Contributed by Rtn Paul Francia… Article from AHA (American Heart Association)

Consume an overall healthy diet.

To maintain a healthy body weight, balance calories consumed with calories burned.
Increase awareness of calorie content of foods for portions typically consumed and of daily caloric requirements.

Set a goal of at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily.

Consume a diet rich in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables (not fruit juices), especially those that are deeply colored (spinach, carrots, peaches, and berries)

Prepare fruits and vegetables with little added saturated or transfat, salt, and sugar.

Choose whole-grain, high-fiber foods.

Consume 2 servings of fish, especially those relatively high in omega-3 fatty-acids (eg. salmon, trout, and herring) at least twice weekly.

Limit intake of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol by choosing lean meats, vegetable alternatives, and fat-free (skim) and low-fat (1% fat) dairy products and minimize intake of partially hydrogenated fats.

Minimize intake of beverages and foods with added sugars.

To consume no more than 2300 mg of sodium daily, choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. Middle-aged and older adults, African Americans, and those with hypertension should consume no more than 1500 mg of sodium daily.

Limit alcohol intake to not more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men (1 drink = 12 oz of beer, 4 oz of wine, 1.5 oz of 80-proof distilled spirits, or 1 oz of 100-proof spirits).

When eating out, be aware of portion size; select vegetables and fruits; and avoid foods prepared with added saturated or trans fat, salt, and sugar.

"A good first step to improve your diet and lifestyle — start paying attention to portion size and liquid calories, such as those in soft drinks, fruit drinks, fruit juices and alcoholic beverages," Dr. Lichtenstein says. "The next step is to try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. It does not have to be done all at once — accumulating 30 minutes throughout the day is fine — and, of course, more is better."