Live Longer - Live Better

If you haven't been up close and personal with heart disease or a heart attack; sometimes we forget what we were taught in school about our heart and how it works. Therefore I decided to take myself back to school and learn the truth about my heart. What better place I thought than Kids--National Geographic to see what I had once learned and had since forgotten. Pretty cool stuff!

An average human heart "pumps iron" by beating 100,000 times a day.
Illustration by Sharon Davis

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR HEART
Text by Sarah Ives

National Geographic Kids spoke with heart specialist Robert DiBianco to learn more about this important organ.

According to Dr. DiBianco, the human heart is about the size of a fist.

"Because [the heart] is a muscle with lots of blood supplied to it, it looks red like meat," he explained. "In people who are overweight ... the heart looks yellow because it is covered with yellow fat."

In the United States children are taught to place their hands over their hearts when pledging allegiance to the flag. Most people have heard that the heart is on the left side of the chest. In reality, the heart is in the middle of the chest, tucked snugly between the two lungs.

But what does the heart actually do?

DiBianco explained that the heart is a pump that pushes blood throughout the body. The heart moves blood by expanding and contracting (getting bigger and smaller).

"Each living part of the body needs blood to live, and that's why it's important for the blood to go to different parts of the body," DiBianco said.

When you're exercising, it takes your blood about ten seconds to get from your heart to your big toe and back. In fact, a kid's heart has to push blood through about 60,000 miles (96,560 kilometers) of blood vessels-that's long enough to circle the Earth two and a half times!

All that pumping takes a lot of effort. To push blood, an average heart beats a hundred thousand times a day. That means that in a lifetime, the average human heart will beat more than two and a half billion times.

Because the heart is so important, the American Heart Association reminds people that they need to treat their hearts with care. Exercise and healthful foods can help the heart do its job.

I have followed the advice of this man for years. His column appeared regularly in my hometown paper and I would read everyone of them. I liked his personal approach and his helping people to understand what they can do themselves for their own health. I make him my first expert as he has written a book called Live Longer - Live Better --- The guide for taking charge of your health. Rather appropriate I would say.

One of my favorite quotes of Dr. Gott's is
"Remember, the doctor is there to serve you. Your understanding of your affliction is not a privilege---it"s a right"---Peter H. Gott, MD

Live Longer, Live Better:
Taking Care of Your Health After 50
(The Best Half of Life)

This 400-page primer for better health, by Peter H. Gott, M.D., author of America's most popular medical column "Dr. Gott," is an easy-to-understand, comprehensive guide that will become your turn-to resource whenever you have health concerns.

From Dr. Gott himself: "Like most of life's adventures, medical practice has changed dramatically in the 40 years I've been at it. Many of these changes are desirable: more powerful antibiotics, a giant leap in diagnostic technology, new life-saving surgical techniques, an improved understanding of disease processes, and-most important-an increase in the life span of people in the developed world.

However, as with any change, there are inevitable drawbacks: the astronomical increase in medical costs, the malpractice crisis, practitioners' dissatisfaction with the erosion of their autonomy, unacceptable government interference, the problems with health maintenance organizations, increasing doctor shortages, less personal physician-patient relations, and the increasing tendency of many young doctors to treat the disease instead of treating the patient as a person."

Positive thoughts can motivate healthy behaviors, such as eating right and being active. It's simple really. If you believe you can take 10,000 steps a day, you will be more likely to take an extra walk to meet your goal. If you know you can avoid holiday weight gain, you'll feel great when you pass the tempting dessert buffet, and fit comfortably in your winter clothes.

But the reverse is also true. Your thoughts can be defeating. "I'm already overweight, so it doesn't matter if I eat a second piece of cake." Or, "I only have 10 minutes. It's not enough time to walk." Negative thoughts, often called negative self-talk, may sabotage your good intentions.

"I THINK i CAN"

Remember the famous children's book "The Little Engine that Could"? The theme, with its chant, "I think I can, I think I can," helped the small train make it up the hill. The book's message is as true today as it was when it was first published in 1930. If you set your mind to something, you can do it.

One in four Americans are trying to lose weight at any given time, and older adults are joining gyms in record numbers. If you are one of them, you are more likely to reach your health and fitness goals with the right attitude. Positive thinking can help you achieve and maintain healthy behaviors, such as becoming more physically active or limiting your sugar intake.

Studies have measured the success of positive-thinkers and found that those who think they can lose weight, or increase their physical activity, do! These people are more successful than people with less faith in themselves. The confidence you have in performing a certain behavior is called self-efficacy; and self-efficacy is a key in successful behavior change.

Dr. Weil's Medical philosophy

Weil's general view is that patients do best utilizing both mainstream and alternative medicine. In general, he believes that mainstream medicine is well-suited to crisis intervention, and alternative medicine is best utilized for prevention and health maintenance. He believes integrative medicine is an intelligent combination of both, and that the focus on healing should be on the body's own internal healing mechanisms and system. Nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction are emphasized in almost all of Dr. Weil's health works.

