High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common condition that significantly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious health issues. One of the most effective strategies for managing hypertension is consistently logging your blood pressure. This practice provides valuable insights into your health, helps you understand the effects of lifestyle choices and medications, and aids in making …
What You Can Do About Inflammation
Inflammation, the body’s natural response to injury or infection, plays a crucial role in the development and progression of heart disease. While acute inflammation is a necessary part of the healing process, chronic inflammation can be detrimental, contributing to the buildup of plaque in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis. This buildup can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Understanding the …
Sunshine, Mood, and Your Heart
Sunshine has long been associated with positive moods and well-being, and there is substantial scientific evidence supporting this connection. Exposure to sunlight influences our mood through various physiological and psychological mechanisms, playing a crucial role in mental health. Sunshine Improves Mood One of the primary ways sunlight improves mood is through the production of vitamin D. When our skin is …
Rest Easy- A Simple Way to Improve Your Sleep
Are you consistently logging 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, only to wake up feeling tired and groggy? Are you asking yourself why do I sleep so much and never feel rested? If so, you may be experiencing the effects of a potentially serious yet treatable condition known as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized …
Let’s Hear It For Worrying!
Some minds rarely take a rest—thoughts keep whirring, even throughout the night. What if you could let worrying and mental rumination work to your advantage? Worrying, often perceived negatively, can have positive aspects when managed appropriately. Feelings at the Root of Thoughts “He who fears he shall suffer already suffers what he fears” is a well-known quote attributed to the …
Meditation for Health
You have probably heard of meditation, although what meditation actually means can be unclear, as it means different things to different people. While there are many styles, techniques, and traditions, almost all meditation includes a practice of focusing or clearing the mind by quietly witnessing your thoughts and feelings and external stimuli without getting caught up in them. Meditation practices …
Move From Healthcare to Self Care!
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the broad term for a group of diseases that typically coexist and include: About 1 in 3 Americans has at least one type of CVD. Prevention is the best treatment because CVD kills more people than cancer, accidents, and chronic lower respiratory diseases combined. CVD risk factors are a mix of modifiable and non-modifiable influences. Modifiable …
Women’s Heart Health and Stress
Many women’s daily lives are stretched to the limit by the multiple roles they fill at work, at home, and in the community. In many households, women still perform most childcare, shopping, cleaning, cooking, and, in some cases, care of elderly parents or in-laws. Some working women have incorporated a male standard for achievement in the workplace while retaining the …
A Different Risk: Women and Cardiovascular Disease
Although the overall mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) is decreasing for both women and men, it is still the leading cause of death for all American women regardless of ethnicity In 2014, females represented nearly half of deaths attributable to CVD. Over the next month, we will provide information on the differences in cardiovascular disease in women compared to …
Work Stress and Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death of American adults. Although much attention is given to the importance of diet, exercise, smoking cessation and the role of genetics, a lesser focus has been given to the role of stress reduction in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. A large number of studies have demonstrated a clear link between …