At BBC Heart Care our nutritionist, Dr Poonam Singh, shall design a diet plan specifically suited to your requirements, is "heart-healthy," but does not take all the pleasure out of food. Most nutritional programs have the objectives of cutting down on saturated fats, while increasing polyunsaturated fats in the diet.

Eating habits generally can be improved by following a few simple steps, such as:

Eat fewer portions of

• Fatty dairy products (such as butter, margarine, cream, cheese). These foods are rich in saturated fatty acids. Saturated fats are a type of fat that has been linked with high cholesterol levels in the blood and also with the development of atheroma. Substitute low-fat dairy products (skim milk, low-fat cheese, etc.) whenever possible.
  
  
• Red meat (such as beef, lamb)

Eat more portions of

• Unsaturated cooking fats (such as canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil)
  
  
• White meat (such as chicken etc.)
  
  
• Fish
  
  
• Grains, cereals, fruits and vegetables

Many people with angina can and should exercise regularly, provided that exercise is not carried out to the point of exhaustion. Exercise helps to keep weight down, reduces clotting tendencies, improves heart function, and improves the blood lipid profile (fatty substances in the blood). Perhaps most importantly - exercise lessens depression and anxiety, since people feel better when they are fit.

Very inactive or sedentary individuals should begin to exercise slowly. To avoid injury, it is important to stretch the muscles before exercise.

The easiest form of exercise is simple: brisk walking. Other suitable activities include swimming, slow jogging, golf, or bicycling. A typical cardiorespiratory (heart/lung) fitness program calls for 15 to 30 minutes of low-intensity aerobic exercise (oxygen-using, endurance-building exercise) every other day. Alternative programs may recommend more frequent exercise (for example, five days a week).

Unfortunately, angina is so severe in some individuals that their ability to exercise is greatly limited. Specifically, people with severe myocardial ischemia (insufficient blood in the heart muscle) should not begin exercise training until their coronary arteries have been repaired.