You’ve heard me talk about tea bag wisdom in the past, but this time I’m taking the wisdom a step further.  Not only are those little sayings on my tea bags good for the soul, now here’s an article that talks about how good green tea is for the heart

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080705/hl_time/doesgreenteahelptheheart

But not to feel like you are short-changed, here are a few words of wisdom to think about when drinking your next cup of green tea.

“All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire.”  Aristotle

So what do your actions say about you?  Do you take chances or focus on a goal and work toward it?  Do you surround yourself in nature or get caught up with everyday stresses?  Are you compulsive or do you honor your body and work diligently to accomplish your goals?  Are your habits good or bad for you? Do you listen to others before reacting?  Where is your passion?  What do you desire?  Hmm.  That’s a lot to think about.

Let me make this short and end with a Chinese Proverb: “When the heart is at ease, the body is healthy.” 

Drink up everyone.  Here’s to your health.

Posted: July 8th, 2008 under healthy eating, heart disease, mindfulness, present moment.
Comments: 1

 by Kimberly Van Brunt Women are twice as likely to have clinical depression when compared to men. By itself, depression can be a serious and chronic condition that requires medical treatment. But if you’re a woman with heart disease, depression can severely hinder your road to recovery.It’s estimated that 20 to 25 percent of all patients in a cardiac care unit are depressed at any given time - and if you include those with symptoms of mild depression, that number goes up to around 50 percent. “Clinical depression doubles the risk of having heart disease, and it also doubles your risk of having a negative health outcome,” says Kathy Kastan, L.C.S.W., M.A.Ed., author of From the Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Living Well with Heart Disease.Researchers don’t know exactly how the two are connected, however, the increased cardiac risk may stem from personality traits, like chronic anger or chronic anxiety, which can lead to clinical depression. For heart patients, an initial period of sadness or depression can be a natural response to illness, a side effect of medications or lack of social support.It may be more difficult to diagnose clinical depression immediately after a cardiac event like a heart attack - but it’s the lasting symptoms that should signal a red flag to both patients and health care providers.A total of five symptoms have to be present for two weeks to make a diagnosis of clinical depression. These symptoms include:

• Depressed mood during most of the day
• Inability to enjoy usual activities
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Appetite changes - eating too little or too much, including changes in weight
• Physical slowing, sluggishness or agitation
• Decreased energy (fatigue)
• Sense of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
• Difficulty with concentration, memory or indecisiveness
• Recurrent thoughts of suicide or death

It’s important for women with heart disease to take symptoms of clinical depression to heart. If you think you are suffering from depression, speak with your healthcare provider about treatment options. Treatment for depression may include stress management techniques, psychotherapy and anti-depressant medications.“Most of us want a quick fix,” says Kastan. “We don’t want to take the time to deal with our clinical depression - but many times, we need that extra set of ears to listen, and that extra set of hands to guide us where we need to go.”References: WomenHeart 2007 Science and Leadership Symposium 

Posted: June 24th, 2008 under heart disease.
Comments: 2

A mantram is a word or phrase with spiritual meaning.  I learned mantram in my yoga class.  I repeat Om mam everyday. These are Sanskrit words that translate to God heart. I began sayingthis mantram after my heart attack in 2006.  I say these two words 1,080 times in the morning.  I use mala beads (108 beads strungtogether in a necklace) to keep track of the count.  It starts my day in a quiet reflective mood that keeps mecalm the rest of the day. 

I just came across a item in a local health newsletter.  Researchers confirmed what I alreadyknew.  Mantram repetition is helpful for managing stress, emotions other than stress, insomnia and unwantedthoughts.  The article by JillBormann can be accessed online from the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Posted: May 3rd, 2008 under Stained Glass, heart disease, meditation, yoga.
Comments: 5

There is a good article about how lowering your stress and anxiety can lower your risk of heart disease.  Check it out. Lower Your Stress, Spare Your Heart 

Posted: April 24th, 2008 under Stained Glass, heart disease.
Comments: 2

We’ve heard a lot about heart disease.  But do you know all the warning signs of a heart attack?  Do you know how many times your heart beats every single day?  Do you know how to stay heart healthy? CNN has a nice article in their health section with a Heart Smart Quiz.  Check it out. 

