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How Is A Woman’s Heart Different And Why She Should Care

 
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A woman’s heart weighs between 250 and 300 grams and is roughly the size of her clenched fist. Though the workings of the cardiovascular and cardio-respiratory system are identical to that of men, there are mild structural differences between them. A woman’s heart is smaller in size, and arteries from the heart are marginally narrower and more curved.

This difference of size, weight and structure gives her an inherent disadvantage in terms of the volume of blood pumped per beat, resting rate, absolute power generated by muscles to do a strenuous task. Combine this with narrower blood vessels and the chances of lower tolerance to plaque and cholesterol build-up is steep.

Apart from these inherent drawbacks, factors such as weight, smoking, heredity, aging, high blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, diabetes, alcohol intake and response to stress form the leading causes of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in women. It will come as a pleasant surprise that 7 out of these 10 factors are in your control. Here are 5 essentials that should be a part of your daily life:

1. Right Nutrition: Eating right will take care of 4 things at one go – weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and to some extent, diabetes. Women should aim at wholemeal cereals, fish proteins, low fat milk, cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables low on sucrose, glucose content.

2. Eating Habits: Continual snacking on wrong foods is a primary cause of weight gain. Eat small portion meals every 2-3 hours. Fill them up with fiber bulk (fruits, vegetables, nuts etc). Avoid sugar-added beverages. Alcohol should be kept to bare minimum if not zero. A glass of red wine daily is recommended though a no-no for diabetics. Drinking plain water is best.

3. Workouts: Increasing the level of your physical activity will take care of weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and to some extent response to stress, blood pressure and diabetes. If you do not have the time, break the recommended 30 minutes of exercises to three slots of 10 minutes each - brisk walking, active stretching, weight training, gardening all count as do jogging, running, sports, etc.

4. Meditation: This includes all types of techniques – guided, control of breath, focusing, progressive relaxation, etc. They will help calm the mind, which bears a direct control on the body and internal system response. It will lower resting heart rate, cholesterol, blood pressure levels.

5. Regular Check-ups: This is a must for all women above 40. Keeping tabs on the critical readings, timely information on health facilities, new developments in the field, help groups, taking preventive action are proactive steps to better CVD management and wins you half the battle.

Mamta Singh is a published author, entrepreneur and a seasoned business, creative and academic writer. She is a certified fitness instructor, personal trainer & sports nutritionist through IFA, Florida. She is the lead writer and holds expert author status in many well-received health, fitness and nutrition sites. Mamta runs her own popular blog on migraines in women. She is a registered practitioner with the UN recognised Art of Living Foundation. Link: http://www.migrainingjenny.wordpress.com

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.