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.
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I am a reformed Type-A personality, or at least that’s how I like to think of myself. I decided my Type-Aness needed an overhaul when I discovered I had heart disease (HD). I started with cardiac rehab, changing my lifestyle one tiny step at a time. Once I got the basics down - exercise, stress management, and healthy eating, I began asking myself, “Okay, now what?”Prior to HD, I was a retired academic. I was also writing a romantic suspense novel, the fourth novel actually, but who’s counting. After HD, my life consisted of walking, walking, walking; yoga, yoga, yoga, and cooking heart healthy meals. Then, I thought, it was time to get back into the real world. But what did that mean? Was I suppose to dust off that last revision, polish it some more and send it out to yet another editor and agent? Did I want to face the stress that went along with all the rejection letters I got in return? The answer seemed clear at first, yet as my health returned and I watched and listened to all my Type-A friends go about their daily lives, I felt there was still more I needed to do.So, I started rebuilding my life from scratch. In addition to exercise, yoga, and healthy eating, I took up an old hobby – creating stained glass windows. That was a wonderful addition to my life. I could stand at my table for hours, designing a window, cutting glass, framing it in lead, then cementing the window into a beautiful work of art. But as I continued, something nagged at me that there was still more I needed to do.So, I started blogging. Those who write a blog know that it can be a very time-consuming prospect. I’ve enjoyed writing about how I transformed my life and hearing others respond. Yet, something continued to nag at me. Is this what I’m suppose to be doing now?I enjoyed yoga so much, I became a yoga teacher. Working with others who are interested in finding peace with themselves through yoga is very rewarding. I’m now looking forward to expanding my teaching at different locations in the new year. But the question still lurked in the back of my mind. Is this what I’m suppose to be doing with my life?In addition to teaching yoga, I’ve become a spokesperson for WomenHeart and go around to different organizations and talk to women about heart disease. This too is very rewarding.Now, I look back at all the things going on in my life and I begin to wonder if I’m too scattered. Am I still that Type-A personality trying to do too many things?For the past week, I’ve pondered that question, and a few days ago I met with some friends. They, too, have had to rebuild their lives after heart disease. They, too, dabble in a variety of activities. So we’ve decided to call ourselves the dabblers. I’ve come to the conclusion that dabbling is a good thing. It gives me the opportunity to live a happy, balanced life instead of concentrating all my energy in one area and in many cases stressing out when everything didn’t go exactly as planned. So, yes, I am a reformed Type-A personality. I do the things I enjoy every day. I smile more than I have in years. I give to others, and it comes back to me ten-fold.Here’s to all the dabblers in this world.

Posted: November 30th, 2007 under Stained Glass, exercise, healthy eating, heart disease, present moment, yoga.
Comments: 1

Lately I’ve become lax in my vigilance of living a heart healthy lifestyle. It started subtly with portions twice the size of what I ate before. Then a few stressors cropped up that I didn’t handle immediately. Add to that, forgetting to exercise everyday and skipping a day or two of meditation.A couple of weeks ago, I was eating a tuna fish sandwich and the food seemed to stick in my throat. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Dysphagia and suggested I get an endoscopy. He then referred me to a gastroenterologist. So now I’m waiting for my appointment. Since my doctor’s visit, I haven’t had any other problem swallowing, but I have been taking Protonix for acid. I know that Dysphagia is a common problem that comes with age, but I don’t think 56 is old. Maybe I’m in a California state of mind where you’re as young as you feel.As the story continues, I woke up in the middle of the night with indigestion. The pain wasn’t severe and there wasn’t any burning in my throat like the time I ended up in the hospital and was later diagnosed with variant angina, but I reached for the blood pressure cuff. Normally, my BP is around 110/70 but my current reading was quite high. I grabbed my nitro and sprayed it under my tongue. Five minutes later, I sprayed it again then took another reading – back to normal. My indigestion was gone. Hmmm.So, now I’m wondering what’s happening. For the past year I’ve been religious about my diet, exercise, and stress management. I fell off the wagon, so to speak, and the ol’ ticker starts talking to me again. It’s humbling to think that I’ve come to this point in my life. There is so much happening around me, yet I must stay vigilant about my heart disease. I know what I need to do to stay healthy. It’s so much harder to follow that straight and narrow path, especially with the holidays ahead.So I remind myself to eat lots of veggies, taste but don’t gobble the stuffing, and have some fresh fruit for dessert. I’ll remind myself to take a walk after my feast. And, I’ll try to stay calm as I get stuck in traffic on my way to Thanksgiving Dinner.Wishing everyone a safe, heart healthy Thanksgiving.

