30 Ways To Save Your Heart.

  There aren't too many ways to survive a bullet hurtling toward your heart. You could be wearing a Kevlar vest (unlikely), possess bona fide Matrix moves (even more unlikely), or watch in stunned silence as the hand of God reaches down and miraculously plucks the projectile out of the air (not gonna happen unless you're in a Monty Python movie).

But there's an upside to this depressing scenario. Actually, make that two. First, the lethal round you need to worry about moves quite slowly: It's called heart disease. Second, you can count on at least 30 ways to survive it.
We've collected a whole slew of simple, effective strategies for safeguarding your heart health. You don't have to adopt all of these lifesavers, but give each one a try to see if you can stick with it for the long haul. Who knows? You just might dodge a bullet.

PLUS: Heart disease is America'sNo. 1 killer. But know what's real and what's bunk with these 5 Heart-HealthMyths to Stop Believing. 

Work In Some Walnuts

They're the alpha nuts in terms of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that fights inflammation, says Larry Santora, M.D., medical director of the Dick Butkus Heart and Vascular Screening Center in Orange, California. Yale researchers report that eating about a half cup of walnut halves a day can improve blood vessel function.

Check Your Pulse

Tomorrow morning, before you fumble to find your slippers, find your pulse. Then log your beats per minute (bpm), says cardio-thoracic surgeon Pierre Theodore, M.D., vice chairman of the medical advisory board at Grand Rounds. Healthy guys should be at or below 70 bpm. If your rate rises higher for a week or more, call your doctor.

Avoid Dirty Air

Inhaling ultrafine pollution particles can thicken the wall of your carotid artery, predisposing you to heart attacks, say University of Washington researchers. Particle levels peak in the early morning in winter, a study in Atmospheric Environment reports, so save outdoor runs or rides for the afternoon.

Be a Bean Counter

Pass on the potatoes and spoon out the legumes. People who ate 1 cup of fiber-rich lentils, beans, or chickpeas a day reduced their systolic blood pressure by 4 mm Hg after three months, according to a study in Archives of Internal Medicine. Add black beans to salads, cook lentils into a curry, or scoop an extra serving of pinto beans into chili.

Come to Grips with BP

As little as four weeks of handgrip training can lower your blood pressure by about 10 percent, a meta-analysis in the Journal of Hypertension reports. The researchers say the exercise creates "shear stress," which improves blood vessel function. Try four two-minute contractions with each hand. Rest for about a minute in between.

Believe in Eggs

Stop thinking that eating eggs raises your LDL (bad) cholesterol. In fact, Brazilian research suggests a link between egg consumption and clearer coronary arteries. One guess is that the yolk's payload of vitamins E, B12, and folate may be the key. Just stop at four eggs a day to limit the calories.

Run the Numbers

Choose an exercise to do weekly--say, a 2-mile run--and just afterward, log your time and your heart rate. Call your doc if you notice major changes--for instance, a heart rate of 185 bpm after a workout that typically takes you to 165 in the same time. That can signal an issue, like clogged arteries or a weakened heart, Dr. Theodore says.

Breathe Deeply

Stop and take a long, slow breath. Better yet, take six breaths in 30 seconds. Doing this can lower your systolic blood pressure by as much as 4 mm Hg within minutes, a study in Hypertension Research found. Some research suggests that if you practice this deep breathing consistently, the pressure-lowering effects can last over time.

Sweat Out Burnout

Don't let your job be the death of you: Work-related exhaustion increases your heart disease risk, a study in Psychosomatic Medicine shows. So hit reset: In a Swiss study, men suffering from burnout slashed their symptoms by up to 57 percent by doing cardio exercise just two or three days a week.

Get Vaccinated

On top of its virus-fighting powers, the flu vaccine nearly halves your risk of heart attack, suggests a study in the journal Heart. That may be because influenza triggers an autoimmune response that battles the virus but also produces inflammation that can clog arteries. Visit flushot.healthmap.org to find vaccination sites in your area.

Hit the Sack. . .

Compared with solid sleepers, insomniacs face a 45 percent increased risk of heart attack, according to a study from Norway. Just 30 minutes of exercise three times a week can boost your sleep. But be patient--the benefits can take months to kick in, say Northwestern University researchers.

. . .but Don't Sleep In

There is such a thing as too much sleep: People who log 10 or more hours a night have an elevated risk of heart disease, according to a study in the journal Sleep. One explanation: Snoozing too much may be linked to weight gain and poor mental health. If you can't keep your z's in the healthy range (seven to nine hours), see your doc.

Avoid Trans Fat

Columbia University scientists say you can significantly reduce your LDL-particle number (a marker of cardio risk) by cutting your trans fat intake by just 1 percent for a year. These fats are being phased out of many products, but they're not gone. For example, they're in butter-flavored Pop Secret popcorn and Land O'Lakes