February is heart health month. The Heart and Stroke Foundation says that nine out of 10 Canadians are putting themselves at risk for heart-related illnesses by being overweight and physically inactive. The estimate that each year a total of 250,000 potential years of life are lost in Canada due to heart-related illnesses. Did you know there are certain food you can eat to boost your heart health, reducing the risk of hearth disease and other heart-related illnesses down the road? [caption id="attachment_1364" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Take care of your heart."] [/caption] 5 foods that will boost your heart health 1. Fish Eat fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help lower blood pressure. Salmon, herring and mackerel are all great options. Heath Canada recommends eating fish twice a week. Why don't you start tonight with this delicious Herring and Apple Winter Salad? 2. Nuts Studies have shown that nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Sprinkle nuts on your cereal or add them to your salad. 3. Berries Berries are high in anti-oxidants and heart-health flav0noids - helping to prevent inflammation and keeping blood vessels strong. Start your day off with a refreshing berry smoothie. Yum! 4. Dark chocolate I'm serious here! Dark chocolate is a heart-healthy food. It contains falvonoids, which may help lower your risk of heart disease. So go snack on a few squares of dark chocolate right this second. 5. Reduce sodium intake High levels of sodium can cause hypertension (high blood pressure), so reduce your intake. You can do so by avoiding packaged foods, making healthy choices when eating out and by limiting your use of canned foods. What do you do to keep your heart healthy? Don't forget to enter to win a flu ready prize pack.