Posted: November 20th, 2007 under healthy eating, heart disease.
Comments: 1

Ah. It seems that stress or more specifically stress and heart disease is a popular topic these days. My doctor told me that stress contributed to my vasospasms. But stress can also contribute to Atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries).According to the authors of the Mayo Clinic Heart Book, the risk of developing atherosclerosis is increased by certain risk factors: genetics, eating a high-fat diet, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, smoking, and diabetes. People with these risk factors have a higher likelihood of developing fatty plaques in their arteries which may eventually lead to a blockage and cause a heart attack.There is a large body of research that also links stress to heart disease. Dr. Mimi Guarneri, in The Heart Speaks, tells an interesting story about a man who had a heart attack due to work stress.Today, I came across an article online based on research by professors at the University of Utah and Ohio State University College of Medicine that have found a link between marital stress and heart disease. Marital Stress Linked to Heart Disease It’s a good article you might be interested in reading.Okay, I have to inject a little humor here to relieve the stress of reading an article about stress. As women, we’ve intuitively known that a bad marriage can be very stressful. Divorces are just as stressful. Jobs are stressful. So are four kids at home with the flu. So maybe someday we will see a new list of risk factors: living in today’s society may cause heart disease. To lower your risk, move to a remote location far from husbands, kids, family, jobs, greenhouse gases, wild fires, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, mud slides, etc.I’ve got an idea – let’s all find a new planet

Posted: October 30th, 2007 under heart disease.
Comments: 2

I Hate Being Sick. Okay, yes I have heart disease, but I’m not talking about that kind of sickness. I’m talking about the everyday kind of sick, like the common cold and the flu. The reason I hate being sick is that all the healthy lifestyle patterns that I’ve worked so hard to change seem to fall by the wayside. In its wake leaves a annoyed, angry person.It seems as if I’ve been sick with some kind of virus for about a month and a half now, and I’m ready to lock myself in a padded cell until I’m no longer coughing, no longer feeling sorry for myself, no longer angry or annoyed with every little thing around me. I seem to swing the pendulum of wanting no one around me to wanting everyone to pamper me.What’s going on? Is this a woman thing? Do we as women feel that if we take care of everyone and everything that others should do the same for us when we’re laid up on our backs? Do we expect others to take over all the tasks on our To Do lists? And, when we don’t get the nurturing we think we need, when others don’t live up to our expectations, we become these people from hell.We can never take back the mean words we say. And saying you’re sorry seems so inadequate. But my heart is breaking because I let my mouth spout off without care. I hurt someone I love.I know you don’t have to be physically sick to say things out of anger. People do that all the time. But if you think about it, anger is a sickness too. And for women with heart disease, anger can be deadly.In the book The Heart Speaks, Dr. Mimi Guarneri, devotes an entire chapter to anger. She states some pretty startling statistics. “Recent studies suggest that hostility and other more subtle risk factors such as isolation and depression may be more predictive of coronary disease than more traditional factors such as smoking and high cholesterol.” Later in the chapter, she states: “Suppressed emotions, or ones we are unconscious of, don’t just simmer on the back burner indefinitely; they eventually manifest themselves on a physical level and are reflected in our bodies as physical symptoms. And if you lift up the veil of hostility and anger, you usually find some kind of emotional pain.”So how do we get past the emotional pain and the physical symptoms? I know we’ve all heard this before, but it never hurts to repeat some good medicine. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Let go of expectations. Stay focused on the present moment. Forget about the past, it’s behind you and you can’t do anything to change it. Forget about the future, no one knows what will happen later today, tomorrow, next week, or next year. Focus on the positive things in your life. Keep a gratitude journal. Exercise your body to reduce stress. Eat healthy foods. Take care of your body, your mind, and your spirit, and it will take care of you. And the final words of wisdom – Don’t Forget to Breathe.Ahh. I feel better already.

