If you have a heart condition, the American Heart Association recommends you eat a healthy diet consisting of a daily intake of no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium, fewer than 200 milligrams of cholesterol, less than 7 percent calories from saturated fat and less than 1 percent calories from trans fat.

Not all fats are bad for you. Not only is olive oil OK to eat if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, it may help prevent high blood pressure and reduce cholesterol. You get olive oil by pressing whole olives, and there are different types of olive oil, based on the different extraction methods.

Sodium help your body transmit nerve impulses and maintain healthy fluid levels, and helps your muscles relax and contract. Too much sodium, however, can increase your blood pressure and worsen symptoms related to kidney, liver and heart disease.

Pork is an excellent source of protein that can be included in breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks. The variety of cuts gives pork diversity at meals while contributing to your overall protein intake. Some cuts are lean, and some are fatty, but they all contain high-quality protein and no carbohydrates.

When your heart is enlarged or weak, it does not pump blood effectively and can cause a variety of symptoms, such as fatigue, shortness of breath and coughing. Diets high in fat and sodium are associated with poor heart health, and as such a healthy, balanced diet can be key to strengthen heart function.

Cardiac surgery to repair your heart valves or keep your heart beating in perfect rhythm can prove a life-saving effort. Before surgery, your physician may recommend losing weight, particularly if you are obese. This is because those at a healthy weight recover faster and more easily than those who are obese.

Your heart is the center of your cardiovascular system, and it is vitally responsible for just about everything that gives your body life -- ranging from the transportation of oxygen to the success of your immune system.

Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid, is a pain reliever with blood-thinning properties. In certain circumstances, aspirin may lower the risk of heart attack and stroke by improving circulation and preventing blood clots.

Plaque buildup in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis, is most commonly due to two types of dietary fats: saturated fats and trans fats. Consuming high amounts of each of these fats will cause bad, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels to rise.

Sterols, also known as steroid alcohols, are a class of chemicals that play multiple important roles in the body. They have parts that can dissolve in fat-like molecules and parts that can dissolve in water.

Fat stored in the belly, called visceral fat, is different from subcutaneous fat stored elsewhere. According to Harvard Medical School, belly fat indicates a greater risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Your heart contains four valves: pulmonary, aortic, tricuspid and mitral. According to the Mayo Clinic, calcification of one of these valves can occur as you grow older. However, it also can occur if you do not watch your diet and eat foods high in cholesterol or fat.