Did you know that heart health research has only recently started to focus on the differences between men and women? For years, most studies were centered on men, leaving many women unaware of their unique risks and symptoms. Understanding these differences is crucial because it could save lives.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. This fact surprises many of my female clients, who are often more concerned about their risk for breast cancer than their risk for heart disease, yet women have a greater risk of dying from heart disease than from all cancers combined. According to Harvard Health, currently in the United States, three million women are living with breast cancer, which causes one in 31 deaths. Almost 50 million women have cardiovascular disease, which causes one in three deaths.

Selenium doesn’t often get the limelight, but it should! Selenium is a trace mineral that incorporates into body proteins (called selenoproteins) that play a role in immune function, thyroid hormones, reproductive health, and more.

Are you having trouble getting into an exercise routine? Do you find yourself making excuses and/or skipping exercise because you feel like you don’t have time for an hour-long workout? Maybe you should start with “baby steps”, as a new study in the European Heart Journal found that even a little exercise can go a long way.

February in Northern Michigan is often synonymous with low vitamin D (often referred to as “the sunshine vitamin”). Vitamin D (technically really a hormone) is made in our skin when we’re exposed to sunshine. We need it to absorb calcium for our bones and to keep our immune systems strong.