Healthy Aging:
A Lifelong Guide to Your Well-Being

Amazon.com Review=
Dr. Weil has raised dispensing health advice to an art form. Instead of making his audience feel inadequate or guilty about bad habits, he seems to subconsciously convince readers to do better merely by presenting health facts in a non-threatening way. Healthy Aging is his most scientifically technical book yet (you'll learn all about enzymes like telomerase and cell division and the chemistry behind phytonutrients like indole-3-carbinol, and the connection between cancer and other degenerative diseases like diabetes) yet by far his most fascinating.

His main mission here is to recommend "aging gracefully," which he considers accepting the process instead of fighting it. As the director of the country's leading integrative-medicine clinic (combining the best of traditional and alternative worlds), of course he disses Botox and the slew of $100-a-jar face creams out there. It's also no surprise that he focuses on proper nutrition, moderate exercise, and meditation and rest among his "12-point program for healthy aging." (Triathletes and exercise addicts should take special note of the research linking excessive exercise and ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.) He occasionally references his earlier works, including 8 Weeks to Optimum Health. But the most eye-opening sections are those that discuss the spirituality of aging and its emotional aspects. "Aging can bring frailty and suffering, but it can also bring depth and richness of experience, complexity of being, serenity, wisdom, and its own kind of power and grace," he writes. At 63, Weil is still a bit shy of senior status, but is aging well indeed, with the legacy of his late 93-year-old mother (who's touchingly eulogized by Weil in this book) to guide him.--Erica Jorgensen --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

THERE IS NO MIRACLE -- WE BECOME OUR OWN MIRACLE!

Heart disease may be the leading cause of death for both men and women, but that doesn't mean you have to accept it as your fate. Although you lack the power to change some risk factors - such as family history or age - there are some key heart disease prevention steps you can take.

5 MEDICATION-FREE STEPS TO HELP PREVENT HEART DISEASE

1. DON'T SMOKE OR USE TOBACCO PRODUCTS--

Smoking or using other tobacco products is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. When it comes to heart disease prevention, no amount of smoking is safe. Smokeless tobacco and low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes also are risky, as is exposure to secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,800 chemicals. Many of these can damage your heart and blood vessels, making them more vulnerable to narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis can ultimately lead to a heart attack.

The good news, though, is that when you quit smoking, your risk of heart disease drops dramatically within just one year. And no matter how long or how much you smoked, you'll start reaping rewards as soon as you quit.

2. GET ACTIVE--
Regularly participating in moderately vigorous physical activity can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease. And when you combine physical activity with other lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater. Physical activity helps you control your weight and can reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. It also reduces stress, which may also be a factor in heart disease.

And remember that things like gardening, housekeeping, taking the stairs and walking the dog all count toward your total. You don't have to exercise strenuously to achieve benefits, but you can see bigger benefits by increasing the intensity, duration and frequency of your workouts.

3. EAT A HEART-HEALTHY DIET--
(More will be covered on this later.)
Just remember what you Mamma told you, "Eat more fruits and vegetables and no more sweets!"

4. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT--
As you put on weight in adulthood, your weight gain is mostly fat rather than muscle. This excess weight can lead to conditions that increase your chances of heart disease - high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Even small reductions in weight can be beneficial. Reducing your weight by just 10 percent can decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol level and reduce your risk of diabetes.

5. GET REGULAR HEALTH SCREENINGS--
High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels. But without testing for them, you probably won't know whether you have these conditions. Regular screening can tell you what your numbers are and whether you need to take action.

REMEMBER: PREVENTION PAYS!--
Heart disease is often avoidable. Following a heart-healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be complicated. Find ways to include heart-healthy habits into your lifestyle - and you may well enjoy a healthier life for years to come.

Experts have known for years that men and women aren't equal when it comes to heart disease, but new research spotlights the need for
women and their doctors to fully understand gender differences. "We have a lot of catching up to do in women's heart disease," says
Dr. Angela M. Taylor, co-director of the Diabetes Cardiovascular Clinic at the University of Virginia.

To bridge the information gap, Taylor is launching a study to examine and compare plaque deposits inside arteries of men and women.
Cardiologists are discovering fascinating differences between the genders. For example, Taylor says, women's arteries simply behave
differently than men's . When cholesterol, or plaque, builds up in women, their arteries tend to enlarge to accommodate it. In men, the plaque simply blocks the arteries. Because standard tests look for blockages, women's plaque often remains hidden. Some scientists believe that, in addition to dietary means, damaging cholesterol deposits may occur during pregnancy in some women. "We do know that this plaque
buildup can cause heart attacks. It can also cause symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue. The problem is that it isn't
diagnosed as coronary disease, because our current testing methods cannot diagnose this diffuse disease," Taylor says. "This early disease may have something to do with why women die more often than men in the setting of a heart attack." If you're experiencing chest pain yet standard tests don't reveal what's wrong, insist that your doctor evaluate the causes, Taylor says.

Women delay getting medical care for heart attacks more than men. NO MORE EXCUSES!

Don't become a heart attack statistic - learn all you can about heart attack warning signs and symptoms. If you are having symptoms, call 911, take an aspirin to prevent further blood clotting, and demand that the emergency room staff take your complaints seriously. Make sure the doctor gives you an EKG and/or blood enzyme test to see if you are having a heart attack.

Go Red for Women Day nationally was on February 5; but many individuals, organizations, clubs and churches are participating in the Go Red awareness campaign and have held or are holding events in their communities. You can get involved by visiting Go Red for Women