Are you rolling the dice when it comes to heart disease?

Do your habits put you at higher risk or are they protecting your heart?

Nearly half of American Adults are at increased risk of heart disease according to the latest report from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  That’s right, half of Americans have at least one of the three top risk factors: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

Guess what?!

Almost 20% of adults are completely unaware of their risk!

Think about it.

When was the last time you had your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol tested?  Most of us only see a doctor when we are sick, but you can’t won’t know your true risk unless you are tested.

Make an appointment and find out which 50% of the population you are in – the high risk or lower risk group. Knowing your risk will help you make changes to beat the odds.

There is good news!  Much of what increases your risk can be limited with healthy habits.

What can you do to beat the odds?

• Don’t smoke: Smoking (and secondhand smoke) puts heart disease into fast forward – putting you at risk 10 to 12 years earlier than non-smokers. Beat the odds by breathing free!
• Drink in moderation: A glass of wine might be good for your heart, but studies show men who have 3 or more drinks and women who have 2 or more drinks per day increase their risk of heart disease. Enjoy in moderation!
• Move your bootie: Are you active more than 2 hours per week? If so, you may already be beating the odds in this area!  Getting 20 – 30 minutes of activity in every day can cut your risk of heart disease in half. Find ways to fit activity into your day.
• Eat your veggies: Do you have at least 3 veggie servings per day?  One big salad should do the trick! Fill your plate with color and enjoy a healthier heart.

Small changes in your daily habits can may a very large difference in your risk of heart disease.  Make one small change and beat the odds!

Eliz Greene survived a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggled to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and searched for a way to hold on to the perspective and passion she found in her near-death experience. Drawing on her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress.

As the Director of the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative, Eliz travels the country energizing and inspiring audiences in keynotes and workshops on women’s heart health. She writes one of the top 50 health and wellness blogs. Find more at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com.

Are you your heart’s worst enemy?

Do you put everything and everyone else ahead of taking yourself and your heart?

Think about it…

Do you forgo personal pleasures to get just one more thing done?

Do you feel like your backside is often glued to your desk chair or car seat?

Our busy lives often interfere with our health. Make Heart Month (February) an opportunity to become your heart’s friend instead.

Making the choice to put your health first can be difficult. The good news is that even small changes in your daily habits can reap dramatic benefits in your health now and into the future.

Here are some easy ways to fit healthy habits into your day:

Take 10 at 10: When the clock reads 10:00 a.m. take a break. Sit back, close your eyes (unless you are driving) and take 10 deep breaths. You will slow your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, refresh your mind and be able to return to the task at hand energized and less stressed. Find other tips to manage your stress.

Pull Your Head Out of the Sand: One of the best things you can do for your heart is to understand your own personal risk of heart disease. Visit your doctor and find out your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Discuss what these numbers mean in relationship to your family history. Don’t hide from your risk – do something about it! Find more information about risk factors and heart disease in Eliz’s latest book.

Don’t Eat Boring Food: Put some color on your plate! Load up on fresh fruits in vegetables in smoothies, salads and soups and avoid overly processed foods (if it’s beige or brown, put it down!). Get more tips on eating better.

Move Your Booty: Your body was built to move, not sit in one position all day. An active lifestyle doesn’t have to mean a trip to the gym. Find ways to fit two or three short walks (10 minutes) into your day or use a pedometer to count your steps. Make it fun by dancing in the kitchen while making dinner or shooting hoops with your kids. Get more active lifestyle tips.

Indulge and Don’t Feel Guilty: Time spent doing things to make yourself feel better, reduce your stress, and care for your health isn’t selfish – it is essential. Enjoy a glass of wine, take a walk with a friend, or close the door and put your feet up for a few minutes. You deserve it and your heart will thank you. Find more ideas for treating yourself well.

Be your heart’s friend this month! Leave a comment to let us know what you are doing to celebrate Heart Month and your commitment to make your health a priority and get a free copy of the Busy Woman’s Guide to an Active Lifestyle E-book!

Eliz Greene survived a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggled to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and searched for a way to hold on to the perspective and passion she found in her near-death experience. Drawing on her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress.

As the Director of the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative, Eliz travels the country energizing and inspiring audiences in keynotes and workshops on women’s heart health. She writes one of the top 100 health and wellness blogs. Find more at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com.

