, lard, butter and suet.

The problem with bad fats is that they raise our level of HDL cholesterol which blocks our arteries and leads to heart disease.

The good fats are omega oils, plant and vegetable fats, found in: *Avocados *Nuts and seeds *Oily fish *Sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil spreads and oils

Foods that are good for your heart lower your level of bad fat (HDL cholesterol) and raise your level of good fat (LDL cholesterol), which is a type of fat that your body needs for energy and overall health.

Make one change today:

Make your dinner a healthy-heart meal, or try one of the following: Avocado and pesto spaghetti Fruit and nut bliss balls

And snack on something that's good for your heart, such as nuts, berries or oatcakes.

Long-term plan:

We've got over 800 healthy eating recipes to give you inspiration. - Send us your tips

Think carefully about what you eat and start buying more healthy-heart foods. Here's your new shopping list:

Spinach Beans and pulses Soya Olive oil Nuts Berries Avocados Salmon Oats 

Stress, smoking, drinking too much and being overweight are all factors that can lead to heart disease.

Make one change today:

*Take our stress quiz to see if stress is affecting your health and how to deal with it.

*Take our alcohol quiz to find out how many units you're drinking.

Long-term plan:

*Be honest about your eating and your weight. Weigh yourself, check your BMI and start a food diary, so you can analyse exactly what you're eating. Plus we've got loads of easy diets and simple exercise ideas to help you.

*Decide to give up smoking for good - get yourself some nicotine patches, speak to your GP or find a local support group. We can help you to give up too.

*Cut back on your alcohol consumption. Although many of us think of booze as being something that affects our liver, brain and kidneys, it can also lead to a stroke and heart failure.

Long-term plan:

Make regular checks with the doctor and ask for specific tests if you're worried, such as:

*Blood pressure * Cholesterol * Diabetes test *General health checks, such as your pulse, weight, lung capacity and family history. *Read up on relevant health information and do our healthy heart quiz!