1. There are two types of cholesterol. LDL is the bad cholesterol that clogs up the arteries. High levels of LDL can lead to potential cardiac arrest when the blockage becomes too severe. HDL is the good cholesterol and actually works in the body to keep the arteries clear by breaking off and washing away the plaque created by LDL. Your cholesterol profile factors in the levels of good and bad cholesterol in your blood.

2. Over one-half of American men over the age of forty suffer from varying degrees of sexual impotence caused by localized artery blockages. Smokers are twice as likely to suffer from this malady as non-smokers are. Impotence issues related to local artery dysfunction are first alert signs of future disorders of the heart and circulatory systems.

3. There are many herbs that have been proven to improve cardio functions. Hawthorne, motherwort, and valerian all contain substances that provide varying benefits to the heart. Valerian contains anti-anxiety and blood pressure lowering qualities. Hawthorne is also effective at managing blood pressure levels.

4. A plate full of rainbows. Vegetables come in all sorts of colors. The brighter the color, the more heart healthy antioxidants that are present in the vegetable. Bright red and yellow peppers are especially high in valuable, free radical fighting antioxidants. And vegetables are best prepared by steaming them, as microwave cooking will destroy many of the nutrients. Raw is best. And if you have a juicer, concentrated freshly juiced vegetable juice is best of all.

5. Multivitamins are important. The typical diet does not provide sufficient levels of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function at optimum levels. This is especially true when it comes to heart management. Magnesium, which we do not get enough of via food, as we get older, is critical in the regulation of heartbeat. Vitamin E, another vitamin we tend to have deficiencies of, lubricates our blood. In the conditioned blood, platelets are less likely to stick together and form clots in the blood vessels.