January was only a few months ago, but you're not alone if your New Year's resolutions are long forgotten. Don't wait until next year to get back on the health wagon. Spring and summer are good seasons to eat more superfoods and jumpstart a healthy diet. You'll feel great, and your heart will thank you.

According to a study in the journal Foods, the term "superfoods" debuted in the 1990s. Since then, it has been a shorthand way to discuss foods that are particularly good for your body.

The term is often used to market exotic and hard-to-find food products, but there is no widely accepted definition used by the food industry. Fortunately, not all "superfoods" are expensive or rare. Many can be included as part of an overall healthy diet and lifestyle, and eating them allows you to reap many health benefits, such as reduced cancer risk, help with weight loss, and keeping your heart in shape.

Superfoods have the power to improve your heart health in many ways. When considering whether a food is heart-healthy, look for the following vitamins and minerals:

• Fiber. Foods high in fiber may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. One way fiber may do this is by reducing the amount of bad low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your blood.
• Lycopene. A pigment in pink and red foods, lycopene may lower your blood pressure, act as an anti-inflammatory agent, and more. 
• Monounsaturated fats. This healthy fat helps to cut down LDL levels. Reducing LDL cholesterol helps reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids help lower fat in your blood and slow the buildup of plaque in the arteries. This healthy fat also reduces inflammation and lowers your risk for abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).
• Potassium. Over time, your arteries may harden. This makes it easier for cholesterol and fat to stick to your artery walls. Potassium may help you avoid this hardening and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

With a healthy diet, you get superfoods with every bite. To boost your diet and help protect your heart, sprinkle these superfoods into your diet:

• Avocados. Get potassium, healthy fat, fiber, and more by adding sliced avocado to sandwiches, making healthy dips, and using avocado as a substitute for mayo or other unhealthy spreads. 
• Beans and legumes. A great source of fiber and plant-based protein, beans and legumes have many other helpful vitamins and minerals.
• Fatty fish. Salmon, sardines, tuna, striped bass, and other fatty fish are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. 
• Leafy greens. Spinach, kale, and other dark greens are excellent sources of fiber. They even have small amounts of omega-3s.
• Oatmeal. Avoid loading your oatmeal up with sugar, and you'll get a lasting fiber boost first thing in the morning.
• Olive oil. A staple of the Mediterranean diet, extra-virgin olive oil is an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. 
• Pumpkin. It may not be in season during the summer, but pumpkin belongs on every list of superfoods. Pumpkin is a good source of potassium, vitamin A, fiber, and more.
• Tomatoes. Many foods have lycopene, but tomatoes may have the most. As a result, eating tomatoes is a great way to slow the buildup of fats and cholesterol in your arteries.