Women heart attack survivors know their place

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 7 Comments

 42-15865483

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

American broadcast journalist Barbara Walters once did a story on gender roles in Kabul, Afghanistan several years before the Afghan conflict. She noted that women customarily walked five paces behind their husbands.

Years later, she later returned to Kabul and observed that women still walk behind their husbands.

From Barbara’s vantage point, the women walked even further back behind their husbands, and seemed to appear happy to maintain the old custom.

She approached one of the Afghani women and asked: “Why do you continue with an old custom that you once tried so desperately to change?”  

The woman looked Barbara straight in the eyes, and without hesitation said: 

“Land mines!”

We don’t walk five paces behind our men here in North America, but when it comes to taking care of ourselves after a catastrophic health crisis like a heart attack, we might as well be.

Continue reading “Women heart attack survivors know their place” →

Why we don’t crave broccoli

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 2 Comments

broccoli brown

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

When you have a particular craving for a specific food, do you tend to go for something salty like nuts?  Or sweet and creamy like my daughter Larissa’s favourite mint chocolate chip ice cream?

Or crunchy and raw like broccoli?

Well, it’s too bad none of you raised your hand for broccoli, dear Heart Sisters, because researchers at Imperial College London in the U.K. tell us that a chemical in broccoli called sulforaphane can actually boost the body’s natural defense mechanism that protects our coronary arteries from clogging. Please tell me why gooey Tim Hortons maple dips can’t contain sulforaphane, too.  Continue reading “Why we don’t crave broccoli” →

How that ache may signal depression

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 4 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas

There is a disturbing link between women’s heart disease and depression.  Those suffering depression are more at risk for developing heart disease, and those diagnosed with heart disease are more at risk for suffering depression. The majority of depressed people never get help, however, partly because they don’t know that, along with emotional changes, their physical symptoms might also be caused by depression. Doctors may miss these symptoms, too:  Continue reading “How that ache may signal depression” →

When I’m 64: aging and women’s heart disease

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 2 Comments

woman computer 3

“The frightening thing about middle age is knowing you’ll grow out of it.”  – Doris Day

WomenHeart, September 2009 – “These days, many women like hearing that 40 is the new 30, but recent studies point to declining life expectancy rates among women, as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure rates increase.

“Many women do know that they face significant heart health hurdles as they head into their golden years, but successfully navigating those challenges can be tricky for someone of any age. While women can still expect an average life expectancy of around 80 years of age, it’s no fun to spend those years in poor health.   Continue reading “When I’m 64: aging and women’s heart disease” →