Posted: April 9th, 2008 under Stained Glass, heart disease.
Comments: 4

Are you having a stressful day?  A stressful week?  Is your entire life filled with one stressful situation on top of another?  Are you a jellyfish, so relaxed that you don’t have a care in the world?  Or are you on an even keel and able to manage your stress?  Are you a borderline stressaholic? Or a candidate for heart disease?

If you don’t know how stress is affecting your life,  you may want to find out, because stress can be life threatening. 

I found this website that asks twenty questions to help you identify your stressors.  It’s fun.  Give it a try.

Stress Quiz

There are a lot of stress management techniques you can do to combat stress like deep breathing, exercise, and yoga.

Here are a couple of websites I’ve found that give some good suggestions.

Stress Management from Mind Tools  

Article on Stress Management for Patients & Physicians 

My biggest stressor is Wanting to do as much as possible in the least amount of time.” 

What’s your biggest stressor? 

Posted: March 19th, 2008 under Stained Glass, heart disease, meditation, mindfulness.
Comments: 2

Many of us have seen the movie “The Bucket List,” but how many of us have actually taken the time to sit down and write one out for ourselves?

I’ve thought about what I’d like to do in my life before I die and at this time in my life, I’m pretty content with what I have and what I’ve already done.  But does that mean I’m at the end of my bucket list?  Hardly.

• See a few countries before my body is incapable of traveling far distances: tour the countryside of New Zealand, take an African safari, stay at an ashram in India, visit Rome and Florence, Italy.
• Heighten the awareness of heart disease in women.
• Teach others the importance of being present as a way to promote health and well-being.
• Deepen my yoga practice.

I’m sure the list will grow as I continue to think about it.  What’s on your bucket list? 

Posted: March 17th, 2008 under Stained Glass, heart disease, mindfulness, present moment, yoga.
Comments: 3

I just read an article on WebMD that described a new procedure called Thombus Aspiration to remove blood clots of a clogged artery.  Interesting concept –

first medical experts learn to suck the fat from your tummy and now they are vacuuming blood clots from your arteries.  Take a look at the future of medicine.

Tiny Vacuum Sucks Clots from Arteries 

Posted: March 5th, 2008 under Stained Glass, heart disease.
Comments: 1

I just read an article that might interest other women.  We’ve known for some time now that obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, but now researcher,  Amytis Towfighi, M.D. at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA has found a link between obesity in middle-aged women and strokes.    The report indicates that the incidence of stroke in women ages 35-54 has tripled in recent years.  The sudden spike in strokes has been traced to an increase in women’s waistlines.  Surprisingly, the incidence of strokes increased even when women were on cholesterol and blood pressure meds thought to lower the risk of stroke.  Click on the link to learn more. Dr. Amytis Towfighi in the news.  Just one more reason to eat more fruits and veggies, and exercise regularly.

Posted: February 21st, 2008 under Stained Glass, healthy eating, heart disease.
Comments: 1

Healing Touch and Heart DiseaseI happened to catch Gray’s Anatomy last week. I’m intrigued by the characters and fascinated by the patient’s stories. What caught my attention last week was the patient who came into the hospital with a dissected artery. The doctors told her if she didn’t have surgery immediately, she’d die. The woman kept putting off the doctors, wanting to wait for her fellow Healing Touch practitioners. She believed that the alternative method would heal her without the need to go under the knife. While I’m not suggesting we throw out Western medicine, I was happy to see alternative medicine getting more attention.While I am a true believer in Western medicine, I also believe in the power of energy healing. I experienced it myself when I had foot surgery about a year ago. I had two sessions, one before and one after the surgery. The results were that I was more relaxed going into the operating room and according to my doctor, I healed faster that his other patients. Around the same time, I attended several talks and workshops on Healing Touch and even received my Level I certification. I practiced healing touch on my own foot after the surgery as well.Here are a few articles I found on the internet that you might be interested in reading.Here’s a good article that explains what healing touch is all about.Healing Touch with Mary Somano And if you are a bit skeptical of what Western Medicine thinks of healing touch and alternative medicine, here’s a good article from the Harvard Medical School.Healing Touch TherapyIf you’re interested in learning more about healing touch or to find a practitioner in your area, check outHealing Touch International

Posted: January 14th, 2008 under heart disease.
Comments: none