This week on The Fit Positive Podcast, we’re talking about heart health in midlife — why our risk rises, what markers actually matter, and how the habits inside the Fit Positive Method directly protect your cardiovascular system.

In this episode, we cover:

1️⃣ Why women’s heart disease risk rises in perimenopause & menopause

2️⃣ The biggest cardiovascular risk factors for women

3️⃣ The blood markers that matter for your heart — and my own recent results

4️⃣ How the Fit Positive Method protects your heart

5️⃣ A quick note on HRT and cardiovascular protection

6️⃣ Sauna for heart health

⭐ Resources & Links

🔗 Sauna Episode

🔗 ⁠Sleep Episode

🔗 Free Calorie & Macro Calculator

🔗 Fit Positive Empowered Membership (nutrition, strength, tracking tools & recipes to support both fat loss and heart health)

Scientific studies that support this episode...

⭐ 1. Menopause & Increased Cardiovascular RiskDecline in oestrogen and increased heart disease risk🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4591897/⁠

Oestrogen’s protective role on blood vessels⭐🔗⁠https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.119.315400⁠

⭐ 2. Strength Training & Cardiovascular Health

Strength training improves insulin sensitivity🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5485200/⁠

Strength training reduces visceral fat🔗 ⁠https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/92/4/1736/2597231⁠

Strength training reduces cardiovascular risk in women🔗 ⁠https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.014567⁠

⭐ 3. Steps / Physical Activity & Heart Health

Even simple walking reduces cardiovascular risk🔗 ⁠https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f5588⁠

Daily step count & mortality🔗 ⁠https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2763292⁠

⭐ 4. Nutrition & Heart Health

Fibre reduces LDL cholesterol and CVD risk🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257631/⁠

Diets high in ultra-processed foods increase CVD risk🔗 ⁠https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l1451⁠

Protein, whole foods & cardio-metabolic health🔗 ⁠https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/101/6/1320/4564490⁠

⭐ 5. Stress & Sleep as Cardiovascular Drivers

Chronic stress increases heart disease risk🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579396/⁠

Poor sleep increases blood pressure & inflammation🔗⁠https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.309356⁠

⭐ 6. HRT & Cardiovascular Protection (when started early)

The Timing Hypothesis (benefits when started within 10 years of menopause)🔗 ELITE Trial:⁠ https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1505241⁠

WHI re-analysis — younger women had reduced CHD risk🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986473/⁠

⭐ 7. Sauna & Cardiovascular Health

Finnish sauna study — reduced cardiovascular mortality🔗⁠https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2130724⁠

Sauna improves blood pressure & arterial stiffness🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5941775/⁠

⭐ If you enjoyed this episode…

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