Monthly Archives: April 2013

Better Health Through Science, Heart Health, Women's Heart Disease

WOMEN’S HEALTH CONFERENCE IN WHITEFISH

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SAVE THE DATE AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS

TO THE

SPRING INTO ACTION

WOMEN’S HEALTH CONFERENCE

Saturday May 4th 2013 10 am – 2 pm

Rocky Mountain Lodge in Whitefish

Additional information will be posted at the North Valley Hospital Website.

At the conference, I will be doing a presentation on heart disease with information especially for women.

The new Lipstick Logic Health Series book on  heart disease won’t be ready in time for the conference but will be available as both an e-book and in print later in May.

YOUR HEART: Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women-and it is preventable.  Your Heart is a comprehensive evidence-based guide to heart health.  Up-to-date heart information includes details on diagnosis, treatment and prevention, along with food and lifestyle recommendations.

Hope to see you at the conference!

Betty Kuffel, MD

Better Health Through Science, Heart Disease in Men, Heart Health, Type 2 Diabetes, Women's Heart Disease

LINKS TO LIVING LONGER

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DON’T WAIT–DROP THE WEIGHT

Coronary artery disease (CAD) kills more men and women than any other disease including cancer. Being overweight increases your chance of heart attack. With 68% of adults in the US now being overweight or obese, weight loss is key in reducing heart disease and sudden death risks. Reduce your risk for dying from this silently progressive disease by taking control of your life. The most important step to reduce your risks for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease is to obtain a normal weight. Weight loss is difficult, possibly more difficult than quitting smoking, but if you do smoke, it is killing you. You need to stop. Smoking is the number one risk for heart disease. To reduce your weight, you can’t  just stop eating. Instead, you must make choices, change your eating habits and begin following a path to health.

This is the first LINK TO LIVING LONGER blog. Regular postings will follow. Many will be excerpts from our book Your Heart that will be available this month. Your Heart is a handbook for heart health and the road to longevity. All of the information is science-based. No gimmicks. All the facts are there, from normal heart function to what happens at the cellular level when cholesterol starts clogging your arteries.

We won’t try to turn you into doctors, but all the facts will be there to help you make informed decisions related to your health and the health of your family. You will be able to understand cholesterol, dietary fats, sugar, high fructose sugar and how obesity is killing us. The book is not a diet book but does provide factual information on food choices.

You may want to try the “5:2” diet popularized by Dr. Michael J. Mosley. See the link below. In the 5:2 diet, you eat normally for five days, then you eat only 500 calories for 2 days.  Many people are finding this “intermittent fasting” diet a way to jump-start their weight loss program. You might call it a gimmick, but it is a way for you to begin losing weight while  learning to change what you eat. If you are diabetic, you should do this only under the care of your physician. However, as a Type 2 diabetic, weight loss does reduce insulin resistance and may actually get you off your medications. Weight loss also lowers blood pressure and reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and stroke.

On the days your calorie intake is down, your body will thank you. Soon, you will be patting yourself on the back. Feeling better and lowering heart risks is your present to yourself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5:2_diet

Betty Kuffel, MD

Better Health Through Science, Heart Health, Women's Heart Disease

YOUR HEART: PREVENTING AND REVERSING HEART DISEASE

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TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH

Your Heart: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease will be available this month. We are in the final editing process. To give you an early start on some of the book’s content, Lipstick Logic will be posting excerpts. Based on the latest evidence-based research, you will have the information and power to make changes to improve your heart health. 

Front Page - Kindle- 6x9Your Heart is a handbook on heart disease. Coronary artery disease is preventable. Caused by narrowed heart arteries it kills more men and women than any other disease including cancer. Because one-in-four women die of heart disease and two-thirds of them have no recognized symptoms, learning the information in this book may be life-saving.

The heart is the only muscle that never rests. You sleep, but your heart doesn’t. Its built-in nervous system electrically drives this biological engine every minute of your life. Your heart’s neurological pacemaker fires off an electrical impulse signaling the heart muscle to contract. As the muscle contracts, the chamber inside the heart becomes smaller. As the chamber reduces in size, it pushes blood through the aortic valve into the aorta and through the rest of the body.

The coronary arteries run on the surface of the heart and with each contraction, blood surges into them to supply the heart muscle with nutrients and oxygen. With each beat about 70 ml (2+ounces) of blood exit the heart. If your heart rate is 70 beats per minute, add it up—your heart circulates approximately 5 quarts of blood each minute. Without this mandatory oxygen distribution to the body life ends.

Along with transporting red blood cells that carry oxygen to all organs, the blood carries many other cells, proteins and factors needed to sustain life. This red super-highway carries wonderful nutrients to feed your cells. Swirling throughout the body are cells that fight infection, promote clotting and support life functions. The blood also carries factors, that in excess, cause heart disease and early death.

In developed countries throughout the world coronary artery disease (CAD) is the primary cause of death. It is a disease of affluence. We eat not only because we feel hungry, we eat for enjoyment, to pass time, and at social events we munch mindlessly. The fact is, we eat too much and it’s making us sick.

Coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death in both men and women, is tied to obesity. Your food choices, portion sizes and exercise interplay, but CAD is more complex than these factors alone.

Understanding the anatomy, physiology and dynamics of heart function in health and disease, and actions both men and women can take to reduce related risk factors are provided in the book. The latest research information makes this book a up-to-date valuable reference and includes diagnosis, treatment details and dietary recommendations.

Betty Kuffel, MD