The best weapons to help you in your fight to reduce heart disease and stroke are diet and exercise. You can be your bodies best ally. It also is not as hard as you may think. So let's see if we can make this simple.

First, eat less calories than you use daily if you are trying to reduce weight. Start by knowing how many calories you are eating. Keep a log and write down everything you eat and drink for a week. Also log any exercising you did for the week. Make sure to count the half hour you walked the dog or walked behind the lawn mower. After you total these up, if you consumed more calories than you burned, you need to eat less or exercise more. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise as often as possible. Your goal should be daily with a minimum of 3 days a week. Remember, regular physical activity can help you reduce your weight, keep off weight you have loss and help your overall cardiovascular fitness. If you physically are not up to 30 minute brisk walk, start with 10 minutes and work you up to it. It is important to start.

Second, eat a variety of nutritious foods from all food groups. You may be eating plenty but not necessarily the things your body truly needs to be healthy. To get the nutrients your body needs, experts advise to eat a rainbow from nature. Choose fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, fish and fat-free or low-fat dairy products most often.

Eat less of nutritional poor foods. Limit soft drinks that are high in calorie and low in nutritional value is a quick way to reduce daily caloric intake. Also limit how much saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium you eat. Taking time to read the nutrition labels will help you quickly tell you how much nutrients each food or beverage contains.

Finally, don't smoke tobacco and stay away from tobacco smoke.

Choosing a Healthy Diet and Lifestyle

Quick Review

Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables daily

Eat more fish (poached, baked or blackened)

Choose poultry with skins removed and lean meats (prepared without added saturated or trans fats)

Target to eat less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day and less than 2,300 mg of sodium each day

Choose fat-free, 1 percent fat or low-fat dairy products.

Drink alcohol in moderation if at all. (Moderation equals one drink per day if you are a woman and two drinks per day if you are a man.)