I have written articles on foods for skin and foods that you can apply on the skin for that special glow. In this article I talk about some natural herbal foods that are excellent for the heart and help decrease the possibility of heart damage. Of course, these foods need to be combined with daily exercise, moderate drinking and reduced ( zero) smoking. There are many foods available in nature which help decrease bad cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and keep arteries healthy. I give below some of the foods that are helpful. It is recommended that a person include these foods in one's diet slowly and tries to ingest at least two out of the below mentioned foods daily to stay healthy and fit.

First let me give some general life style tips which help in reducing heart related problems.
Stop smoking and kick this bad habit to lower heart damage and lung damage.
Try brisk walking for 20 minutes at a time and find long term benefits.
Try cutting down on sugar and salt intake. A reduced intake of common salt is also recommended for people with blood pressure problems.
It also important to reduce weight if overweight. The heart of an overweight person has to work harder and over weight people tend to have fat deposits and bad cholesterol which clogs up arteries.
Avoid junk food. Reduce intake to once in a month. This kind of food contains harmful trans fats which clog up the arteries.

The following foods help fight heart problems. They might just be the thing for you. So try them out by incorporating them in your diet.
Soya lowers bad cholesterol, provides health proteins and helps fight heart disease. Try mixing 50 / 60 grams of Soya to your daily food and find a marked difference to your energy levels.
Bengal Gram can be prepared in the form of a soup and ingested everyday. It is delicious and provides significant nutrients which help fight bad cholesterol and triglycerides. 40/50 grams of this lentil ingested every other day provides health benefits which lead directly to a better heart and lowers the risk of an heart attack by up to 20%.
Garlic is a wonder herb. It helps fight against cough, cold, minor infections and also helps boost immunity levels. Ingesting just 2-3 cloves daily helps reduce fat deposits in the arteries and lower heart threatening homocystenine/homocysteine levels in the blood.
Psyllium Husk , just 2- 3 small spoons (10-15 grams) a day , taken with water daily helps with digestion, lowers blood cholesterol and also aids in reducing blood sugar levels in type II diabetes. So go for this herb on a daily basis and let your body feel the difference.
Fenugreek is a well known herb used worldwide for treatment of type II diabetes and is well known for it's anti inflammatory properties. This specific characteristic helps in prevention of narrowing of arteries, helps control blood pressure and blood sugar levels and cuts the risk of a stroke in some cases by up to 30%. Do incorporate 20/30 grams of this herb in your daily diet to significantly reduce stroke risk over the longer term.
Just two pieces of Indian Gooseberry a day significantly cut the risk of an heart stroke by up to 15%. This fruits contains powerful anti oxidants and vitamin C which help boost immunity levels in the body and lower bad cholesterol formation. Enjoy this fruit raw or preserved and enjoy the benefits of the natural herb over the whole day.

I would recommend consuming at least two of these foods daily to find significant benefit. However do try to consume all of the above foods on a weekly basis. The combination of these foods is extremely beneficial over the long run for the human heart and body and the benefits can only be experienced.