Whether you’re seeing a cardiologist for heart-related issues, have a family history of cardiac issues, or just want to take the best possible care of your body, choosing the right foods is one of the most important steps that you can take. Your diet directly impacts your heart, which affects every other system in your body.

If you struggle with high blood pressure, your doctor has probably already told you about the importance of adopting a heart-healthy diet. You may already have an exercise routine that is improving your heart health.

However, there are some foods that you should be mindful of, even if your doctor has never given you a strict cardiac diet. Depending on your current cardiac health, other risk factors, and your personal goals, you may not need to avoid all of these foods completely.

However, it’s still a good idea to only have most, if not all, of them in moderation.

Red Meats

Most red meat, including steak, veal, and lamb, are high in cholesterol and saturated fat, which makes them a problem for people with cardiac issues. This is ultimately because of the high amounts of fat that are found in most animal-based foods.

It’s also a shock for many people to learn that pork is considered a type of red meat, even though it has long been marketed as “the other white meat.”

Most cardiologists agree that while red meat does provide some needed nutrients, namely, protein, there are better ways to get protein in your diet.

Instead of loading up on red meat, focus on eating white meat like chicken, turkey, fish, and other types of seafood. If you’re willing to expand your dietary boundaries a bit, you can also consider incorporating some vegetarian options like tofu, black beans, chickpeas, and lentils.

These alternative protein sources help ensure that your body gets the protein it needs without the cardiac side effects of red meat.

Processed and Cured Meats

While we’re going to get into some specific foods that are bad for your heart, it’s worth starting with some broad categories to help you identify some foods that you need to limit or eliminate to protect your heart.

Processed and cured meats include things like hotdogs, bacon, and most sandwich meats. Bacon, which is widely considered America’s favorite breakfast food, is loaded with sodium, which is linked directly to an increased risk of heart disease. The same can be said for deli meats like ham, salami, and pastrami.

It’s difficult to completely eliminate processed and cured meats, especially during summertime when cookouts and other functions are so common. If you can’t completely take them out of your diet, try to limit how much you consume them.

Sugary Soda

Wait, why are soft drinks on a list of foods that you should avoid for the sake of your heart health?

While they’re certainly not a food item, drinking too much soda is bad for your heart. Cardiologists and dieticians agree that small amounts of added sugar aren’t necessarily a bad thing, a single can of soda contains roughly 50% of the sugar that you should have in a day.

Drinking too much soda is proven to cause weight gain which is directly linked to an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. Obesity is also linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, and a host of other cardiac problems, some of which stem from Type 2 diabetes.

Instead of loading up on sweet, sugary sodas, drink water. If you find yourself craving something with some flavor, add a flavor packet to your water to give it a bit of a punch.

Baked Goods

Whether you enjoy a hot donut with your morning coffee or you’re a sucker for chocolate chip cookies and a big glass of milk, baked goods, which also includes cake, muffins, and other sweet treats should be a rare treat according to experts.

Most baked goods are loaded with sugar, which as we just discussed when talking about sodas, often leads to weight gain and obesity. Additionally, baked goods are often laden with triglycerides, which are shown to increase your risk of heart disease.

Sugar isn’t the only potentially harmful ingredient in most baked goods. Virtually every type of sweet treat has flour as a major ingredient.

When your body breaks down the flour that’s found in those baked goods, it does so rapidly, which leaves you feeling hungry not long after you consume them. This results in you eating again, which inevitably leads to weight gain.

Pasta, White Rice, and Bread

Many people assume that foods like pasta and white rice are healthy, but that’s not necessarily true. Along with bread, more specifically, white bread, all of these foods are rich in carbohydrates.

If you’ve paid any attention to any of the fad diets of the last few years, you’re already aware that excessive carbohydrate consumption leads to weight gain. However, that’s not the only issue with these food options.

Pasta, white rice, and many types of bread are high in refined sugars, which your body breaks down and stores as far. This is why you’ll see many marathon runners load up on pasta and rice the night before a race. They want their bodies to store these refined sugars up as fat in order to provide them with the energy necessary to run 26-plus miles.

Unless you’re gearing up for a race like that, it’s best to minimize the amount of these foods that you consume.

When the body breaks down these refined sugars and stores them as fats, you’ll notice weight gain, which we know leads to obesity, and increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, both of which are bad for your heart. Consider whole-grain versions of these foods instead.

Many Breakfast Cereals

Once again, we find ourselves looking at a food that is often high in sugar content. While breakfast cereals have long been placed in pictures when people are illustrating a well-balanced diet, it’s important to choose the right type of cereals.

Cereals that are marketed for being “frosted” or “coated” are usually covered with sugar to make them sweeter.

In the same way that the body breaks down baked goods, which we’ve already discussed, it breaks down these frosted, sugary cereals. This leads to excessive weight gain, and you’ll find yourself hungry not long after eating them.

French Fries

French fries are the most commonly ordered item at fast food restaurants around the world. They’re also one of the worst foods that you can eat if you’re trying to protect your heart health. In fact, all deep-fried foods are bad for your heart, thanks primarily to the amount of saturated fat that they contain.

Fries, mozzarella sticks, and a wide variety of guilty pleasure foods are all coated in a salt-laden batter, which is full of sodium. These saturated fats, along with high sodium levels, have the potential to raise your blood pressure and put an excessive strain on your heart, while simultaneously leading to weight gain which is terrible for your heart.

Regular exercise is an important part of promoting heart health. However, it’s equally important that you’re putting the right foods into your body.

Avoiding these foods, which are proven to be enemies of a healthy heart, is a great place to start your journey toward better cardiac health.