Improving your diet lowers your risk for heart disease in many ways, including helping to lower high cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as preventing obesity and improving the function of your heart and blood vessels.

The following foods should not make it to your menu often for a healthier heart.

• Sugary drinks

Sugar causes many health problems including obesity and diabetes. To avoid a heart attack, drastically cut back on sugar in all forms. Artificial sweeteners are worse than real sugar – they’ll make you hungry and are linked to cancer.

• Pizza

Pizza is yet another heart attack special. Eating one slice every once in a while is ok. But most people can’t do that because pizza hits all the happy places in our brain and you tend to eat more.

• Processed Meats

Processed meats are those preserved using salts, nitrites, or other preservatives. They include hot dogs, bacon, sausage, salami, and other deli meats, including deli ham, turkey, bologna, and chicken.

Long-term observational studies have found that the worst types of meats for the heart are those that are processed. It's likely that the high levels of salt and preservatives found in processed meats are part of the problem.