In this solo episode, Claire O’Brien (Honest and Goodness Nutrition) unpacks the complex and often misunderstood world of cardiovascular health, with a special focus on how heart disease presents in women and going beyond cholesterol in our discussion of heart health and longevity.

Claire dives into the real root causes of cardiovascular issues - including inflammation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, gut dysfunction, and chronic stress - and offers a whole-person approach to preventing and managing heart disease.

This episode goes far beyond cholesterol charts, offering practical tools and deeper understanding to help you truly support your heart -physically, emotionally, and energetically.

What You’ll Hear:

• • Why women’s heart attack symptoms are often misunderstood or ignored
  • The role of inflammation, blood sugar, and insulin resistance in heart disease
• • How oxidative stress damages cardiovascular tissue over time

• • The emerging science behind gut health and cardiovascular function

  • How chronic emotional stress impacts your heart and nervous system

  • The difference between helpful and harmful cholesterol

  • Why a balanced, anti-inflammatory diet matters more than you think

  • Simple lifestyle shifts to reduce heart disease risk

• • What to eat and how to structure meals for blood sugar stability
  • How to tune into your body and notice the early signs of imbalance
    

• Chapters:

• 00:00 – Introduction to Cardiovascular Health

  04:49 – Understanding Women's Heart Health

  11:02 – The Role of Inflammation and Insulin Resistance

  17:37 – Oxidative Stress and Its Impact

  24:32 – Gut Health and Heart Connection

  32:22 – Stress and Emotional Health

  39:55 – Nutritional Strategies for Heart Health

  43:31 – Conclusion and Key Takeaways

  
  Keywords:
  

  cardiovascular health, heart disease, women’s health, inflammation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, gut health, nutrition, stress management, heart health tips, holistic health, blood sugar, cholesterol, hormone health, emotional wellbeing, lifestyle medicine