Eat Right

A healthy diet can be a massive step towards reducing your risk of developing heart disease by keeping your weight, cholesterol and blood pressure under control.

By eating at least five portions of fruit and veg a day you can help lower the risk of coronary heart disease. They can be fresh, frozen, dried or tinned and cooked or raw, it’s up to you.

Eating too much fat, can increase your cholesterol, which in turn can increase your risk of coronary heart disease. If you have high cholesterol try to replace saturated fats like butter and lard with unsaturated fats, such as olive, or sunflower oil.

Try to eat at least two portions of fish a week, and make one portion an oily fish, such as mackerel, trout or salmon, which can also improve your chances of survival after a heart attack.

Reducing your salt intake can help you maintain a lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, so why not swap the salt shaker to herbs to season your food?

Eat wholegrain foods; make sure you have a whole grain bread, rice or pasta at least four times a week and you will reduce the chance of having cancer by 40%.

Perhaps the most important health move you can make on the way into summer is to try and drink six to eight glasses of water. It will flush out any toxins and keep you hydrated as the temperature rises. Plus, it will soften any lines on your face by keeping the skin moist from the inside. Water spells health; water flushes out the toxins, and improves your skin.