Heart Health

High Blood Pressure 101

The whats, the why’s and the what-nexts of a hypertension diagnosis. High blood pressure, sometimes known as hypertension, is a condition where blood circulating throughout the body exerts too high of a pressure against the walls of the blood vessels (think of water flowing through a hose, the pressure needs to be “just right” or…

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Exercising Snacking and Adding Movement to Our Days

Always listen to your Doctor or Cardiac Rehab Specialist when choosing to exercise, this blog is for information purposes and does not replace the advice of Health Professionals. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology states that Older Adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. Physical Activity reduces our…

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Dining Out Made Heart Smart

A hospitality Professional’s guide to heart-healthy dine-in and takeout choices. Adjusting to a heart healthy way of eating can be tricky as we learn the ropes. Trickier still; how do we adjust our eating habits while enjoying a meal in a restaurant or while ordering takeout? As a former hospitality professional, I have compiled some…

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A Heart Healthy Thanksgiving

A few ideas from the Pulse Family to have your best holiday yet. How is it already October!? The trees are turning and we’re all trading in our shorts and flip flops for our long pants and sweatshirts, and for many of us, we are making plans to gather with loved ones to reflect and…

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Be still…. It’s good for your heart

Ever take a moment to just sit.. no distractions.. and just feel the air moving in and out of your lungs. Not planning your next move, or re-playing movies in your mind of the conversations & events of the past. Not distracting yourself in any way.. just sit. Maybe its at your favorite park bench…

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Dealing with Anxiety around COVID-19

These are unprecedented times, and so it’s no wonder our anxiety levels are heightened. As we know the stress this anxiety causes is not good for us, or our hearts. Stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, so to protect our heart, we need to do what we can to reduce our anxiety surrounding…

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I am Sick! Should I Exercise? How about my Heart?

So, I am currently on day 5 of my “Man Cold”. My symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough and congestion. These are pretty standard symptoms for a viral upper respiratory tract infection.  I must say, however, that this one has been a little tougher than most I have experienced. I am getting very tired of…

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TAVI…The (Less Invasive) New Kid on the Block

If your Aortic Valve is no longer working the way it is supposed to, you may need to have it replaced. The Aortic Valve is the one-way valve between the Left Ventricle, which is the largest pumping chamber of the heart, and the Aorta, which is the “stump” of the vascular “tree” that delivers oxygen…

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Sternal Precautions following Open Heart Surgery

Have you had open heart surgery? Here are some things you need to know as you begin your recovery process. Many of you will have been given information from the hospital or your doctor after you were discharged from hospital. Commonly this advice tells you not to lift anything more than 5 pounds, and restricts you…

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