Reducing your risk of heart disease could be as easy as changing up the type of carbs you eat -- from refined carbs to whole grains. In fact, according to recent studies, eating just one serving of whole grains can reduce your risk of high blood pressure by 4%. That might not seem like much, but it's a pretty promising result for such a small change in your lifestyle. Imagine the difference you could make to your heart health if you changed all of your grains to whole grains?

Cutting your blood pressure risk is as easy as switching from regular pasta to whole wheat, from white toast to whole wheat. You might not like the taste at first but you'll get used to it. I used to live for white bread and now I only eat whole wheat -- it's the only kind of bread I have a taste for these days.

Another thing to keep in mind is to check the labels on supposed 'whole grain' products to make sure they really are. If 100% whole grains isn't the first item on the ingredients list, toss it.

Folic acid is an important nutrient for heart-health, some studies are showing. How do you know if you're getting enough? A diet full of fruits and veggies should mean your getting your daily intake, but if you suspect you might not, talk to your doctor. There are plenty of supplements out there that can help you get the folic acid you need. Or the answer might be as simple as adding cereal to your morning routine -- many of the options that line the cereal aisle can pack 100% of your RDI in Folic Acid.

Other good sources of folate include asparagus, broccoli, bananas, nuts, spaghetti and bread.

I'm a bit of a carboholic. Ok, BIT is an understatement. I love carbs. I could live on bread, pasta and baked good like bagels and croissants. But I don't because excessive carb consumption is bad for your waistline -- and your heart, apparently. A study found that women who had diets rich in processed carbs with high glycemic indexes were more likely to develop heart disease. If carb-heavy diets are linked to obesity, this study makes a lot of sense, though I'd have thought that low-carb dieters, who tend to have diets high in saturated fats, would be at a higher risk.

So think twice before ordering the pasta and scarfing down the whole bread basket at your favourite Italian place -- a salad might be your better bet.

Just a quick tidbit of information to help you out during your next trip to the supermarket...

You're just about done with your shopping; you've picked up your healthy fruits and vegetables, did your best to stay in the parameter of the store (because you've learned that most of the healthy food is located there, whereas much of the junk food can be found shelved in the middle area of the store), and now you're looking for some healthy, whole wheat bread.

"Oh, look at that one," you say to yourself. "It's a nice, rich, brown color. That must be very healthy." Is it? Maybe, but maybe not. The trick that many food manufacturers are playing these days when it comes to bread is that they will label their product as being Whole Wheat, when in fact it only contains a small amount of whole wheat flour. Instead, it is made from enriched flour (the same kind found in white bread) and is colored with a caramelized dye -- hence the rich, brown color.

The key to finding healthy bread is to scrutinize the nutritional label. Under the ingredients, Whole Wheat should be the first thing that is listed. As you probably already know, these nutritional items are listed in order of abundance -- so, if whole wheat is the fifth or sixth thing listed, be advised that the bread your holding isn't whole wheat. Using that same approach, if Whole Wheat is the first item listed in the ingredients, then you have found yourself some honest-to-goodness whole wheat bread.

You can also look for packaging that lists their bread as being "100% Whole Wheat" or "100% Whole Grain," which also signifies that the product is legit. But, I would still err on the side of caution and check the ingredients.

Oh yeah, and on a separate note -- there unfortunately is no such thing as a "Healthier Twinkie," regardless of what the label may say.

Whole-grain cereals and breads not only help lower cholesterol, they also promote anticoagulation in the blood -- preventing heart attack and stroke causing blood clots.

So we know whole-grains are good for us -- but what are they, and how do we find them? Whole-grains are the whole seed or kernel of a plant. They are less processed grains that remain intact -- or whole. The kernel contains antioxidants, fiber, B-vitamins, proteins and healthy fats. When grains are refined, the outer layers of the kernel are lost, removing 25 percent of its healthy properties. Refined grain consumption can raise cholesterol levels and result in weight gain.

Recommended daily intake is that half of all grains you consume in a day are whole grains -- or about 3 to 5 servings. That's as easy as a bowl of whole-grain cereal in the morning and a sandwich on whole-grain bread for lunch.

How can you tell what's a whole-grain product? The Whole Grains Council has made it that much easier by featuring a 100 percent whole-grain stamp on products made entirely of whole-grain -- and a regular whole-grain stamp for products containing a substantial amount of whole-grain.