When my daughter Larissa flew home to ‘babysit’ me after my heart attack, I could tell that she meant business. No mother of hers was going to put her through this kind of stressful drama ever again, and the kitchen was where she decided to start in reorganizing my entire life. The first thing the darling child did was to go through the big pile of printed material about heart-healthy lifestyles that they send you home with from the cardiac ward. She underlined, she took notes – and then she went to work. keep reading
Month: July 2009
Women’s waist size predictive of heart disease
by Carolyn Thomas ♥ @HeartSisters
When you stand naked in front of your full-length mirror, do you see one of those pear-shaped bodies, with weight accumulating around your hips and thighs? Or perhaps you see an apple-shaped body, in which most of your excess weight settles around your waistline? (If you see a tall, lithe Wonder Woman/supermodel-shaped body staring back at you in your mirror, you can just stop reading…)
Turns out that the apple-shaped body type may be the most dangerous for your heart health. According to Mayo Clinic cardiologists, there are two kinds of abdominal fat deposits that we need to worry about.
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Women’s heart pain is both physical and emotional
by Carolyn Thomas ♥ @HeartSisters
Before a heart attack actually occurs, people suffering from the chest pain of angina can feel emotionally traumatized. Angina may be a physical cardiovascular problem, but it can also take a remarkable emotional toll in the form of anxiety or depression.
Imagine living in constant dread of the next painful attack, or feeling distressed because angina has forced you to give up activities you enjoy. Over time, anxiety and depression may become a part of your ongoing cardiac symptoms along with the alarming chest pain that can come with an angina attack. This can lead to a vicious cycle: depression, anxiety, and stress may actually trigger angina pain by prompting the release of hormones that make the heart work harder.
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Improve your heart health – on a budget
by Carolyn Thomas ♥ @HeartSisters
Is it possible for us to follow a heart-smart lifestyle and still stay within a tight budget? What if we can’t afford to join a pricey gym? And can those of us counting pennies still afford to purchase those heart-healthy but expensive foods every day? Here are tips from two savvy experts who say YES to all of the above:
According to Canadian dietician Cara Rosenbloom:
“It just takes a little bit of extra planning and a little bit of extra thought to eat healthy while still saving money.”
Rosenbloom’s advice includes: click to continue reading
Heart Sisters 