America’s number one killer is heart disease, and it doesn’t have to be that way. Heart disease happens to everyone – men, women, young, and old. Heart disease can often be prevented with simple measures for health, but not everyone takes care of them. However, it is absolutely vital that you do. With a heart attack or stroke, you may not get a second chance to protect your health. Here’s what you can do to protect your heart and stay healthy.

Know your risk. Your risk factors for heart disease may be out of your control, like a family history, diabetes, your age, and menopause. However, there are some controllable risk factors you should know about as well. Smoking, being overweight, uncontrolled high blood pressure or cholesterol, a stressful lifestyle, and lack of physical activity can have a major impact as well. Talk to your family to find out about heart disease in the family, and be sure to visit your doctor regularly to find out if you have diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol levels so that you’ll know what you’re up against.

Live healthfully. For some, it’s easier said than done, but healthy living is the key to keeping heart disease at bay. Eating a variety of foods, especially fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, can help support a heart-healthy diet. Cutting down on or eliminating saturated and trans fats will also go a long way to improving the health of your heart. Additionally, aerobic exercise like running, walking, swimming, or cycling can make the difference you need to have a healthy heart. Both eating right and exercising will help you maintain a healthy weight, which is another way to help banish heart disease from your body.

Keep stress out of your life. If you want to keep heart disease away, banish stress. People who are under stress regularly are at increased risk for heart disease, even without other risk factors like family history or diabetes. Know what causes your stress, and work to avoid situations that you know will be stressful for you to handle. Additionally, stress reduction techniques like laughter, yoga, and meditation are extremely helpful in reducing your risk for heart disease.

Heart disease is a killer, but for many people, it doesn’t have to be. Pay careful attention to your health and make a commitment to living a healthy, stress free lifestyle in order to give yourself the best chance at fighting the onset of heart disease.