Allowing your body to catch up with all you ask it to do is important!

Make sure you Pay Your Body Back™ with some Me Time!

How often do you set aside time to do something just for yourself? Daily life is busy and there is always another load of laundry waiting to be done… but, all work and no play, is dangerous for your heart and your body! If you live life on high alert – always doing and never resting the cortisol in your body rises and rises – eventually attacking your heart.

Make sure you set aside time each day to take a break and let your body catch up.
What would Me Time look like?  Check out these examples:

• Take 10 at 10: When the clock reads 10:00 a.m. — take a break and lower your stress. Do yourself and your heart a favor. Sometime during the 10:00 a.m. hour, stop what you are doing, close your eyes, and take ten deep breaths.
  • That’s it, just ten deep breaths, in and out.
  • Count to five on the way in and to ten on the way out. Focus on the sound of your breath, the feeling in your lungs, and the count.
  • This simple strategy will:
    • allow your brain to get more oxygen (you’ll feel smarter)
    • lower your blood pressure
    • allow you to disengage from what you are doing (you’ll be more focused)
    • allow your eyes to rest (and cut down on eye strain)
    • lower your heart rate
    • brighten your mood
    • make you feel better (maybe even a bit tingly)
  • This strategy is also helpful at the end of the day, to help make the transition between work and home (especially before picking up the kids) and at bed time.

• Enjoy some wine and Chocolate:
  • Take a bite of the chocolate and let it melt on your tongue, swirl in a sip of wine.
  • Let the flavors mingle and savor the taste.
  • Heave wonderful sigh – “ahhhh” to release the tension of the day and focus on what is good. Just indulge yourself – you deserve it.

• Tea at Three:
  • Make a cup of herbal tea during the 3:00 p.m. hour.
  • Hold the warm cup in your hands, breathe in the aroma, and enjoy.
  • This strategies are also helpful at the end of the day, to help make the transition between work and home (especially before picking up the kids) and at bed time.

• Watch something delightful:
  • Sit back, relax, and watch something which will make you laugh!
  • Laughter is a great way to reduce your cortisol level.
  • Watch a clever sitcom or a YouTube video – a little laughter will leave you feeling refreshed and energized, reduce your blood pressure and heart rate and could put a positive spin on your day.

• Rock out:You know the song. You know every word. You hear it and your body just starts to move.
  • Play it loud, sing along – dance around, let the joy out!
  • Use the endorphins to raise your mood and lighten your load.
  • Moving your body – being active is a great way to lower your blood pressure, improve your glucose metabolism, manage your weight – and  reduce your stress.

• Read a good book.
  • Be still and allow your body to wind down.
  • Distract your brain and allow it to calm down.

Pay Your Body Back™ with Me Time every day and it will pay you back with good health!

Check out these other Pay Your Body Back™ Strategies

Get more valuable information in Eliz’s new book, The Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart, or in her Award Winning Blog.

Eliz Greene survived a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggled to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and searched for a way to hold on to the perspective and passion she found in her near-death experience. Drawing on her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress.

As the Director of the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative, Eliz travels the country energizing and inspiring audiences in keynotes and workshops on women’s heart health. She writes one of the top 100 health and wellness blogs. Find more at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com.

You ask so much of your body… why not start 2010 with a resolution to treat it better?

Pay Your Body Back™ before it pays you back in ways you won’t like!

New Years can be a great opportunity to make positive changes in your habits to benefit your health. Resolutions, however, can set you up for disappointment if you aren’t clear and reasonable about your goals.

Think about it. How long do your New Year’s resolutions last?

A few weeks? A few months? It is often hard to keep a resolution – sometimes because we defeat ourselves from the start by making too large of a commitment.

Resolutions are really commitments to ourselves. Things we choose to change or do to improve our lives. Yet, making too large of a commitment can be far too difficult. Making a smaller commitment you can keep on a daily basis may be much more successful.

For example resolving to lose 50 pounds may be too large of a commitment. However, resolving to cut out fast food lunches and make healthier choices at that meal is something you can do on a daily basis.

Making one small commitment and keeping it every day can make a large difference in your health and the way you feel about yourself. Success feels good. Remember, though, it is about building up days and reaching the end of the year. If you slip up – don’t get discouraged. Start again and keep building up the days.

