Day 39: Taking Care of Your Heart

Heart health is probably not something you’d automatically associate with menopause. In fact, people generally consider heart disease a “men’s issue”. Up until midlife, men are generally at the greatest risk for cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.

However, when we reach menopause, the risk of heart disease in women actually increases, all the way up to 10 years post-menopause. You may be surprised to know that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women. This can be scary to think about, but it’s so important for us to stay informed so we can take the right steps to keep our hearts healthy.

So what’s the connection to menopause? Menopause doesn’t cause heart disease, but it does expose us to increased risk. One explanation may be the reduction of estrogen in our bodies. Estrogen has protective benefits for your cardiovascular system. It helps to keep blood vessels strong and flexible. As estrogen levels drop, your heart can lose that protection. That being said, estrogen decline isn’t the only reason women face a higher cardiovascular disease risk after reaching menopause. There’s still so much that science has to figure out about women’s health…

Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you are definitely going to get heart disease. We know that there are things you can do to keep your cardiovascular system healthy and strong.

The place to start is to know your risks. We know that things like high cholesterol, poorly controlled diabetes, uncontrolled blood pressure, lifestyle factors such as smoking and weight, can all impact heart health.

There’s no magic formula to achieving great health, but diet and fitness are the best places to start. To keep our heart health in tact, we should definitely be eating a healthy diet that emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats and fish, nuts and legumes. You should also try to limit saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, red meat, and sugar as much as possible.

We should also be thinking of staying active. Aim for at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week to keep heart issues at bay – that’s just 30 minutes about 5 times a week.

Trust me, I know this is easier said than done. It really does require putting your mind to it and staying diligent. That can be hard when life is so busy. But try thinking of menopause as a time when we really need to tune in with our bodies and minds. Our bodies are going through so many changes…we need to make sure you’re taking care of ourselves.

Luckily, so much of this is made simpler when you know just what to do and what to eat. Try the healthy recipes in this app – they’re a delicious way to get you the nutrients you need. The workouts section of your program is great for when life’s getting in the way and you can’t make it to the gym, because you can whip out your phone and do them anywhere! Taking care of yourself should not be an inconvenience.