February is Heart Health Awareness Month

Heart Disease Causes & Prevention
Heart disease is the No.1 killer in women.  Yet, only 1 in 5 American women believe that heart disease is her greatest health threat.

The truth is, women are less likely to call 9-1-1 when experiencing symptoms of a heart attack themselves.  It simply doesn't occur to them to do so. And, why would it?  The bulk of media attention on the disease is focused on men.

Here are some startling facts:

• Heart disease is the cause of 1 in 3 deaths for women each year
• 90% of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease
• Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease and the gap between men and women's survival continues to widen
• The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women vs. men, and are often misunderstood
• While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, 1 in 3 dies from heart disease

What causes heart disease?

Heart disease affects the blood vessels and cardiovascular system.  Numerous problems can result from this, many of which are related to a process called atherosclerosis, a condition that develops when plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries.  This buildup narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow through.  If a blood clot forms, it can stop the flow of blood.  This leads to a heart attack or stroke.  Heart disease can take on other forms as well, including:  heart failure or congestive heart failure, arrhythmia (abnormal rhythm of the heart), or heart valve problems.

How can I prevent it?

Many things put you at risk for these problems - one's you can control and others you cannot.  But the key takeaway is that with the right information, education and care, heart disease in women can be treated, prevented, and even ended.  

Studies show that healthy choices have resulted in 330 fewer women dying from heart disease per day.  Here are a few lifestyle changes you should make:

• Don't smoke
• Manage your blood sugar
• Get your blood pressure under control
• Lower your cholesterol
• Know your family history
• Stay active
• Lose weight
• Eat healthy

Changing lifestyle patterns and choices is a giant step in the right direction.  Though many changes can take time, every step you take towards a healthier lifestyle is a step in the direction of a longer, fuller life.

For additional information, visit mtauburnobgyn.com. 

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Source:  www.goredforwomen.org 

8 Fast, Simple Ways to Improve Your Diet - Now and Forever

Food used to be simple.  You ate what you grew on the land or you bought from a nearby farm or market. Processed food was nothing more than canned, frozen, or cured. Today, food is so much more complicated, which is both better and worse. We can eat a greater variety of healthy foods than our ancestors did (think berries in the winter), but we can also eat a lot more highly processed, chemical-laden ones. Unfortunately, the latter seems to be winning out, if our epidemics of obesity & diabetes are any indication.

To help you clean up your diet in 2015 and reap the benefits (weight loss and possible decreased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer), we found these 9 simple, easy-to-follow rules.  "Our advice," says Dr. Emily Wiebracht of Mt. Auburn OBGYN, "is to start simple and with baby steps.  This not only ensures success, but also helps to create clean eating habits that will last a lifetime."

1.  Toss out a few heavily processed staples -- Instead of overhauling your pantry all at once, start by eliminating corn oil & soda, both of which are highly processed.  Another easy step is replacing refined breads and pasta made form white flour with ones made from whole grains.

2.  Focus on cleaning up your favorite foods -- Keep it simple, determine what part of your diet supplies the most calories and clean it up.  For instance, if your an omnivore, buy meat that comes from grass-fed cattle and eggs from free-range chickens, but stick to conventional produce, instead of organic.

3.  Shop the perimeter -- Most whole, natural, fresh foods are on the outside aisles of the grocery store.

4.  Check the labels -- Instead of eliminating all processed foods, study the labels on the packaging and chose those with fewer, simpler ingredients.  Be sure to avoid hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors and colors, stabilizers, preservatives, and excessive amounts of sodium, added refined sugar & fat.

5.  Think nutrients per serving -- Consider the amount of nutrients in a product rather than focusing solely on price.  Use your smartphone to access GoodGuide, an app that offers health, environment, and social responsibility information, plus ratings on over 250,000 products.

6. Cook more meals at home -- This is an easy way to shift more of your resources toward whole food and potentially save money.  To make home cooking easier, master a few one-pot or one-pan dishes with simple ingredients that you can whip up quickly and will feed your family for days. Check out the Mt. Auburn OBGYN Pinterest page for our favorite tasty, healthy, & simple family recipes.

7.  Retrain your tastebuds -- If you're used to eating foods with lots of salt, sugar, fat, and other attitoves, you'll need to retrain your taste buds to appreciate the more subtle flavors of whole foods. For instance, mix white rice with brown rice or combine regular soups with the low sodium versions, This simple trick will help your tastebuds adjust to cleaner, healthier food options.

8.  Follow the 80-20 strategy -- Eating plans go bad (and are eventually abandoned) when they turn obsessive.  Clean eating is no different.  To avoid that trap, take the 80-20 approach.  That is, try to eat natural food 80% of the time, with a 20% buffer for when you're traveling or socializing.

For additional information, visit mtauburnobgyn.com. 

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source:  www.prevention.com