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A heart-healthy routine is built from repeatable choices—not one “superfood” or a single walk. Here are five practical habits drawn from World Health Organization (WHO) and American Heart Association (AHA) guidance. This is a useful grouping of that guidance, not an official five-habit prescription; adapt food choices to your needs, culture, and what is available locally.
1. Include pulses such as rajma in a varied diet
Rajma, or kidney beans, is one kind of pulse. WHO India includes beans and lentils among legumes that can be part of a healthy diet. Add rajma to meals if you enjoy it, but treat it as one food within a varied pattern—not a uniquely protective food or a treatment for heart disease. The AHA likewise emphasizes overall dietary patterns rather than individual foods or nutrients. WHO India’s healthy-diet guidance and the AHA’s 2026 dietary guidance summary provide the broader context.
2. Eat a variety of vegetables and fruit
Include different vegetables and fruit across meals and snacks, using options that suit your preferences and local availability. Both WHO and the AHA recommend variety as part of a healthy dietary pattern; variety matters more than relying on one supposedly heart-protective produce item. WHO India and the AHA describe these as elements of an overall pattern.
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3. Choose whole grains and minimally processed foods more often
When practical, choose whole grains in place of refined grains and minimally processed foods in place of ultraprocessed options. WHO describes minimally processed foods low in unhealthy fats, free sugars, and sodium as a foundation of healthy diets; the AHA also advises making whole grains the usual choice over refined grains. This is a direction for everyday choices, not a requirement to avoid every processed food. See the AHA dietary guidance and WHO healthy-diet fact sheet.
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4. Reduce salt and limit added sugar and unhealthy fats
WHO says high sodium intake is associated with raised blood pressure and recommends that adults consume less than 5 grams of salt per day. That is WHO’s adult limit, not a personalized target; follow a clinician’s advice if you have specific dietary needs. The AHA also recommends reducing sodium and minimizing added sugars as parts of a heart-healthy dietary pattern. Check ingredient and nutrition labels where available, and pay attention to salt used during cooking as well as at the table. WHO’s fact sheet and the AHA summary explain these recommendations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5. Build toward regular moderate activity
For adults aged 18–64, WHO recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. Brisk walking is one example. You can spread activity across the week in sessions that fit your schedule; if you are inactive, start with small amounts and gradually increase duration, frequency, and intensity rather than trying to reach the target immediately. The recommendation and examples are on the WHO physical-activity page, accessed in 2026.
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People with cardiac conditions, and pregnant or postpartum women, may need extra precautions and medical advice before aiming for recommended activity levels. Walking is a way to add movement, not a substitute for clinical care.
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How to make these habits manageable
- Choose changes you can repeat: for example, add a bean-based meal, vary the vegetables and fruit you eat, or swap a refined grain for a whole-grain option when available.
- Make one adjustment at a time if changing several parts of your routine feels difficult.
- Fit walks into ordinary parts of the day and increase gradually if you are starting from little or no activity.
- Adapt the choices to your health needs and circumstances; WHO notes that a healthy diet varies with individual needs, culture, and locally available foods.
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