Your heart beats about 100,000 times in one day and about 35 million times in a year. The body has about six quarts of blood, which circulate throughout the body three times every minute. In one day, the blood travels 12,000 miles or four times the distance across the U.S.

We expect a great deal from our hearts, but the relationship is not one-sided. Healthy hearts require ongoing maintenance, including dietary regulation and exercise, and many neglected hearts develop heart disease.

"It is never too late to begin making new choices for a healthier heart," says Paul Burns, M.D., attending cardiac surgeon at The HEART HOSPITAL of New Jersey. "Eating low-fat foods, giving up cigarettes or losing extra pounds are all steps you can take to prevent a heart attack. To fight coronary heart disease, learn
more about your risk factors. Then make some simple changes to reduce your risks."

Even small lifestyle changes can make a big difference in heart health.

SOME SUGGESTIONS:

1. Studies show that exercise reduces the risk of a heart attack by up to 50 percent. Even low intensity activities, when done for as little as 30 minutes a day, can bring health benefits. Take a few minutes for walking, gardening, yard work, housework, dancing or home exercise.
2. Plan heart healthy meals, combined with exercise, and skip the fad diets. A fad diet recommends "miracle foods," emphasizes rigid menus with specific food combinations and promises rapid weight loss. The pound loss will quickly return when you go back to your normal diet.
3. Studies show that the more fiber you eat, the less likely you are to have a heart attack. Choose whole grain breads and cereals that contain whole wheat, wheat bran and oats. Toss beans into casseroles, soups and salads.
4. Emotional stress and anxiety make the heart work harder. Some stress busters: take 15 to 20 minutes a day to sit quietly, breathe deeply and think of a peaceful scene; try to accept things you cannot change; count to 10 before responding when you feel angry; think about what may upset you and try to avoid it.
5. Studies show that a single aspirin a day reduces the risk of a heart attack by 30 to 50 percent. Check with your physician prior to starting as there are many drugs that may interact with aspirin as well as certain diseases that are aspirin sensitive. Also, use of some medications may negate the positive effect of aspirin.
6. Try small changes: crunchy carrots instead of potato chips, or low-fat frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. If high-fat, high-cholesterol food at your desk is your habit, try having a low-fat, low-cholesterol lunch in the park.
7. Fish, such as salmon and anchovies, are loaded with the omega-3 fatty acids that help your heart maintain a steady rhythm. Having even one fish serving a week could reduce your risk of a heart attack by more than 50 percent.
8. Incorporating flaxseed into your diet can have many health benefits, including a decreased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers. Flaxseed is low in saturated fat, high in polyunsaturated fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids. Ground flaxseed can be sprinkled on yogurt, cereal, salads, soups and casseroles.
9. The human heart pumps nutrient-rich blood throughout your body. If you smoke, take drugs, or drink alcohol excessively, you are giving your heart extra work. Changes in these areas will give your heart a fighting chance.
10. Reward yourself for successful lifestyle changes. Rewards can be large, a vacation or an admired outfit, or small, such as a long distance phone call with a friend or a new magazine subscription.

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To reach The HEART HOSPITAL of New Jersey, please call (973) 322-5222.
To reach the Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program in Essex and Union Counties, call (973) 926-7978.