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Heart Disease is the number one killer among our people today. It seems to be the one issue we don't think much about until something goes wrong, but it truly is the one thing we should worry about the most. Your heart is a very small muscle that works harder and gets more abuse than any other organ in our bodies. Heart Disease is usually the product of not consuming a proper diet throughout the years and it can sneak up on you when you least expect it. The best way to prevent future problems or to deal with a current heart issue is by establishing good habits in areas such as diet and exercise. Here you will find tips for improving heart health along with some tasty recipes that are truly smart for your heart! Tips: Eat a diet low in saturated fat, especially animal fats and palm and coconut oils. Add foods to your diet that are high in mono-saturated fats, such as olive oil, canola oil and seafood.  Eat foods containing polyunsaturated fats found in plants and seafood.  Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium Maintain or improve your weight Eat plenty of grain products, fruits and vegetables. Eat more fiber Drink alcohol only in moderation Use this substitution chart when cooking for heart health Instead of: Use this: Whole or 2 percent milk and cream Use 1 percent of skim milk Fried foods Eat baked, steamed, broiled or microwaved foods Lard, Butter, Palm and Coconut oils Cook with unsaturated vegetable oils, such as corn, olive, canola, safflower, sesame, soybean, sunflower or peanut oil Fatty cuts of meat, such as prime rib Eat lean cuts of meat or trim off the fat One whole egg in recipes Use two egg whites Sour cream and mayonnaise plain low-fat yogurt, low fat cottage cheese or low fat/light sour cream  Sauces, butter and salt Season vegetable s with herbs and spices Regular hard and processed cheeses Eat low fat low/sodium cheese Salted potato chips and other snacks Choose low fat, unsalted tortilla and potato chips and unsalted pretzels and popcorn