Your heart is a vital organ that keeps your body functioning. Unfortunately, many people don't treat it that way. They may not realize that their daily habits and lifestyle can overwork and damage their heart. So, take care of your heart and yourself. Start by making the following lifestyle changes.

There is no cure for high blood pressure, but it can be controlled. High blood pressure is one of the three major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The risk relates not only to how high your blood pressure is, but also to how long it has been raised.

Here are some ideas for low-salt foods you can easily prepare yourself.

The most common form of heart disease is atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Cholesterol joins with calcium and scar tissue and builds up in the arteries. When cholesterol levels are too high, the circulatory system becomes choked—and the result is a dam of plaque that narrows the channels the blood flows through.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet reduced blood pressure.

High cholesterol contributes to heart disease, which kills more Americans than all cancers combined.

Here's what to do: Get more exercise. Cut back on salt. Have more fruits and vegetables. Limit your drinking. Choose which is easiest, and do it first.