Reduce Your Risk

When it comes to deadly diseases, heart disease grabs the top spot. Follow these rules to help keep your heart healthy:

* Eat lots of fruit, fish, vegetables and whole grains.
Every little bit helps. Throw some veggies in with your spaghetti sauce or slice a banana over your cereal to squeeze in some extra servings.

* Drink in moderation.
A couple of drinks are good for you, but remember that the key word is moderation! Any more than two or three glasses of wine or beer and you’ll increase your chances for negative health consequences, such as bone loss and weight gain. (Alcoholic beverages aren’t calorie-free, you know!)

* Keep your waist smaller than your hips.
Belly fat does not bode well and it puts you at a higher risk for diabetes. Don’t think spot reduction (read: doing a gazillion sit-ups) will flatten your pooch. You have to shed the fat from all over your body and the only way to do that is through the good old-fashioned formula of burning more calories than you consume.

* Walk or bike 40 minutes a day and then get another hour of weekly exercise on top of that.
We know it sounds like a lot at first, but no one is saying you have to do your 40 minutes all at once. Break it up throughout the day and you’ll be amazed at how fast 10 minutes here and there goes by. The same goes for that one extra hour you can spread throughout the week.

* Don’t smoke, or quit smoking.
This one needs no explanation.

Are you already following all of these “rules?” If not, which ones are you struggling with? [CBS]