Optimum Health For Life
10400 Shaker Drive
#3B
Columbia, MD 21046
301-802-7745
Your Heart Health Is In Your Hands!
Know the Stats, Make the Choices
What is the #1 killer of women that less than half of us even know exists? That would be heart disease, and it claims more lives than all the cancer deaths combined, according to the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women. One unknown fact that many don’t know is that CVD is the #1 killer of new moms. But when I read that the number of casualties among younger women (30-50s) is rising, with unique factors affecting their hearts, it becomes clear that more needs to be done.
One silent player in the CVD realm is chronic stress. For decades, it was not even mentioned in discussions of heart health. Stress has its physiological manifestations in the mind/body continuum, by way of anxiety, depression, fear, pain, and impaired mental health. The body’s “pre-wired” 911 call for help via the sympathetic nervous system triggers the fight-or-flight response, along with chemical changes. Unfortunately, it may get stuck sounding the bell constantly with that steady surge of cortisol, adrenaline, or norepinephrine, setting the stage for inflammation that impacts every organ.
Having a roadmap for heart health comes down to understanding your medical results from a physical, being aware of your stress levels, and incorporating movement daily. Lifestyle choices such as not smoking, eating, and drinking red (hibiscus tea, red fruits/veggies), and taking time for relaxation are fundamental solutions that add quality and overall health for years. Friendships offer a myriad of wellness benefits, from laughing to lessen stress and cortisol, to going outside to be in nature, walking, and talking together. One important choice that impacts CVD is regular dental visits for cleaning to be sure gum disease is not present.
From my book, The Pause to Relax, A Woman’s Guide to Robust Heart Health on Amazon, comes these heart healthy lifestyle choices to address and lessen the impact of stress:
Breathwork: Box breathing taught in the Navy Seals training for focus, and clarity: inhale 4 counts, pause 4 counts, exhale 4 counts, pause 4 counts. Or 3-5-8 breathing, inhaling, holding, then exhaling for a state of calm.
Aromatherapy: The oldest form of medicine, with clinical aromatherapy using essential oils, currently a worldwide alternative modality. Cardioprotective oils can be orange, cypress, ylang ylang, marjoram, and lavender.
Prayer: If you are a faith-filled person, praying to God is a grounding, meaningful moment in the day, with solid research that this impacts health: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/religiousness-spirituality-linked-to-better-heart-health-among-african-americans.
Receiving a Massage: Relaxation promotes cellular and mental balance besides lessening pain.
Find Your Friends: Choose to schedule gal time for food, fun, and laughter.
Volunteer For a Cause: Super research is showing the steep decline in stress when partnering with other like-minded volunteers for a passionate cause.
