Do you eat a steady diet of bacon, bologna, hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, salty foods and sugary drinks? If so, then you may want to start cutting back on those foods and start eating nuts and seeds, omega-3 rich seafood such as salmon and sardines, fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

Why? According to new research, consuming those processed foods on a regular basis contributes to nearly half of all U.S. deaths from heart disease, strokes, and diabetes. Whereas eating healthier foods such as nuts and seeds has a positive impact on heart-health.

That’s good enough reason if you ask me!

The research is based on the U.S. government data showing nearly 700,000 deaths in 2012 from heart disease, strokes and diabetes and upon analysis of the national health surveys participants were asked about their eating habits.

Most participants reported they didn’t eat the recommended amounts of so-called “good foods”: nuts and seeds, omega-3 rich seafood such as salmon and sardines, fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

However, the participants reported over-eating so-called “bad foods”: salt and salty foods, processed meats including bacon, bologna and hot dogs, red meat including steaks and hamburgers and sugary drinks. Those 10 ingredients combined contributed to about 45 percent of those deaths, according to the study.

The study focuses more on the specific diet for prevention of heart-healthy eating, risks and benefits of heart-healthy eating. The findings are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.