Shelly's Shares: The Overlooked Heart Risks Facing Women And How To Lower Them

Heart disease doesn’t always announce itself with a dramatic chest-clutching moment, especially for women. Some of the most important warning signs can look like “normal life” fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, or nagging jaw and shoulder pain. That quiet reality is exactly why Shelly is sharing this conversation; to put women’s heart health front and center and to replace fear with clear, usable knowledge.

She talks through why heart disease remains the leading cause of death in women and why the symptoms can present differently than they often do in men. She also stresses self-advocacy: listening to your body, taking “better safe than sorry” seriously, and finding a medical provider who doesn’t dismiss your concerns. If you’ve ever second-guessed yourself or felt brushed off, you’re not alone, and you’re not overreacting for asking questions.

She also connects the dots between menopause and heart health, including how changing hormones and lower estrogen can increase cardiovascular risk with age. From there, Shelly breaks down the lifestyle factors that drive risk and the habits that protect you: stress management, anti-inflammatory nutrition, regular movement and cardio exercise, strength training, better sleep routines, and setting boundaries that reduce chronic stress. She also reminds you to stay proactive with prevention by getting regular checkups, blood work, and knowing your numbers like cholesterol and blood pressure.

If this helps you, please subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more women can hear the message. What’s one small heart-healthy habit you’re willing to start this week?

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Thank you for listening to the Words of Wellness podcast with Shelly Jefferis. I am honored and so grateful to have you here and it would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to follow, leave a 5-star review and share  the podcast with anyone you love and anyone you feel could benefit from the message.

Thank you and God Bless! And remember to do something for yourself, for your wellness on this day! 
In Health, 

Shelly

Transcript

Why Wellness Knowledge Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:00

And I just feel like it's something that we need to really, really be educated about and feel empowered about so that we're not fearful of it. Do you get confused by all of the information that bombards us every day on ways to improve our overall health and our overall wellness? Do you often feel stuck, unmotivated, or struggle to reach your wellness goals? Do you have questions as to what exercises you should be doing? What foods you should or shouldn't be eating? How to improve your overall emotional and mental well-being? Hello everyone, I am so excited to welcome you to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries, and I will be your host. My goal is to answer these questions and so much more. To share tips, education, and inspiration around all of the components of wellness through solo and guest episodes. With 35 plus years as a health and wellness professional, a retired college professor, a speaker, and a multi-passionate entrepreneur, I certainly have lots to share. However, my biggest goal and inspiration in doing this podcast is to share the wellness stories of others with you. To bring in guests who can share their journeys so that we can all learn together while making an impact on the health, the wellness, and lives of all of you, our listeners. The ultimate hope is that you leave today with even just one nugget that can enhance the quality of your life and that you will, we all will, now and into the future, live our best quality of lives full of energy, happiness, and joy. Now let's dive into our message for today.

What Words Of Wellness Promises

SPEAKER_00 1:43

Hi my friends, welcome back to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly, and I will be your host. And today is Shelly's Shares episode, and I want to welcome you. If you are new to my podcast, I am so happy that you are here. And for my listeners who have been following along, I appreciate you more than you know. And I always, always appreciate any five-star review that you can provide that helps me to continue to offer this podcast and share the information and share my guests with you all. As many of you know who follow along Mondays, I come out with a solo episode, and on Wednesdays, I usually have my guest episode to share with you.

Why Women Need Heart Talk

SPEAKER_00 2:31

So today I am going to jump into a topic that is a topic that has not been discussed nearly enough. It is finally kind of coming more to the forefront, and the this topic has to do with my mama's out there and my female friends because we're gonna dive in and talk a little bit about heart disease because we did a presentation. I actually was part of a presentation, kind of co-hosted and had the honor to speak along two incredible women recently, and we had this top this topic was covered, and it just made me realize how much we need to talk more about it, especially when it comes to us women, because it is the leading cause of death in women, and believe it or not, every 80 seconds a female loses her life to heart disease. Every 80 seconds, so it definitely needs to be openly discussed, and we need to share what we can do to change those statistics. And you know, I'm very passionate about not just educating, you know, women, all of you, but also uh men too. You know, we all need to be educated in this area, and I know that for me personally, my personal experience with with heart disease, my dad had heart disease. He had a mild heart attack, and it was quite a few years before uh we lost him to various diseases and illnesses. But you know, he it was mild. He just all of a sudden he was like, I think I'm having a heart attack. And you wouldn't have known it going into the hospital to see him, you wouldn't have known that he had a heart attack, and thank God it was mild, and he was able to able to make some adjustments in his overall health moving on from that point. But again, it's quite different for women. It's it's very the the symptoms present themselves a little bit different, and I'm gonna share those with you all. And I just feel like it's something that we need to really, really be educated about and feel empowered about so that we're not fearful of it, right? We don't want to be scared, but we want to be educated and have the tools that we can put into place to help us be our healthiest. And I just want to share this with all of you. So we're gonna jump in. And

