The numbers leave no room for doubt. The World Health Organization reports that 17.3 million people died in 2008 due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), representing 30 percent of the total deaths recorded worldwide. If we do nothing to prevent it, it is estimated that by 2030 around 23.3 million people will die due to CVD, which will continue to be the leading cause of death globally. Staying idle is unforgivable considering that 80 percent of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented. Simply put, by implementing a series of healthy habits, you can protect the health of your heart and that of all your family members. Keep your heart healthy with these 8 tips: 1. Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. If you haven't found a good reason to quit this harmful habit until now, here it is! Tobacco is one of the main risk factors for heart disease. By quitting smoking or encouraging family, friends, and coworkers or classmates to do so, you will also reduce the risk of developing lung cancer and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and spare those around you from secondhand smoke, which is equally harmful. In just a few years, the risk of developing heart disease will be reduced to the same level as that of non-smokers. 2. Get moving. A sedentary lifestyle harms the entire body, especially the heart, so if you enjoy a sport, don’t wait any longer to practice it. Or start to incorporate some form of physical activity into your daily life. A 20-minute walk each day is an excellent start that provides the same benefits as 75 minutes of more vigorous exercise (swimming, jogging, or cycling) per week. You decide. In addition to a happy heart, you will reduce stress, sleep better, and improve your life expectancy. 3. Improve your diet. If you are in charge of grocery shopping and meal preparation, take the opportunity to gradually change the tastes and eating habits in your home. Avoid processed foods, fried foods, and those high in sugar. It’s better to select: fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, as well as fish and lean meats. When these foods are the basis of your home menus, you help everyone control weight, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol. The American Heart Association suggests consuming at least 4 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day; fish at least 2 times a week; and high-fiber whole grains (like oatmeal or rice, for example) daily. As for salt, reduce it to a minimum (less than 1,500 mg per day or the equivalent of half a teaspoon). 4. Control your weight. Being overweight makes your heart work harder, so you should make an effort to shed any extra pounds. If you modify your diet and exercise more, that excess weight will gradually disappear. Keep in mind that too much fat, especially if it accumulates in the abdominal area, increases your risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, all of which are risk factors for metabolic syndrome and heart disease. Give your heart a break by reducing excess weight, don’t give up! 5. Watch your cholesterol. Despite its bad reputation, we need cholesterol to maintain our health (it is an important component of cells, vital for the production of various hormones, for bile production, and for vitamin D, among other functions), but we must seek a balance between bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL) that in excessive amounts clogs arteries and harms the heart and good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or HDL) that helps remove bad cholesterol from the arteries and protects your cardiovascular health. To achieve this balance, exercise, limit saturated fats in your diet, reduce consumption of red meat, high-fat dairy products, and all trans fats. A blood test will tell your doctor how your cholesterol levels are: ideally, your total levels should be below 200 mg/dl. 6. Monitor your blood pressure. One in three adults (in the United States) has high blood pressure, yet one in five is unaware they have it because hypertension often shows no symptoms until it is too late. Don’t wait to find out when complications occur (a heart attack, a stroke). Healthy blood pressure should be below 130/90 mm Hg. 7. Control your blood glucose (sugar) levels. Diabetes can quadruple your risk of a heart attack or stroke, so you should try to avoid developing type 2 diabetes as much as possible, and if you already have it, keep your blood glucose levels under control. Again, diet, a healthy weight, and exercise are vital in this task. 8. Don’t forget to manage stress. Attending to responsibilities is one thing, and forgetting about oneself is another. Dedicate some time each day to disconnect from everything and focus on something that you are passionate about and that relaxes you. A hobby, yoga classes, or playing an instrument are some examples of effective ways to counteract the negative effects of stress on your life and health. Your heart is the engine of your body, and to keep it running properly, you need to give it a helping hand. As you may have noticed, everything is interconnected. If you change your diet, eliminate toxins and stress, and exercise more, your blood pressure, blood glucose control, weight, and cardiovascular health will automatically improve. Start taking care of your heart (and that of your loved ones) today, one step at a time, and don’t stop!