Also, don’t forget to celebrate your success; it will help keep you motivated. When you reach a week, do something nice for yourself. After a month, make sure to reward your good work.

Here are some ideas for resolutions, which can make a difference in your health

• Eat a healthy breakfast everyday
• Eat fish once a week
• Drink more water
• Get 30 minutes of exercise or 10,000 steps every day
• Have a glass of red wine (just one) with dinner
• Take 5 minutes each day to relax, breathe and think about the good things in your life
• Smoke 1 less cigarette than the day before

Celebrate the success of your small commitment to yourself!

I wish you low stress and great success in 2010!

Get more valuable information in Eliz’s new book, The Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart, or in her Award Winning Blog.

Eliz Greene survived a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggled to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and searched for a way to hold on to the perspective and passion she found in her near-death experience. Drawing on her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress.

As the Director of the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative, Eliz travels the country energizing and inspiring audiences in keynotes and workshops on women’s heart health. She writes one of the top 100 health and wellness blogs. Find more at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – but it is also a time to address heart disease as well.

Many women see just one doctor each year, an ObGyn. Don’t neglect your heart when you make your visit this year!

Not only can a mammogram detect early breast cancer, but it could also predict early heart disease!

Along with detecting a lump, mammograms can also detect calcium deposits in the blood vessels of the breast, an indicator of early heart disease. Calcium deposits detected on mammograms correlated to a significantly increased risk of stroke, according to research.

What does this mean? Not only are mammograms an essential tool for diagnosing breast cancer but also they can be a useful in screening for heart disease and stroke as well. “It’s beautiful that you can start to pick up the risk on the mammogram,” said Arvind Ahuja, a neurosurgeon and co-director of the stroke center at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “(The mammogram) can serve two purposes.”

Finally, while you are there ask to have your cholesterol and blood sugar evaluated. Ask specifically what your blood pressure reading. (The Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart can help you understand what these numbers mean)

What else should you do?

Have regular mammograms. Surprisingly, only half the women who should have annual mammograms actually get them—even when their insurance pays for them. Having previous tests to compare can be essential in picking up small changes. Talk to your doctor to determine how often you should be screened.

Ask your doctor specifically if your mammogram shows calcium deposits in the blood vessels of your breast, it may not be something he or she is in the habit of reporting.

Schedule a cardiac and stroke screening if you do have deposits and discuss ways to decrease your risk.

Women who have had open-heart surgery or other surgery in the chest area need to be especially consistent with mammograms because scar tissue can mask a lump. Even if you are not at the recommended age, discuss with your doctor the need to have a yearly mammogram to be safe. Scars and increased sensitivity may make a mammogram more challenging; discuss these issues with the mammogram technician before you begin. If you have an implanted device, such as a pace maker or internal defibrillator, make sure the technician understands the compression must be done slowly and cautiously so as not to dislodge the leads.

If you are scheduled to have chest surgery get a mammogram first if possible. “It is a good idea to have the mammogram before surgery to get a good baseline and then have 12 months to heal before you have the next one,” cautions Mellanie True Hills, founder of the American Foundation for Women’s Health. “The thought of having to deal with a mammogram within three to six months after surgery is frightening.”

If you are 40 or older and haven’t had mammogram in the last 24 months, call your doctor and schedule an appointment today.

Get valuable information in Eliz’s new book, The Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart, or in her Award Winning Blog.

Eliz Greene survived a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggled to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and searched for a way to hold on to the perspective and passion she found in her near-death experience. Drawing on her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress. Find out more at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com

I understand there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, but what is this triglycerides thing listed on my test results?

Good question!  While presenting at a women’s wellness event for Finger Lakes Health recently, I attended a break out session conducted by Maureen Sullivan-Colletta, RD, CDN.  She gave the best explanation of triglycerides I’ve ever heard!  She said when your blood is draw and then spun in the lab, triglycerides are the layer of fat floating on the top of the blood.  EEEWWW!

Triglycerides make your blood thicker and harder to move through your body. The more fat in your diet the higher your triglyceride level will become. High levels are strongly associated with heart disease. A triglyceride level of 150 or lower is considered heart healthy.

The good news? Triglycerides are used by the body as an energy source – so, when you exercise can burn off triglycerides!

The key is to eat low fat, high fiber foods and move around in order to keep your blood flowing well and your triglycerides low.

