Even heart patients can learn to be optimists

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 4 Comments

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by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

I’ve been ruminating (something that female heart patients apparently tend to do when feeling depressed) about the writing of Dr. Martin Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the excellent book, Learned Optimism. He writes:

“Optimism is not about ignoring what’s real, but becoming aware of your thoughts about why things happen.”

What’s really at the heart of optimism, Dr. Seligman adds, is how you explain negative experiences to yourself. When something bad happens to a pessimist, she’s likely to get into a sort of dark and hopeless mental muttering that has her thinking things like:

“Why me? Ain’t it awful? It’s permanent and everything is ruined and it’s all their fault.” Continue reading “Even heart patients can learn to be optimists” →

My favourite recipe for heart-healthy Sushi Pizza

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 7 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas

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

Women’s waist size predictive of heart disease

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 3 Comments

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.
 Continue reading “Women’s waist size predictive of heart disease” →

Women’s heart pain is both physical and emotional

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 3 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas    ♥  @HeartSisters

woman abstract6Before 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.
 Continue reading “Women’s heart pain is both physical and emotional” →