Victoria’s Read

Have a heart. Take heart… It’s no coincidence why we have so many sayings relating to the heart. In love or life it is one of the most important considerations and its health is essential. For women there are some key heart health tips that you can pay special attention to.

One of the best ways for women to ensure good cardio vascular health is to eliminate unhealthy fats from your diet, eat whole foods and engage in regular aerobic exercise. You’ve probably heard this before but what you may not realize is that you need some very important fats in your diet. Fats rich in Omega 3 is one of the most important but rather than scouring labels, you can easily add healthy oils by switching to a few good oils in your diet. Olive oil and rice bran oil are great for cooking and coconut or sesame is great for salad dressings. If you bake, you can use grape seed oil as a good all purpose oil. Avoid oils often made from GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) crops such as corn, soy and canola oil.

Another important factor related to heart health and healthy fats for women, is the link between these fats and healthy hormone levels. Many of these essential fats are the primary building blocks for hormones. Diets lacking in these fats show links to increased PMS or menopausal symptoms as well as increases levels of stress related indicators in the blood.

Another important dietary change is to avoid all refined sugar. Diets high in refined sugar are linked to higher levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and higher levels of blood glucose and insulin. All of these can lead to cardiovascular problems.

Most important of all is to get moving. Exercise is the strongest medicine you can take for heart health. “Cardio” exercise (exercise that raises your heart rate) and exercises that help to reduce stress combine to multiply the benefits. A great start is to get out and walk and a good goal is to get to 10,000 steps a day. It sounds like a lot but if you get a pedometer that counts them for you you’ll be surprised how many you do already.

Other clinically proven exercises for heart health are swimming and yoga. Yoga asanas or postures are isometric, which means they rely on holding muscle tension for a short time. This improves circulation and cardiovascular fitness and studies show that regular yoga practice (more than once a week) helps to normalize blood pressure.

It’s never too late to start and the payback adds years and enjoyment to your life.
Stay well, stay strong… you deserve it.

For more information, email info@ohanawellness.ca or visit www.OhanaWellness.ca.
©Darren Renaud – Natural Health Practitioner