Today’s baby boomers are living longer and more productive lives than previous generations. That’s due in large part to greater awareness of healthy behaviors. These behaviors include regular medical visits, improved nutrition, increased exercise and advanced medical screenings for earlier detection of cardiovascular diseases.

Here are six simple steps to heart health for seniors.

#1. Forget the Apple a Day. Know Your Numbers.

No, I don’t mean stop eating fruit. But regular medical visits and examinations can often detect heart disease in its early stages. It’s very important to know your numbers: weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Changes in these figures are key indicators of heart health. Early detection of disease or illness increases the likelihood that it can be either cured or controlled with proper medication.

#2. ROY G BIV. Embrace the Rainbow.

Just as an artist adds color to a palette in creating a masterpiece, you should make sure your dinner plate reflects the colors of the rainbow. Red fruits like tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit promote healthy breast tissue and improve prostate health. They’re full of vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene associated with reduced risk of cancer and heart attack.

Orange/yellow foods like carrots, cantaloupe, apricots, squash and sweet potatoes could be called “eye candy.” Their vitamin A content, sometimes referred to as the “vision vitamin,” promotes healthy vision and helps prevent cataracts. The beta-carotenes they contain are also thought to help prevent cancer and improve immune system function.

Green foods contain isothiocyanates, which are essential in helping the liver remove potentially cancer-causing compounds from the body. Foods like broccoli, cabbage, collard greens and brussels sprouts are excellent sources of folic acid, potassium and vitamin K. These foods help reduce blood pressure and the occurrence of colon and bladder cancers.

Blue/indigo/violet foods help avoid heart disease by preventing clot formation, and the darker the blue color, the better. Foods like pomegranates, blueberries, eggplant and prunes are good choices, but blueberries have the highest antioxidant activity of all foods. ]

So go ahead and create your own colorful masterpiece.

#3. Avoid Inertia, Exercise!

Get moving! Activity is good for everyone. It doesn't have to be going to a gym and working out on the machines. It doesn’t have to be jogging or lifting weights. It can be dancing, walking, skating or riding your bike. There are four major exercise types, those designed to improve endurance, strength, balance and flexibility.

The key is to pick an activity you enjoy, so you won’t think of it as something you have to do but rather something you want to do. If you haven’t been active in a while, no problem. The key is to start slow and work up to the goals you choose. However, the most important thing is to start!

#4. Rethink the Drink.

Obvious reasons for limiting alcohol consumption are things like avoiding car accidents. But there are two more “c” words to add to your list: cancer and cardiovascular disease. Heavy alcohol consumption has been linked to mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, breast and colorectal cancer. Too much drinking, especially binging, makes blood platelets clump together, which can cause heart attacks and stroke. As the old joke states, don’t have any for the road, it’s already laid out.

#5. Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire.

We all know the relationship between smoking and cancer, but did you know smoking is a significant contributor to heart disease as well? The 2014 Surgeon General’s Report on smoking and health reported that one out of every three deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) is due to smoking.

Smoking increases the tendency of blood to clot, decreases exercise tolerance, increases blood pressure and leads to the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis develops from the constriction of arteries from the buildup of fat and cholesterol that forms plaque. Other CVDs associated with smoking are abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease, stroke and coronary heart disease. The good news is that, while the link between smoking and CVD is significant, smokers who quit can see immediate improvement in their heart health and a decrease in the risk for CVD.

#6. Too Grateful To Be Stressed

While there is uncertainty about how stress affects heart health, there is sufficient evidence to suggest it does pose some risk. It may lead to emotional and psychological pressures that increase unhealthy behaviors such as overeating and weight gain, increased alcohol consumption, a reduction in exercise and increased smoking. Perhaps it manifests itself physiologically, leading to elevated blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath and higher cholesterol levels.  Whatever the mechanism, it’s important to manage your stress level. Try yoga, walking, listening to music or journaling to keep stress at bay.

Unfortunately, the warning signs of cardiovascular disease may not appear until you’re having a heart attack. Key indicators include:

• Feeling faint or lightheaded
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea and vomiting
• Indigestion
• Irregular heartbeat
• Profuse sweating
• Pain or pressure in the chest

While these are signs commonly associated with heart disease, remember that it presents differently in men and women, and symptoms don't always occur together. When in doubt, check it out!