Get the answer to your question.

Get valuable information in Eliz’s new book, The Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart, or in her Award Winning Blog.

Eliz Greene survived a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggled to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and searched for a way to hold on to the perspective and passion she found in her near-death experience. Drawing on her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress.

Can your attitude help you live longer? According to a study just released in Circulation,the Journal of the American Heart Association, women who are optimistic live longer than pessimists!

Good news! (Yep, count me as an optimist!)

According to the study:

Optimistic women had a 9% lower risk of developing heart disease and a 14% lower risk of dying from any cause after more than eight years of follow-up.

In comparison, cynical women who harbored hostile thoughts about others or were generally mistrusting of others were 16% more likely to die over the same time-scale.

So, what’s the deal here?

It turns out women with positive outlooks on life tend to exercise more, eat better, stress less, and generally take better care of themselves. Which makes sense.

Also, women with positive outlooks tend to deal with adversity better.

Researcher believe harboring guilt, anger and hostile feelings can damage your health and make it more likely you will engage in poor habits such as smoking or overeating.

So, how is your outlook?

Find out with this Optimism Test and help Dr. Suzanne Segerstrom, PhD conduct research on personality and immunity.

How do you improve your outlook?  As my father used to say, behave, believe, become!

Behave as if you are an optimist. Start to say things like: “I’m really looking forward to this weekend.  I think it will be fun!” Choose to do positive things for yourself like eating well and exercising.  Disengage from activities and people who drag you down and surround yourself with people who are positive. Give yourself credit for what you do today and stop dwelling on the past.  Life is not about perfection. It’s about moving in the right direction. Behave your way down the path to a positive outlook.

Believe your behavior and thoughts can change the way you feel.  They can. If you believe you are worth laughter and smiles – you will be. Remember even the darkest times are followed by light. Believe the sun will come out again.

Become the optimist you want to be. Like any habit, filling your head with positive thoughts takes daily practice. When negative thoughts creep in, step back and think it through.  The “what if” analysis works. What if I mess this up? What is the worst thing that can happen?  What is the best thing that can happen? What is most likely to happen? Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst and be happy with something in the middle.

Here are some other tips for positive attitudes:
How to be more optimistic

15 Ways to Get Happy

Benefits of positive female friendship

Small solutions to biggest problems

How do you stay positive?

Leave a comment below and share your ideas.

Get more valuable information in Eliz’s new book, The Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart, or in her Award Winning Blog.

Sign up for free e-mail tips!

Eliz Greene survived a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggled to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and searched for a way to hold on to the perspective and passion she found in her near-death experience. Drawing on her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress.

As the Director of the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative, Eliz travels the country energizing and inspiring audiences in keynotes and workshops on women’s heart health. She writes one of the top 100 health and wellness blogs. Find more at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com.

The news said women who drink moderately have less heart disease.

Really?

What do they mean by moderately?

It’s true! According to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association a moderate amount of alcohol each day may lower your risk of heart disease by increasing your good cholesterol (HDL), and improving your metabolism.

So, go ahead, enjoy that glass of wine (or bottle of beer) you could be doing your heart a favor. One-half to one serving of alcohol per day was shown to be beneficial.  More than one serving per day can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of breast cancer.

How much is a serving?

• 6 ounces wine
• 12 ounces of beer
• 1.5 ounces of liquor

Increase the benefit of your alcoholic beverage by using it to create a stress reduction ritual for yourself. Relax, put your feet up, and truly enjoy your small indulgence. Saying “ahhhh” after your first sip releases tension and reminds you to breathe deeply.

Yes, enjoy your glass of wine – or your favorite choice – along with moving more, eating better and breathing clean air, it is a great way to help yourself live longer, feel better, and stress less.

Thanks for your question!

Ask your question.

Get more valuable information in Eliz’s new book, The Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart, or in her Award Winning Blog.

Sign up for free e-mail tips!

Eliz Greene survived a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggled to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and searched for a way to hold on to the perspective and passion she found in her near-death experience. Drawing on her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress.

As the Director of the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative, Eliz travels the country energizing and inspiring audiences in keynotes and workshops on women’s heart health. She writes one of the top 100 health and wellness blogs. Find more at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com.

So what’s the deal with Acai Berry? Is it really a weight loss miracle? Should I be eating them?