Posted: October 16th, 2007 under heart disease.
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I recently returned from the Science and Leadership Symposium sponsored by WomenHeart and Mayo Clinic. I’ve been to many professional conferences and personal retreats in my life, but this symposium was so different, I thought I’d share my experience with you.Imagine being in a room with sixty smiling, happy, energetic women. Now imagine all of these women telling their heart stories: tales of genetic defects, heart transplants, multiple bypass surgeries, heart attacks, and stents. Imagine laughter and tears, emotional roller coaster rides as these women describe the toll heart disease has on themselves, their family, and friends. Imagine looking into their eyes and seeing a firm resolve, a reflection of your own determination to make a difference. That, in a nutshell, was the opening dinner.The next three and half days were intense, filled with facts about heart disease, drugs and devices used to treat heart disease, a tour of the Mayo Clinic Cardiac Labs, a meeting with the WomenHeart staff to learn more about the organization. Then there were talks explaining how depression, anxiety and stress can increase the risk of heart disease, how nutrition, diet, and lifestyle play an important part in your overall health. There were breakout sessions in Tai Chi, Pilates, meditation, healthy eating, and sex after heart disease. An entire day was devoted to media and public speaking skills. We learned to introduce ourselves as spokeswomen for WomenHeart, informing others of the organization’s goals: Early Detection, Acute Diagnosis, and Proper Treatment. We learned to tell our heart stories in five minutes, and gained insights about giving media interviews. We heard from Mayo alumni about how they reached out to their communities, and shared our own ideas on ways to make a difference.In this brief period of time, we ate healthy food, we laughed, we cried, we hugged, we danced, we sang, we made heart bracelets, and we bonded as Heart Sisters. These few days touched each and every heart and changed us. At the closing reception, I read a short piece that I wrote about my experience.We Are All AcornsWe are all acorns.Alive and filled with knowledge, experience, and energy.During this symposium, we listened with our hearts; we spoke from our hearts.We all share a passion to make a difference.Now it’s time to root our acorns.To grow into sturdy oak trees.To grow our branches.To sprout our leaves.To stand among other oak trees in the WomenHeart forest.It’s time to speak from the heart, about the heart.For when we speak from the heart, we touch others, and they will know the heart truth.I encourage others to apply to attend this symposium when the next round of applications are available. It was truly a life changing event.

Posted: October 14th, 2007 under heart disease.
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Have you ever stopped to think about the emotions we go through when a major life event hits us smack in the face? When a close family member dies, it’s called stages of grief. When our marriage falls apart or we learn of a major illness we must learn to deal with, it’s called stages of recovery. But in all these situations, the five stages are the same.Stage 1. DenialStage 2. AngerStage 3. BargainingStage 4. DepressionStage 5. AcceptanceNot everyone going through a life changing event experiences each and every emotional stage, but it’s clear that everyone must learn to accept their situation if they want to move forward and live a normal life.How many of us were in denial that we have heart disease? I can still remember that fateful morning when my throat burned, my arm tingled, a baby elephant sat on my chest, and all the muscles in my body refused to hold me upright. A heart attack was the furthest thing from my mind. Ironically, the terms the doctors used in my presence didn’t help me understand what was happening either. I knew they were looking at my heart, but I didn’t realize the seriousness of my situation until after I left the hospital and started researching the definitions of all the medical terms on my discharge papers. Was I in denial? Yes.Once we admit to ourselves we have to face our lives for what they are, anger takes over. We ask ourselves, “Why me?” We blame God, the doctors, our husbands, our children, and ourselves. Anger sometimes accompanies distress, fear and anxiety. If our situation is life-threatening, we wonder if we will live another day, another month, another year. Will we be around to watch our children grow up, go to college, and get married? We live in constant fear of another heart attack, another bypass surgery. Will we survive the next one? We wonder why our families don’t see the emotional pain we are in. How many of our spouses are supportive for a time, but soon go back to their old habits. Do we have a right to be angry? Yes. Can we get past the anger and fear? Yes.Anger, anxiety, and stress had consumed me the weeks and days before my heart attack. I was trying to deal with life situations that I wasn’t happy about. And now, I had heart disease. From my way of thinking, I had to change my lifestyle or die. How was I going to eat healthy, exercise, and dig deep into myself to find happiness? How could I live in a house where my family ate saturated fats and spent their days in front of a computer and television? Determined to survive and live a healthy life, I entered cardiac rehab with a strong determination to succeed.As we gain some control of our situations, we begin to bargain with ourselves. We tell ourselves, “If I go through cardiac rehab, I’ll be fine.” Unfortunately, for those with heart disease, just as for those going through a divorce or learning to live without a family member, there is no easy fix. A ten or twelve week program is only the beginning. We learn about healthy eating habits, begin to establish new habits of daily exercise, learn ways to control our stress, talk with others who’ve gone through similar problems and come to a new understanding of how we must live our lives.If Depression hasn’t set in shortly after our jaunt to the hospital, we may find ourselves depressed after cardiac rehab when we lose the support of our nutritionist, personal trainer, cardiac nurses, spirituality teacher, group support leader, yoga or Tai Chi instructor. Now, we are all alone to carry out our new habits. If family and friends are supportive, they will agree to eat healthier meals and accompany you to the gym. But what happens when those close to us aren’t willing to change? We can feel like we are drowning in the middle of the Pacific Ocean or we can reach outside our close nucleus to others for support.We’ve all heard the saying, “You can’t change others, you can only change yourself.” But what happens when you’ve been married for years? What happens when you’ve made the effort to change your lifestyle and your family members continue to eat unhealthy foods or remain couch potatoes? We find new friends whom share our new way of living. We develop new support systems and learn acceptance. This isn’t always easy, but when we are able to let go of our expectations, when we are able to let go of our fear, we come to a place of peace and gratitude. We find serenity.The Serenity PrayerGod grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;the courage to change the things I can;and the wisdom to know the difference.

