A HEALTHY blood means a healthy body. Low hemoglobin, high blood pressure, high levels of bad cholesterol and abnormal blood sugar levels are a few factors that influence blood health.

What you eat and your lifestyle affects  your blood.

* Blood pressure. According to the Department of Health, the best foods to eat to promote healthy blood pressure are fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Foods that are low in sodium are especially beneficial, since eating foods with high sodium content can promote hypertension. Replace heavily processed and frozen foods with fresh produce, and season your food with herbs instead of high-sodium seasonings.

* Your cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol level, surely it will affect your blood pressure. According to the Mayo Clinic, the foods  to lower blood cholesterol levels are oatmeal, fish, nuts, olive oil and foods that contain stanols, like orange juice and yogurt drinks. Although high saturated and trans fat should be avoided, not all fat is bad for cholesterol. In fact, foods that contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat actually lower your bad cholesterol levels while increasing good cholesterol. Foods that promote healthy blood cholesterol levels include plant oils as well as fish, nuts and avocados.

* Your sugar level. Food is an obvious culprit in the development of high blood sugar. Although there are many foods to avoid if you want to prevent high blood sugar levels, there are also several that you should add to your diet. The Mayo Clinic said high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables and legumes are good alternatives to simple carbohydrates, which can cause dramatic fluctuations in blood sugar levels. The American Diabetes Association also recommends eating fish two or three times per week and replacing high-fat meats with lean products to avoid diabetes.

* Your blood count. Low blood hemoglobin causes iron-deficiency anemia, which is characterized by extreme fatigue, muscle weakness and depression. you can prevent low hemoglobin by eating a variety of high-iron foods. Foods that contain heme iron, such as meat, poultry and fish, are ideal sources, since heme iron is readily absorbed by the human body.

Non-heme iron sources, like vegetables, nuts, whole grains and legumes, also contribute to your hemoglobin levels, and are especially beneficial when eaten with foods that are high in vitamin C, like citrus fruit or tomatoes.