According to the Busy Woman’s Guide’s favorite Registered Dietitian, Jill Fleming, “The Acai Berry is great. Since it has gained so much publicity and the price has gone up, keep in mind that you can get the same benefits (improve your HDL, lower total cholesterol, antioxidants, prevent alzheimers, enhance weight loss, fiber) from blueberries.”

Is it a miracle food? No

No one food is the key to a healthy diet. Feeding your body a combination of healthy foods is the “miracle.” Jill’s new resource My S.O.S. Diet is a great way to fit those important fruits, veggies, and grains into your busy day. One of her best tips is to have a smoothie for breakfast. But not just any smoothie… A Super Energizing Smoothie!

Check out her video on how to make it:

Thanks Jill – for making it so easy to eat better!

Find more of Jill’s tips.

Ask your question.

Get more valuable information in Eliz’s new book, The Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart, or in her Award Winning Blog.

Sign up for free e-mail tips!

Eliz Greene survived a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggled to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and searched for a way to hold on to the perspective and passion she found in her near-death experience. Drawing on her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress.

As the Director of the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative, Eliz travels the country energizing and inspiring audiences in keynotes and workshops on women’s heart health. She writes one of the top 100 health and wellness blogs. Find more at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com.

Drinking water is important for your health, but using the wrong water bottle can damage your heart!

According to a recent study, BPA in your plastic water bottle can cause rhythm and other problems for your heart. Scientists have been telling us bisphenol A (BPA) a chemical found in some hard plastics is hazardous to your health, causing problems with estrogen levels. This is the first study that indicates a problem specifically for women’s hearts.

Ladies, it is time to take this seriously.

What should you do? Here’s the down and dirt based on information from the Busy Woman’s Guide’s favorite dietitian Jill Fleming, RD MS.

1. If you have a plastic travel mug for your coffee or tea. Throw it out. Drink hot liquids from ceramic or stainless steel only. Plastics release into hot liquids and you get an extra heavy dose! Never drink hot liquids from styrofoam cups – unless you want to drink styrofoam.
2. Recycle the grocery-store water bottles after you drink them. Don’t refill them. These bottles are made for single use and the act of refilling causes chemicals to be released. Better yet…
3. Get a re-useable water bottle. Stainless steel is the first choice, for a plastic bottle, turn it over and look at the number in the triangle. Remember these are for cool liquids only.

• #1: Use just once. Don’t rinse and reuse a water bottle you buy at the store. Refilling or rinsing cause chemicals to be released.
• #2: Whew! This one is okay. Hand wash and air dry these sport bottles. If they get scratched or start looking dull and old, replace them.
• 7: Throw it out. Really, toss it — it contains BPA and you don’t want it. Many water cooler bottles and water filter pitchers are #7 — look carefully.
• BPA Free - regardless of number – you should be safe.

Other tips to avoid BPA:

• Buy juice and milk in glass bottles whenever possible.
• Prepare foods in glass or ceramic.
• Cool solid foods completely before putting them in #5 plastic containers.
• Store liquids (including sauces and soups) in glass or ceramic containers.
• NEVER microwave plastic (including plastic wrap).
• Carry water in glass, stainless steel or BPA free bottles.
• Avoid canned food with plastic lining.
• Hand wash and air dry your containers, even though they may indicate “dishwasher safe.”
• Plastic bathroom cups used for a quick sip of water are likely safe – since the water doesn’t sit in them.

BPA is an environmental hazard, it may be impossible to avoid it completely. However, taking steps to limit your exposure will help ensure the health of your heart.

Start moving in the right direction to a BPA free body!

Get more valuable information in Eliz’s new book, The Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart.

Get the answer to your question!

Find more tips to live longer, feel better, and stress less by Eliz Greene at BusyWomansGuide.com.

Sign up for free e-mail tips!

Eliz survived a massive heart attack while seven-months pregnant with twins, struggled to lose the 80 pounds gained during her pregnancy, and searched for a way to hold on to the perspective and passion she found in her near-death experience. Drawing on her background as an adaptive movement specialist, Eliz developed simple strategies and tips to help other busy women be more active, eat better and manage your stress.

As the Director of the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative, Eliz travels the country energizing and inspiring audiences in keynotes and workshops on women’s heart health. She writes one of the top 100 health and wellness blogs. Find more at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com.