Eating the wrong foods, can have a spiral effect and make it difficult to maintain heart health.

Too much saturated can cause blocked arteries, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Making a connection between the food that we eat and heart health isn't something we always think about.

How To Keep A Heart Healthy Diet

The following simple guidance may help keep your heart healthy:

• Try to make sure your calorie intake is appropriate so that you can achieve and/or maintain a healthy weight. Your calorie intake should balance the energy levels consumed, together with the energy used;

• Foods containing fibre are a good choice, because not only will those foods help control appetite, they can also help control weight. Fibre helps manage and maintain cholesterol levels, which is important for keeping the heart healthy;

• Consuming healthy fats as part of a better lifestyle, can help protect the heart. Healthy fats include a diet rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Healthy fats also lower cholesterol and blood pressure and prevent other health related problems;

• Fruit and vegetables are not just good because they contain fibre that is good for bowel health, but they are packed full of antioxidants that are known to protect the heart;

• Salt is responsible for increased blood pressure and can make us more prone to problems with cholesterol, heart disease and strokes. It is therefore important to consume less salt;

• It is important to reduce foods that are high in sugar. To consume more wholegrain foods and less refined carbohydrates. Both Sugar and refined carbohydrates can increase our risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Try to eat less sweets and  less desserts, or if it’s easier to stop eating them completely if that’s an option. Sometimes it’s easier not to have them in the house, than it is to try to eat less of them. Anything sweet is addictive.