Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce

“Affairs of the Heart” Part 2 by Darra McMullen, Women’s Health Network Writer/Researcher In our first installment of “Affairs of the Heart” we looked at the symptoms of different types of serious cardiovascular ailments.   Of course, we’d all prefer never to get to a crisis situation, and to work toward that goal, in this second installment of our heart health story, we’ll look at some life factors that we can control to improve our odds of keeping a healthy cardiovascular system.   We’ll examine some dietary cautions, as well as sleep concerns, and exercise. Nutrition Tips and Supplement Information: Instead of embarking on a formal “diet”, consider how many small, daily tweaks you can make to your food intake to improve nutrition and cardiovascular health.   A few suggestions are listed below.             •   Add a side of fresh fruit or cooked (or fresh) vegetables to your main course at a restaurant.   The extra fiber and micronutrients (vitamins, miner

Affairs of the Heart (Part 1) by Darra McMullen, Women’s Health Network Writer/Researcher             February is Heart Health Month, and as such, is the perfect time to address “affairs of the heart” in all their myriad types.   Some types of heart health factors, such as diet and exercise, are well known and often discussed.   Other aspects of heart health, including stress levels, personal relationships, sleep quality, and life satisfaction “ratings” are addressed less often and are too frequently downplayed as minor influences on cardiovascular health, when in fact, these issues can be major players in the game of heart attack and stroke prevention.             All of the above listed heart health factors will be addressed this month, but first, let’s take a look at the warning signs of heart attack, stroke, and atrial fibrillation so that we can be better prepared to recognize and deal with a crisis should we be faced with one ourselves or among those persons a