Top five tips for better heart health

New Delhi: It's Valentine's Day and perhaps, you're celebrating it with your special someone. While your sweetheart may be the key to your heart and happiness, making heart-healthy lifestyle choices can be the key to a healthier heart.

This Valentine's Day, pamper your sweetheart with a heart-healthy gift or date that will help prevent heart disease and may improve overall health. Here's how:

Make healthier choices while eating out

Eating out doesn't mean you're sabotaging your healthy diet. In fact it's good to dine out at times as making healthier choices in restuarants in easier today with more options in portion sizes, preparation methods and menu items available. All you need to do is to plan ahead, consider the menu and go for heart-healthy diet. Make sure to include fruits, green leafy salads in the menu to increase your fiber intake.

Avoid or limit consumption of red meat, sugar and unhealthy fats.

Be active

Walk from home or work place instead of using your car. It's a good idea to get moving with your beloved before or after eating. Pick a restuarant that's a 10 to 15-minute walking distance. Walking is one of the easiest ways to increase your physical activity and improve your health, including your heart health.

Give healthy preparation methods a try

Try preparing a romantic dinner at home using heart-healthy recipes instead. Remember, cooking at home is an excellent way to control what and how much you eat. These healthy substitues can help you cut down on saturated fats, trans fats, salt and added sugars.

Take a long, romantic walk

Make sure to take a long, romantic walk with your loved ones and try making it a regular habit. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity each week for better health and fitness. Regular physical activity is important and it's even crucial to maintain a healthy weight or lose weight.

Give up unhealthy habits

Stop smoking if you smoke. Smoking is not only bad for your lungs, it also affects your heart health. Quitting smoking is essential for your overall health.

Limit intake of alcohol as heavy drinking can increase your risk of heart disease and several other health problems, including liver disease, cancer, among others.