Subtle Heart Symptoms In Women

SPEAKER_00 5:19

what I want to say is it's not gonna look the same for all women, right? The symptoms can be very, very subtle. And some of you are maybe already familiar with the symptoms, but they can be a little bit different than men, and again, they can be really subtle. You can have fatigue, extreme fatigue, you can have shortness of breath, you might have some nausea mixed in with that, maybe a little bit of a jaw or shoulder pain. Now, the really common symptom that we've heard for years is having that pain that radiates down into the left side of your body, left side of your arm. And you know, that could certainly happen, but it might not happen with women. And that's why we have to really be very, you know, just not take anything for granted. I always say it's better to be safe than sorry. So if you have any mild symptoms that just do not, if they don't feel right and you feel like something's going on, just take yourself or have someone take you to to the hospital because it's just better to be safe than sorry. That's what I will always, always say. And again, we also have to really be in touch with our bodies and intuitive with how we are feeling and what we are experiencing. And I

Trust Your Body And Advocate

SPEAKER_00 6:47

know that we've talked about this frequently on my podcast about just having that intuition. We know best about our bodies. If something does not feel right, we need to act upon that. And if we are going to a doctor or a medical provider who isn't taking what we are saying to heart, or maybe isn't really truly listening to us, then maybe it's time to find a new provider or a new medical doctor because we have to really follow our gut, our intuition, and and be able to go to a medical provider who's going to really take what we say to heart and you know not make us feel like we're being dismissed. And that's what I'm hearing is happening a lot. So, really, really please advocate for yourself and please please stand up for yourself. So, as we move on, a couple little things I want to share.

Hormones Menopause And Heart Risk

SPEAKER_00 7:47

There's definitely a connection, also, when it comes to our hormones and our heart. And estrogen can actually play a protective role when it comes to the health of our heart. And so these changes that we experience in midlife or menopause, of course, that level of estrogen drops. So that's why there's more of an increase as we age, more of an increase to the risk of having some form of heart disease. So again, we want to just, you know, be feel empowered and be proactive and always advocate for ourselves.

Lifestyle Drivers Stress To Inflammation

SPEAKER_00 8:28

So I want to share that lifestyle is a huge factor. And for those of you who have been following my podcast and listening to me share, you know that I talk about that. And that is just everything when it comes to our overall health. And it's a major, major driver when it comes to heart disease, especially amongst us women. So, a couple things, a few things I want to share with you that can contribute to heart disease. Chronic stress. Now, I've talked about this on my podcast. I've had guests on talking about stress, and we we must find ways to manage our stress. When it becomes chronic and it is happening frequently and it's taking its toll on our health, it also takes its toll on our heart. So, really important to find ways to manage our stress. And we've talked about that in the past as far as exercise, breathing exercises, meditation, prayer, just taking quiet downtime, different things that we can do to help regulate our nervous system so that we can better and more effectively manage the stress that we experience, because again, it's it's not going anywhere. It's something that we are going to always have and always experience. So we have to find ways to manage it effectively. Our nutrition, if our nutrition is not optimum, that can play a role. Also, our exercise, are we getting regular movement and regular exercise? Because my friends, it's so, so important. We need to get regular exercise, cardiovascular exercise to strengthen our heart. Our heart is a muscle, it needs that exercise, it needs that strengthening, and the movement is critical for again what we were just talking about managing our stress, but just our overall health. So movement is key. Our sleep, are you getting enough sleep? And again, we talk about all of these areas, they all go hand in hand. And I know that sometimes if we're not getting proper sleep, that's going to lead to maybe us not getting our exercise, maybe it's going to lead to poor nutrition. So I understand that this all goes hand in hand, believe me. And also, if any of you who are listening feel that you need some guidance and support in this area, please reach out to me. This is what I do. I work with my clients with their stress, their nutrition, their movement, their sleep. And so I just ask that you, you know, feel free. Reach out to me. Instagram is the best at wellness with Shelly J, and let's see how I can support you because these are so critical. These different lifestyle factors affect our health in so many ways, whether it be in a positive way or a negative way. And I would love to help you if you are needing some direction and guidance. The last area, inflammation. We all know that inflammation in our body leads to illness and disease. So, what are we doing to help combat that? Well, again, going back to our nutrition, that is key. Nutrition is key. Handling our stress is key. All of these things, again, work together synergistically, whether it be negatively or positively. So, really important to keep these areas in mind when it comes to our overall health and our lifestyle. So, as I always say, this is not about perfection. I share this information to help you all, not to create more stress by any means and not to make you feel like you're not worthy or you're not doing enough. No, that's not the idea. The idea is to help all of us collectively do the best that we can to be our healthiest so that we can be here for many years to come for ourselves and for our loved ones, and to live lives full of energy and vitality. That is truly what it's about. It's about our being aware of what we're doing, being aware of our daily choices is so, so key. So

