2. Go Bananas
While you’re stocking up on DASHfriendly produce, be sure to put a bunch of these potassium-rich fruits in your grocery cart. Researchers at Osaka University in Japan found that people who took in the lowest levels of the mineral had a 35 percent greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease than those who got the most. “Potassium works with sodium to regulate the water balance in the body, which promotes normal blood pressure,” says Karen Kutoloski, D.O., director of the Women’s Heart Center at Case Western Reserve University. Most women get only half the 4,700 milligrams of potassium they need daily; in addition to bananas (422 milligrams each), eat your way to this quota with foods such as halibut (490 milligrams for 3 ounces) and tomato sauce (453 milligrams per half cup).

3. Get Eight Hours of Shut-Eye
Those dark circles under your eyes aren’t the only consequence of skimping on sleep. Harvard researchers revealed that people who slept five or fewer hours a night had a 39 percent greater risk of having heart disease than those who logged at least eight. “Deep sleep is restorative for your body,” says Edward Suarez, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center. “Not spending enough time in bed means your body can’t repair the daily damage to cells and tissues. This can lead to inflammation, the immune system’s response to injury.” While it fights off infections and heals wounds, inflammation may cause fatty deposits to build up in arteries.

Are late work hours keeping you up at night? Try squeezing in naps over the weekend: A Harvard study found that snoozing for 30 minutes at least three times a week slashed the odds of dying from heart disease by more than one-third. Besides adding to your sleep bank, napping can also lower your stress levels, researchers say. (Chronic anxiety can also take a toll on your ticker, upping inflammation levels and weakening the immune system.)