In March, I had the privilege of speaking four times to a women’s organization, the Treasure Valley Polkadot Powerhouse in Boise.

I shared my passion for Women’s Health and talked about not the lightest issue—𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲, which is women's leading cause of death.

The women at each meeting gave me their time, attention, and support.

Although I stumbled during some of the presentations, it was a great learning process and inspired me to want to speak to more audiences.

I learned that speaking is energetic and fun and requires studying and honing in on knowledge and self-belief. This year, I intend to get out there, meet more women, hear their stories, improve my speech and serve more women in my practice.

Whatever journey you are on, keep going, and don’t hesitate to seek help or guidance.

Here are a few key components from the talk.

Heart Disease is a Women’s Disease

The #1 Killer for Women is Heart Disease.

Yet, most women do not think of Heart Disease as a Women’s Disease.

Did you know that one out of three American Women in the United States will die from Heart Disease?

Heart disease and stroke claim more lives each year in the United States than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined.

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and diabetes are leading causes of stroke. One in 3 U.S. adults has at least one of these conditions or habits.

Image: ayoti Technologies Heart diseases in women cardiac arrest cpr

What are the essential areas to focus on?

First, recognize that our daily lives are complicated, and sometimes, making the best choices is far from simple.

Your brain has a variety of hormones that come into play when making choices. There is a mental and emotional component to your habits (in particular, around food) where your attitudes, behaviors, belief systems, and emotions play a role.

WHAT CAN YOU BEGIN WITH TODAY

Eat a Diet High in Fiber.
Exercise—Move Like A Human. The human body is built to jump, walk, run, skip, climb, swim, squat, and more.
Maximize Sleep—Erratic sleep negatively impacts the body and the heart, keeping hormones, cells, and the entire body guessing how to function.
Get early morning direct sun exposure.
Mitigate Stress - This is more important than we recognize, yet many women brush it aside. There are numerous tools we can use daily to mitigate stress.
Avoid Alcohol - Alcohol is a toxin. Even moderate use of alcohol is shown to increase heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more.
Stay Hydrated-include electrolytes in your water. Dehydration requires the heart to work harder to pump blood, and the blood can thicken when dehydrated, causing an electrolyte imbalance, which leads to heart palpitations.
Quit Smoking - Obviously! Smoking increases all-cause mortality at an earlier age. By taking immediate action and quitting Smoking, the risk of heart disease decreases by 50% after one year of not smoking.
Decrease Light exposure in the evening. Dim or remove all overhead lights, turn off screens, and ban social media at least two hours before bed.
Get smart about reading Nutrition Labels-explicitly hone in on sugar. Women should not have over 20 grams/day = 8.2 tsp of sugar/day.
Begin Strength Training—Lifting weights increases muscle and bone mass, which benefits Insulin Resistance, diabetes, and Fat Metabolism. It also decreases the risk of injury from a fall. You are NEVER EVER TOO OLD TO START.
Practice Breathing better with slow inhales and exhales through the nose.

All of the above require their time and attention to discover your best practices.

Today, more people are seeking better strategies to improve their health.

I see an increasing number of people seeking and implementing steps to improve their lives, achieve better health, and fight chronic illnesses.

In today’s environment, we don’t have the luxury of doing “just enough”; we have to be a bit of a rebel, a bit of a “freak” to be, get, and stay in good health.

The first step sometimes is giving yourself grace and finding self-belief.

If you can’t see it, I can see it in you.

Be Well, Live Well

Deb

Thank You to my family, friends, and more who continue to support me, my vision, and my zest for optimal health each day.

If you have specific questions regarding the above, please ask away.

Talking Heart to Heart 🧡