How flexible work hours can lower your blood pressure

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 7 Comments

All working mothers already know this intuitively, but now we have some British academics who confirm what we’ve always suspected: flexible work schedules have a positive effect on our health.  In fact, researchers at Durham University report that just being able to self-schedule working hours was found to have positive impacts on a number of health outcomes including blood pressure, sleep and mental health.

All three outcomes can be important risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease, so this research has important ramifications for women interested in improving heart health by reducing day to day stress.

Stress is often defined as a fight-or-flight response: a moment when your body produces stress hormones in preparation for fighting your stress or running away from it. This stress response was quite useful for people thousands of years ago when facing those sabre-toothed tigers or other deadly threats.

Today, your body responds to stress and perceived danger in much the same way. But instead of confronting wild animals, women may face ongoing stressful events such as trying to get the whole family up and out the door on time every morning, being stuck in rush hour traffic, or juggling household management To Do lists.  Continue reading “How flexible work hours can lower your blood pressure” →

Heart-smart food rules: your dietary dos and don’ts

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 3 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

Author and foodie Michael Pollan asked and answered this question of his New York Times readers last year:

“How did humans manage to choose foods and stay healthy before there were nutrition experts and food pyramids or breakfast cereals promising to improve your child’s focus or restaurant portions bigger than your head?

“We relied on culture, which is another way of saying: on the accumulated wisdom of the tribe.”

Curious about the wisdom of other people’s tribes, Pollan asked his NYT readers to send him their own favourite rules for eating well. Within days, he received over 2,500 responses, including gems like:

“If you are not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you are not hungry.”

Here are just 20 of the food rules he liked best.

What’s your best food rule for eating well?  Share it with us!

 

Four minutes that will do your heart good!

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 4 Comments

Here’s what salon.com said about this short piece of street theatre:  “It managed to punch right through my cynicism and show me that good things are still out there, and there are good people in the world.  In a small way, I have a deeper understanding of what it is to be human because of the actions of 200 fellow humans in a train station in Belgium.”

Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to Newsvine

 

Hospital food: the best reason to keep your heart healthy and avoid hospitalization

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 25 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

The first real food served to me in the hospital’s Coronary Care Unit after my heart attack was a cold roast beef sandwich on doughy white bread.  I was surprised (this is what they servie to heart patients?) but also hungry, so I managed to scarf it down.

In August, I was back in hospital for another cardiac procedure, and again my first meal afterwards was another sandwich: this time, a single unadorned, slimy, food-style processed cheese slice on that same doughy white bread.

What are hospital administrators thinking?  Continue reading “Hospital food: the best reason to keep your heart healthy and avoid hospitalization” →