Valentine’s Day is Just Around the Corner – Good reminder to take good care of yourself so you can enjoy more quality time with those you love. 

Lecture –  ‘Loving Others Begins With Loving Yourself. Self-Love Begins With Self-Care.’  Thursday. February 16th. 6:30 – 7:30 pm. Hearty healthy snacks and beverages will be available. Cost: ‘By Donation.’ Contact us for details and to register. Advance Registration Required. 

Contact us for other wellness and self-care workshops available through Dreamtime Wellness™ (Ask in advance if you wish to receive continuing education contact hours/ceu’s for nurses, social workers, body workers and case managers for some workshops.)

February is a Big Month for ‘Heart Health’ Awareness  – 

• Women’s Heart Week – First week of February.
• ‘Wear Red’ Day – February 3rd.  #GoRedWearRed
• National Heart Month – the entire month of February

‘Get Your Red On’ and Help Spread the Word.

 

Having worked in cardiac medical/surgical intensive care units, I know all too well the dire effects of heart disease. There has been progress made in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. Thankfully, people are living longer, healthier lives.

But the Fact Remains, Heart Disease is the #1 Cause of Death for Men and Women. (Deaths from cancer, a close second.)

Education for prevention, symptom awareness, early intervention and treatment of heart disease helps save lives. Healthy lifestyle management and decreased cardiac risk factors lead to healthier hearts and lives for All.

Some Cardiac Risk Factors Cannot Be Controlled: Age, gender, race, and family history.

The Good News – You can take steps for healthy lifestyles that prevent heart disease! Everything you do to prevent heart disease also helps prevent stroke.        Ask Your Doctor.

Continue Reading for ‘Steps to a Healthier Heart’ –

Cardiac Risk Factors That You Can Control 

• Avoid/Stop Smoking – Eliminate the #1 cause of preventable death in the United States. Nicotine addiction is considered a disease of the brain. A multidisciplinary, collaborative team for support may make it easier to stop. Ask your doctor how to stop smoking. (Contact me for a free smoking cessation/tobacco treatment consultation for added help.)

‘Enjoy the Fresh Air and Breath of Life.’ *

• Control Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Levels.

‘All Your Body Systems Operating Ideally.’*

• Attain/Maintain a Healthy Body Weight – Healthy weight includes healthy eating and healthy exercise behaviors. Tips from AHA

‘Maintain a Healthy Weight at Which You Look and Feel Your Best.’*

• Move Your Body. Make time for daily exercise. Exercise positively impacts all your body systems, as well as mind and spirit and makes it easier to maintain healthy weight. Ask your doctor for an ‘exercise prescription‘ to know which exercises are right for you, and that you exercise within safe guidelines for you. Exercise Recommendations from the AHA.  

‘Exercise Energizes Me. Exercise Makes Me Feel Good.’*

• Limit Sugar and Sugary Beverages – 

According to the American Heart Association, too much added sugar in your diet contributes to obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and could significantly increase your risk of dying from heart disease.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting the amount of added sugars you consume. For most American women, that’s no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons of sugar.) For men, it’s 150 calories per day, (about 9 teaspoons.)

‘Meditate and pray each day, reflecting on the sweetness in life.’*

• Limit Salt – The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting sodium intake to less than 1,500 milligrams a day, yet Americans consume more than double the amount of sodium that’s recommended, according to the AHA.

‘Read the Labels’ – ‘Low Sodium’ products may still have too much salt, especially for someone with heart disease.

‘Fresh is Best’ – Avoid prepared/processed foods which may be high in salt.

‘Shop the perimeter; at grocery stores.  The outer aisles of grocery stores generally contain fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meat and dairy—fresh items that are important for a balanced, low-sodium diet.

• Adequate Sleep. Studies by the AHA showed that poor sleep quality is linked to increased inflammation and increased risk of high blood pressure, contributing to heart disease. Sleep apnea is a “sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep” and increases the risk of high blood pressure, cardiopulmonary disease and congestive heart failure. (NIH)  (Talk to your doctor if you experience disrupted sleep.)

• Limit Alcohol – Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure and risk for heart disease. Alcohol is high in sugar and can increase levels of triglycerides, which can harden your arteries.
  • Women should have no more than 1 drink a day.
  • Men should have no more than 2 drinks a day.

‘Fresh, Pure Water is Your Healthy Drink of Choice.’*

• Avoid and/or Manage Stress Levels. The stress response can contribute to inflammation, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. You cannot always avoid negative stressors occurring, but you can learn to better control how you react to stress and create a healthier response. (Contact me for a free consultation on stress management and simple tips for relaxation.)

Relaxation Techniques include but are not limited to – breathing relaxation, hypnosis, massage, meditation, reiki, tai chi, qi gong, yoga. Laughter, walks in nature, music and art, and support from others are also helpful for stress relief. Even 15 minutes a day of breathing relaxation has been shown to be helpful for lowering blood pressure.

‘Make time each day to sit quietly and breathe and relax.’*

A Healthier Community  – Your efforts and good health makes you a positive role model for others. Enlist family, friends, neighbors and co-workers for motivation and to encourage a healthier community.

Talk to Your Doctor about prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.

(*) Designates Positive Suggestions for Positive Change from my recorded self-hypnosis programs for optimal wellness.

You Can Do It!

Let me know if you would like assistance with your healthy goals of optimal wellness. Contact me for a free consultation – 978-283-4258 or email: info@dreamtimewellness.com.

Best in Health,  Karen

Karen Pischke B.S.N., R.N., C.C.R.N. Alumnus. Certified Hypnotherapist, Tobacco Treatment Specialist, Usui Reiki Teacher/Komyo Shihan. Owner/Founder of Dreamtime Wellness LLC. Your Bridge to Health. Promoting Optimal Wellness for Mind, Body and Spirit www.DreamtimeWellness.com. Find us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dreamtime-Wellness-/348619611849199

Disclaimer: This blog pro­vides gen­eral infor­ma­tion and dis­cus­sion about health and related sub­jects. The words and other con­tent pro­vided in this blog, and in any linked mate­ri­als, are not intended and should not be con­strued as med­ical advice. If the reader or any other per­son has a med­ical con­cern, he or she should con­sult with an appropriately licensed physi­cian or other health care worker. Never dis­re­gard pro­fes­sional med­ical advice or delay in seek­ing it because of some­thing you have read on this blog or in any linked materials. If you think you may have a med­ical emer­gency, call your doc­tor or 911 immediately. The views expressed on this blog and web­site have no rela­tion to those of any academic, hospital, practice or other insti­tu­tion with which the authors are affiliated.

Sources and More Information – 

American Heart Association (AHA)

Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC)

Harvard Health News Publications.

National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute/National Institutes of Health. (NIH)

Quality of Sleep Could Increase Heart Risk. (AHA/GoRedForWomen.)