You know that feeling you get when you’re running late for a meeting and realize you’ll never make it on time? Or when you’re with a client and you suddenly remember you forgot the most important part of your presentation? Or when your significant other tells you they just got their dream job but you have to move…to Antarctica? You know that feeling: your heart starts racing, your breathing accelerates and you work up a sweat. Well, you should be feeling that same feeling almost daily, for at least 30 minutes. The good news is you don’t have to face a highly stressful, potentially life-altering situation each time; it just takes a little cardiovascular work. The fact is, to keep your heart strong and stave off heart disease you need to do a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, five days a week.

Ho hum, heart disease…how boring! I know what you’re thinking: heart disease is man’s problem, not our issue. Right? Wrong. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the UK! In fact, nearly one in four British women die as a result of heart disease. And, women who have a heart attack are less likely than men to survive the initial event and, if they do, they're at more risk of dying within the following year. Some scary statistics, huh? So, besides exercise, what else can you do to keep your heart strong and combat heart disease? Glad you asked.


Eat Breakfast

Eating breakfast is good for you for so many reasons: gives you energy, keeps you alert, and even kick starts your metabolism. In addition, breakfast can also reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Studies have shown that women who eat breakfast are less likely to have excess weight and diabetes—two major risk factors for heart disease.

If you’re anything like me, mornings are a very rushed, hectic time. The thought of sitting down for a meal is just too far-fetched. No worries, you can take your breakfast on the road. You’ll just need to plan ahead. You can make a breakfast smoothie (with yogurt, fruit, nuts and throw in some flax seed oil) at night, stick it in the fridge and be ready to go in the morning. Or pack some whole grain cereal in a to-go container and eat it on the way to work; there are ways to do this, you need to be creative.

Manage/Reduce Stress

While stress is a considered a contributing factor for heart disease, the exact correlation is still being studied. Your body responds to stress by releasing adrenaline, which in turn, increases your heart rate, causing blood to clot more readily which can lead to a heart attack. Of course, it’s easy to just say, “reduce your stress” but I know as a busy woman with way too many demands on us, this is a difficult task. So what’s a harried woman to do? Exercise. I know it’s my go to for almost everything. But, it’s true exercise is an excellent stress-reducer. Other ways to reduce your stress include:

* Knowing what you can and cannot change in your life and accepting it

* Participating in relaxation techniques, such as guided imagery, breathing exercises, stretching, massage, meditation or yoga

* Staying connected with people; good friends can help you manage your stress and keep you sane

Don't Smoke

This goes without saying. Smoking is probably one of the single worst things you can do to your body. Plus, it’s stinky. If you currently smoke, quit. If you don’t smoke, don’t start!

Get enough sleep

Sleep deprivation is another area that hasn’t been proven definitively to have an effect on your heart. But, several studies have suggested that a sleep deficit may put the body into a state of high alert, increasing the production of stress hormones and driving up blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart attacks. And researchers at the University of Chicago recently published a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association that showed that too little sleep can promote calcium buildup in the heart arteries, leading to the plaques that can then break apart and cause heart attacks and strokes.

How much sleep is “enough”? That is also under debate. See this for more information. But basically, you need to listen to your body. You know when you are feeling sleep deprived and aren’t functioning at your best. So, put down the remote and get to bed just a little earlier.

As women we tend to be caregivers for everyone else but ourselves. We are the ones who tend to nurse others injuries or illnesses. We are often the ones on the front lines of volunteering, reaching out to help others. But sometimes we need to remember to care for ourselves. We need to be reminded to step back and give a little self-love, in the form of heart disease prevention. Because if not you, then who?

Next time…Wheat-free? But why?