Posted: September 24th, 2007 under heart disease, present moment.
Comments: 2

I’ve talked with a number of young women who were blown away when they discovered they have heart disease. Yes, people tend to develop heart disease later in life, but age isn’t the only reason.It’s the risk factors or in many cases, the combination of risk factors that count:- high blood pressure (anything over 140/90)- high blood cholesterol (total > 200; Triglycerides >150; HDL 100)- smoking (yourself or second-hand smoke)- excess weight - (BMI greater than 24 is overweight - BMI 30 or higher is obese)- diabetes (Type I or Type II)- physical inactivity (exercise 30 minutes most days of the week)- stress and your reaction to it (Type A personalities like me, and those with constant stress)- certain drugs (like smokers who take oral contraceptives)- family history (if father or brother had heart disease before age 55 or mother before age 65)- menopause (natural or from surgical removal of uterus)- and of course increased ageBut there’s hope as most of us know. Reduce your risk of heart disease before it happens.- keep your weight at a healthy level through diet and exercise- stop smoking and reduce the amount of time you are exposed to second-hand smoke- get check-ups regularly- manage your stress by taking classes in yoga, tai chi, meditation, etc.- if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol and you can’t lower them by diet and exercise alone, take your medication.

Posted: September 19th, 2007 under heart disease.
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I saw my heart the other day. The technician who performed my echocardiogram took me on a tour to the interior of my being.She identified the four chambers of the double pump that is my heart: two atriums on top, one right, one left; two ventricles on the bottom, one right, one left.I saw the aortic and pulmonary valves open and close like the lips of kissing fish. The mitral and tricuspid valves clapped continuously as if to a standing ovation.I watched in awe as the heart muscle contracted and expanded like the steady beat of a drum and found myself amazed that electrical impulses cause my heart to beat 60 times a minute, 86,000 times a day, every day of my life.The technician moved to the outer muscle of my heart and assured me the walls and size were normal.In the press of a button, the black and white movie turned into a colored Doppler of orange and blue. The sound rhythmic like a washing machine. My orange, oxygen-rich blood flowed from my left ventricle into the aorta to circulate throughout my body through the arteries. On its return to my heart, my blue blood, depleted of oxygen and filled with carbon dioxide, enters the right atrium then cycles through the right ventricle to my lungs for a fresh supply of oxygen.How absolutely amazing. Our bodies were created as perfect machines, billions of cells vibrating energy throughout our bodies. Sometimes through misuse or neglect, these perfect machines become diseased and fail to operate to their fullest capacity. Modern medicine has come a long way to understanding the workings of the heart. They can replace leaky valves, open blocked arteries, regulate the electrical impulses that pump blood through our circulatory system, and transplant a failing heart with a healthy one. The rest is up to us.If we take full responsibility for the upkeep of our bodies, we feed it nourishing fruits and vegetables, we exercise all our muscles to keep them strong, we learn to accept the lives we were given and be grateful for the abundance, for what could be more important in life. Love. Happiness. Peace.Before this echocardiogram, I was grateful for my heart and my breath. But seeing the heart in action instilled in me a greater appreciation of life and gratitude for the opportunity to be one with God’s creation.

Posted: September 13th, 2007 under heart disease.
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