Daily Habits That Protect Your Heart

SPEAKER_00 13:02

I want to encourage you some daily habits, if you're not doing this already, to help protect your heart. Movement, daily movement, my friends. Walking is huge, it is such a fantastic form of movement and exercise. So regular walking is really beneficial. Strength training, I can't emphasize this enough. We need to have some degree of muscle on our bodies, especially as we get older. It is so important for our health, for our metabolism, for protecting our bones, our joints, everything. It's just really, really key. And then nutrition, making sure that we're consuming whole foods, organic as much as possible, healthy fats. I've talked about that a little bit. The MCT oils, very healthy form of fat, olive oil, avocado oil, those are great, great forms of fat. And then also adequate protein. I know I did an episode recently about protein, about the importance of it and the recommendations. So keep that in mind as you are going about your day and what you are consuming. Be sure you're you're consuming quality protein and getting in enough grams every single day. And then our sleep. Prioritize your sleep, my friends. Rest and recovery is huge for our bodies and and for our the functioning of our bodies in a healthy way. And when it comes to sleep, I know we've talked about this before, but if you aren't yet in a sleep routine, I want to encourage you to start one. Whatever that looks like, whether it's maybe coming upstairs or for me personally, it's coming upstairs, taking a bath, um, reading before you go to sleep, having some just downtime, some quiet time, dimming the lights a little bit before it's time to go to sleep. Really, really put your sleep as a priority. It's so important for your overall health. And then what we just talked about stress management, you know, taking that quiet time, like I said, having some prayer time, breathing exercises, and you know, setting some boundaries. I talked about this recently when I was talking about our time and how we're spending our time. If you need to say no to certain things, or you know, maybe you're you haven't been setting enough boundaries for yourself personally, take some time and think about where you can maybe make some changes there, and that can definitely help reduce some stress in your life. And

Prevention Checkups And Knowing Numbers

SPEAKER_00 15:54

as I always say, you know, we want to be proactive. Nobody is going to do this for us, so we want to take the steps that we can take that are in our control to be proactive when it comes to our overall health. And what does that mean? Well, everything that I have shared so far, in addition to having regular checkups, getting your physicals done, having your blood work taken, knowing your numbers, your cholesterol, your blood pressure, this is all so important. I can't emphasize this enough. I used to share with my students when I was teaching at the college, you know, they would get, you know, many of them would get caught up on the scale. We would do body fat testing, and I would I would remind them that listen, these are just numbers, a couple numbers out of the whole picture. You want to know your cholesterol, you want to know your blood pressure, you need to have your physicals done regularly, you need to have your blood work done. It's so important to take care of all of that on a regular basis. So, you know, one big message I want you to take with this, take away today is that prevention is key. I will share that. I have shared that for years, and I will always share. Do what you can that's in your power to be your healthiest. And prevention is so powerful when it comes to something like we're talking about today, something that has to do with our heart and the health of our heart and our overall bodies. And, you know, I will always say, especially for mom moms out there, taking care of yourself, taking some self-care, taking care of your heart, that is certainly not selfish. I think our family would appreciate it and would appreciate us if we're doing all we can to be healthy and taking care of our our hearts. And again, like I always say, you know, your family needs you to be healthy and energized in here for a long time. So take care of yourself. And like I always say too, small daily habits add up. So kind of take to heart what I've shared here today. And if you're doing everything that I shared, then kudos to you. Keep it up. And if you aren't, then I just want to encourage you to take one small step. Start to incorporate one thing that maybe if you're not doing it yet, choose one thing that you can start to incorporate in your daily routine. And once that becomes habit, then add another. It's not something that changes overnight. I certainly don't want you to be overwhelmed, but I do want you to take the steps for yourself and for your personal health, your wellness, and your longevity. So, again, so you're here for many years to come for yourself and your loved ones. So, with that, my friends, take some time for yourself and your wellness on this day and have a beautiful, blessed rest of your week. And we'll see you next time on Words of Wellness.

Share The Message And Wrap Up

SPEAKER_00 19:09

Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. I hope you gained value and enjoyed our time together as much as I did. And if you know someone who could benefit from today's episode, I would love and appreciate it if you could share with a friend or rate and review Words of Wellness so that more can hear this message. I love and appreciate you all. Thank you for listening. And if you have any questions or topics you would like me to share in future episodes, please don't hesitate to reach out to me through my contact information that is shared in the show notes below. Again, thank you for tuning in to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelley Jeffries, and I encourage you to do something for you, for your wellness on this day. Until next time, I hope you all have a healthy, happy, and blessed week.