Beans and peas: a good bet

If you've been told you need to lower your heart disease risk, a study shows you'll do well to become a legume-lover. Legumes are a type of food including peas, lentils, and many types of beans. Eating them four times a week or more lowered the risk of coronary heart disease by 22 percent, compared with only once a week. A legume-rich diet was also protective against high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Legumes are high-fiber, low in fat, and very easy on the budget. The American Dry Bean Board (http://www.americanbean.org/) provides recipes and more information.

Drink your tea

Does tea protect against heart disease? Researchers believe that compounds called flavonoids, found in black and green tea and in certain foods like onions, may help prevent damage to cardiovascular tissues. Studies find that people who consume more flavonoids have a lower risk of coronary heart disease. Another study suggested that the protective effect of tea is stronger in women than in men. Don't overdose on flavonoid sources, but go ahead and enjoy a good cup of tea (or glass of iced tea)—and keep an eye out for good recipes with onion.

Exercise for heart health

Ask your health care professional for recommendations before starting a regular exercise program, especially if you've been diagnosed with coronary heart disease. If you're over 55, have been physically inactive, or have medical problems, it's especially important to discuss exercise with your health care professional first. Start slowly if you haven't been very active before now—walking 10 to 15 minutes at a time, three times a week, may be a good beginning with the ultimate goal of exercising at a moderate pace for 30 minutes most, and preferably all days of the week. If you need to lose weight or maintain weight loss, the recommendation rises to 60-90 minutes of moderate exercise, most, preferably all, days of the week. If you're limited in the kind of exercise you can perform, get a referral to a physical therapist, and consider water exercise and lifting small weights. One major study found that women who walked briskly for three or more hours per week (about 30 minutes a day) slashed their risk of heart disease 35 percent compared to women who walked less frequently.

Know the symptoms of a heart attack

If you feel pressure, discomfort or pain in the center of your chest, or that spreads to your arm, neck or jaw, or a crushing or squeezing sensation with shortness of breath, tiredness, or upset stomach, you could be experiencing a heart attack. Take one nitroglycerin tablet. If the symptoms persist after five minutes, take another, and then one more if symptoms continue after five more minutes. Chew one adult-strength (325 mg) uncoated aspirin, even if you don't take nitroglycerin. Call your health care professional if the symptoms subside. If they don't, call 911 for emergency transport to the hospital.

Don't give up on sex

Though many people believe sex can bring on a heart attack, this is not really true. If you can climb two flights of stairs without chest pain, shortness of breath, or tiredness, then sex is not likely to cause symptoms. Ask your health care professional how soon you can start having sex again after a hospitalization for heart disease. Choose a time when you're rested and comfortable, not when you're anxious or tired. Start slowly, and let foreplay increase your activity more gradually. Wait two to three hours if you've had a large meal.

Create a satisfying marriage

Women who are in satisfying marriages have a health advantage over unmarried women or those in unsatisfying marriages, according to a 2003 study published in Health Pyschology. The study, which followed 493 women age 42-50 over 13 years, found that women in good marriages were less likely to develop risk factors leading to cardiovascular disease compared to other middle-age women.

Coping after being diagnosed with heart disease

Understand your reactions. Denial, anger and depression are all ways that normal people react after suffering a heart attack or learning that they have to undergo cardiac surgery. Make it a point to become knowledgeable about recovery and how you can return to normal activities. Otherwise, you may end up becoming too dependent, or hindered by overprotective family members. Work on regaining your self-confidence by taking control of your progress. Ask about any resources or support you need to do this. Try to stay positive, as an optimistic attitude may actually reduce your future risk.