Place your hand over your heart and breathe. Can you feel its rhythmic beating? Out of all our organs, the heart is the one we are most aware of doing its job, and for good reason. It works tirelessly, beating approximately 100,000 times a day, delivering oxygen-rich blood to muscles and vital organs.

Without it, nothing else would function. This is why taking care of our heart is crucial.

While some factors affecting heart health – like age, gender and ethnicity – are beyond our control, there are others that we can change. Diet, exercise, and smoking are significant contributors to heart health, and making a few simple tweaks can lead to substantial improvements.

It’s not that difficult if you set your heart to it. Here’s how.

1. Check your cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood. Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but having high levels of LDL (aka “bad” cholesterol) can lead to a buildup of fatty deposits in your blood vessels.

Over time, these deposits can grow, making it difficult for blood to flow through your arteries. This buildup, known as atherosclerosis, can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

To manage cholesterol levels, cut down on foods high in saturated fats, which raise your LDL cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. Common foods include red meat, pork, poultry skin, dairy products like butter and cheese, and certain oils like palm and coconut oil.

Ultra-processed foods such as cookies, cakes, snacks, canned meats, and fast foods are also high in saturated fats.

While you don’t have to eliminate these foods completely, it’s crucial to be mindful of how often and how much you consume them. According to heart health guidelines, no more than 5% of your daily calorie intake should come from saturated fats.

Tips: Start reading the nutrition labels on food packages. Go for options with lower amounts of saturated fat per serving. Try new dishes or recipes to broaden your affinity for meals cooked in a healthier way.

2. Be aware of blood sugar

High blood sugar levels can damage your blood vessels over time, increasing the risk of heart disease. This is particularly concerning if you have a family history of diabetes or if you are overweight.

Elevated blood sugar levels are not just a problem for diabetics; they can also be a silent contributor to heart disease in otherwise healthy individuals.

Tips: Incorporate more fibre-rich foods into your diet, such as wholegrains, legumes, vegetables and fruit. Fibre helps slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, keeping your sugar levels more stable as your food digests.

Aim to fill half of your plate with vegetables and snack on fresh fruit. You can also try replacing refined grains like white rice or white bread with wholegrains like brown rice or multigrain bread.

Also, get your blood sugar levels checked regularly, especially if you are over 40 or have a family history of diabetes.

Staying within a healthy weight range is critical, as carrying excess weight, particularly around the waist, can increase the risk of developing insulin resistance and, in turn, high blood sugar.

3. Stay within a healthy weight

Being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other health issues. Many factors can contribute to weight gain, including a sedentary lifestyle, overeating, stress, and lack of sleep.

Tips: Weigh yourself regularly (but not obsessively!) and track your weight to ensure you’re staying within a healthy range. If you notice the numbers creeping up, consider adjusting your diet and increasing your physical activity.

Also pay attention to your waist circumference, which should be below 88cm for women and below 102cm for men.

Don’t be afraid to seek professional help if you’re struggling to lose weight. A dietitian can provide personalised advice and a structured plan to help you eat more healthily and achieve your weight loss goals.

Remember, losing just 5-10% of your body weight can have a significant impact on your heart health.

4. Get more active

Our heart is a muscle and, like any other muscle, it needs regular exercise to stay strong. Physical activity boosts your heart’s efficiency, improves blood circulation, helps maintain a healthy weight, and raises HDL cholesterol (aka “good” cholesterol).

Regular exercise also helps reduce stress, which is beneficial for overall heart health.

Tips: Aim to hit at least a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, cycling, jogging, or swimming. If you’re short on time, break it down into 30-minute sessions, five days a week.

Incorporate strength-training exercises twice a week to build lean muscle and reduce body fat.

Find activities you enjoy so that exercising becomes a regular part of your routine. Whether it’s dancing, hiking, or playing a sport, staying active doesn’t have to feel like a chore: even small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the lift or walking during your lunch break, can make a big difference.

5. Quit smoking

Smoking and vaping are harmful to your heart and overall health. Smoking causes the blood vessels to constrict, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood and puts additional strain on the heart.

It also damages the lining of your arteries, leading to the buildup of fatty material (atheroma), which narrows the artery and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Tip: If you’re a smoker, quitting is the most important step you can take to improve your heart health. The benefits begin almost immediately after you stop: within a year, your risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half; after five years, the risk of stroke can fall to that of a non-smoker.

Read more articles by Indra Balaratnam here.

Indra Balaratnam is a consultant dietitian and a fellow of the Malaysian Dietitians’ Association. She runs her own private practice, Indra Balaratnam Nutrition, in Kuala Lumpur. Connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.