Embrace Your Heart Blog

Congratulations American Heart Association

Woo Hoo American Heart Association!

The AHA's mission to reduce cardiovascular deaths by 25% by the year 2010 seemed huge.  But this week the AHA announced they DID IT!

Deaths due to heart attacks and stroke have been steadily decreasing since 1999 -- Great News!

Much of the decline is due to quicker diagnosis and treatment.

So what does this mean to you?

To be one of the survivors you must put yourself in the position to receive quality treatment immediately.  Women often do not receive the same treatment as men presenting with the same symptoms.  Get more details on how to take charge in the ER.

Avoid a heart attack or stroke by developing an active lifestyle, eating well, and managing your stress .  Even though treatments are improving, don't abuse your body and then count on medical science to save your life.

Get involved.  While overall deaths are decreasing, women's survival rates are not improving.  Help overcome the treatment, diagnosis, prevention and education disparity by joining the AHA's efforts to pass the HEART for Women Act.

Protect the children. The alarming trend in childhood obesity will offset any gains in treatments in the future.  We could well see the death rates slip backwards as our sickest generation ages.  Get involved in your community.

The future looks bright if we all get involved on a personal and community level.

Please add your suggestions or comments below!

Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor, author and nationally known speaker on a mission to encourage women to recognize heart disease as their most serious health threat and provide down-to-earth strategies for active and healthy lives.  Learn more about Eliz and the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com

Do You Remember When...

When was the last time you made a memory?  On Monday, our family made one.  Our daughters are deep into the American Girl stage and received dolls from Santa this year.  Monday marked our first pilgrimage to American Girl Place in Chicago.  Quite the adventure.

I know lunch with Mama, Daddy (yes, Clay bravely joined us for a completely girlie day), Nana, Aunt Tracy -- and their dolls will live in Gracie and Callie's memory for a long time.  I know it will live in mine!

Opportunities to make memories can slip by so easily in this busy world.  It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, but taking the time to really connect with the important people in your life is essential.  The ball game, a silly dinner, or a special time set aside just to be together can carry your relationship through challenges and rough spots.

When did you last make a memory with the people you treasure?  Make plans today -- don't let the opportunity slip away.

Please add your suggestions or comments below!

Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor, author and nationally known speaker on a mission to encourage women to recognize heart disease as their most serious health threat and provide down-to-earth strategies for active and healthy lives.  Learn more about Eliz and the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com

How much anxiety do you have?

Researchers continue to discover more and more relation between anxiety and heart disease.  The greater your stress, the greater your chance of heart attack and stroke.

Many of us are not even aware of our daily level of anxiety.  Your body has an amazing capacity for adaption.  Put it in a long term stressful situation, it will become accustomed to the lack of sleep, poor habits, high levels of stress hormones and other physical symptoms of anxiety.  However, in the long run your body needs a break, and without it will begin to break down.

So, are you managing your stress -- or have you just become accustomed to it?

For tips to evaluate and reduce your anxiety read my column at MyHealthyHeartInfo.com

Please add your suggestions or comments below!

Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor, author and nationally known speaker on a mission to encourage women to recognize heart disease as their most serious health threat and provide down-to-earth strategies for active and healthy lives.  Learn more about Eliz and the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com

Say It Loud! Saving your own life.

As we've discussed previously, women need to be in proactive in an heart emergency to be sure they receive the best treatment.  The Ladies' Home Journal offers six steps to save your life during a heart attack. 

One of the steps suggests calling 911 and saying forcefully, "I'm having a heart attack."  This step is incredibly powerful, arriving at the ER in an ambulance will give you priority, announcing you are having a heart attack will put you on the right path for treatment.  Don't worry about being wrong. When dealing with a heart emergency the quicker you receive treatment, the better your recovery.  Even if you are wrong, you still will receive the tests needed to rule out a heart attack -- which is important in itself.

In an emergency, say it loud -- say it often and save your life!

Please add your suggestions or comments below!

Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor, author and nationally known speaker on a mission to encourage women to recognize heart disease as their most serious health threat and provide down-to-earth strategies for active and healthy lives.  Learn more about Eliz and the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com

Girl Scouts Go Red!

Talk about Community Impact!  Check out the Go Red Girl Scouts Patch Program developed by the UW Health Heart and Vascular Care and the American Heart Association!

 

As a Girl Scout leader, I can't wait to participate in the program which seeks to bring Girl Scouts and the women they love together to raise awareness of the danger of heart disease.

 

The mission for the Go Red Girl Scouts Patch Program is to help girls love their hearts, make healthier choices and empower women they love to do the same.   TNT's Dramatic Differences is currently featuring the volunteer who spear-headed the project, Alaina Wendlandt, and the Go Red Girl Scout Patch Program.  I was delighted to represent the American Heart Association in the piece.

Please add your suggestions or comments below!

Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor, author and nationally known speaker on a mission to encourage women to recognize heart disease as their most serious health threat and provide down-to-earth strategies for active and healthy lives.  Learn more about Eliz and the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com

Live 14 years longer

Did you know people with healthy habits live 14 years longer?  Check out these tips in my article at MyHealthyHeart.com

You can now find my weekly healthy lifestyle tips for busy people on the MyHealthyHeartInfo website.  I am delighted to have the opportunity to reach more people.  Check it out!

Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor, author and nationally known speaker on a mission to encourage women to recognize heart disease as their most serious health threat and provide down-to-earth strategies for active and healthy lives.  Learn more about Eliz and the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com

Feel Great in 2008!

Happy New Year!

My husband arrived for New Year's Eve dinner in a tuxedo.  TA DA!  Which may not seem unexpected, unless you can imagine me cooking in the kitchen in my old jeans and big socks!  We were planning a festive dinner with our daughters, some champagne and a movie. The girls were delighted and there was laughter all around. Unexpected and laughter -- just what my heart was longing for!

It's been a difficult couple of months since Clay had spinal surgery in October.  He has been a trooper, but we all needed a bit of fun.  What is your heart longing for and how will you get it in 2008?

Will you resolve to Feel Great in 2008?

Often New Years Resolutions set us up for disappointment because they are too big.  I recently wrote an article for MyHeartHealthInfo.com on making reasonable resolutions by being specific and practical. 

One of the keys to successful change (along with being specific and practical) is to understand why you are making a change.  Take a moment and think about it. Is your heart yearning for something?  If you can name it, and be specific about it, making a plan for success is possible.

I hope the following articles help you -- Feel Great in 2008!

Your Heart Yearns for Indulgence
Your Heart Yearns for Connection
Your Heart Yearns for Inspiration
Your Heart Yearns to be Active
Your Heart Yearns for Information
Your Heart Yearns to Breathe Free
Your Heart Yearns for Grow Food

Please add your suggestions or comments below!

Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor, author and nationally known speaker on a mission to encourage women to recognize heart disease as their most serious health threat and provide down-to-earth strategies for active and healthy lives.  Learn more about Eliz and the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com

Your Heart Yearns for Inspiration

Every once-in-a-while we all need a little push to get excited about life.

This summer I had the great pleasure of hearing Simon T. Bailey speak.  His motto:
“You were born to be brilliant” has stuck with me -- so much so, we are using it as a theme for the Girl Scout troop this year.  I left his presentation filled with energy and knowing I possess all the potential I need, to achieve what I truly desire.

His new book Release Your Brilliance: 4 Steps to Transforming Your Life and Revealing Your Genius to the World will provide inspiration to Feel Great in 2008.

Please add your suggestions or comments below!

Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor, author and nationally known speaker on a mission to encourage women to recognize heart disease as their most serious health threat and provide down-to-earth strategies for active and healthy lives.  Learn more about Eliz and the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com

Your Heart Yearns for Information

Don't live in the dark!

Find the truth about your personal heart disease risk by knowing your numbers -- it is easy!

Take charge of your health this year by getting a good picture of your current health.  Knowing your numbers: Take the Go Red Heart CheckUp and feel great in 2008!

Please add your suggestions or comments below!

Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor, author and nationally known speaker on a mission to encourage women to recognize heart disease as their most serious health threat and provide down-to-earth strategies for active and healthy lives.  Learn more about Eliz and the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com

Your Heart Yearns for Grow Food

Your body needs real food to fuel it. 

Give it Grow Food!

So much of prepared food is full of salt, hidden sugar, and chemicals your body can’t use.  Give you body a break this year and give it grow foods.

Grow Foods, a term coined by Registered Dietitian Jill Fleming, are items on which the sun has recently shined. 

The more refined and processed something is, the farther from a "grow food" it becomes. 

Raw vegetables and fruits are great examples of "grow foods," as are whole grains.   These foods fuel your body; allowing young children to grow and adults to thrive.

Here are few hints to finding grow foods at the grocery store:

The 70/30 Rule: 
Spend 70% of your time in the produce section and 30% in the rest of the store.  Avoid canned vegetables and fruit which contain added salt and sugar.  Choose organic produce when possible to limit added chemicals. 

Flip it over:
Read the labels.   If there are ingredients with more than three syllables, it isn't a grow food.  Keep an eye out for high fructose corn syrup (another source of sugar) and partially hydrogenated oils (the source of trans fat) these are ingredients to avoid.

Salt Salt Salt:
Look for entree items with less than 20 percent of the recommended daily allowance of sodium. Keep your total sodium content for your meal under 30 percent. For more tips to cut the salt check out this article.

Whole Wheat, Whole Wheat, Excellent, AH AH AH AHHH:
Just like the Wayne’s World theme song, look for items labeled as “Excellent Source of Whole Grain.” 

Avoid predigested food:
Avoid “quick cooking” packaged foods such as instant rice and oatmeal.  These grains are broken down to cook faster and contain much less beneficial fiber.  Think of quick cooking foods as predigested food -- it doesn’t sound very appetizing, does it?

Give your body Grow Food and Feel Great in 2008!

Please add your suggestions or comments below!

Eliz Greene is a heart attack survivor, author and nationally known speaker on a mission to encourage women to recognize heart disease as their most serious health threat and provide down-to-earth strategies for active and healthy lives.  Learn more about Eliz and the Embrace Your Heart Wellness Initiative at www.EmbraceYourHeart.com