Prevent, Halt & Reverse Heart Disease: 109 Things You Can Do

by Barry Franklin Ph.D., Joseph C. Piscatella

Overview

When your doctor delivers the news—you have heart disease, which afflicts one in three Americans (an estimated 81 million people)—you need exactly the kind of indispensable, plainspoken advice found in Prevent, Halt & Reverse Heart Disease. You need Joe Piscatella. A lay expert who’s been lecturing to health professionals and Fortune 500 corporations for three decades, and who is one of the longest-lived survivors of bypass surgery— 41 years and counting—Piscatella shows how to take charge of one’s cardiac health in a bold yet simple, easily understandable way.

Created by Mr. Piscatella and Dr. Barry Franklin, one of the nation’s top cardiac rehab specialists, Prevent, Halt & Reverse Heart Disease was originally published in 2003 and is now completely revised and updated with the latest research on managing the #1 killer of American men and women. The book is divided into three sections: Cardiac Markers (10 of the most important risk factors are examined so that you can assess your risk and understand what the doctor is telling you); Life Skills (the 109 practical tips, from #3 increase your HDL level to #22 breathe deeply to #99 know your margarines to #109 floss your teeth); and Cardiac Basics (an explanation of contemporary tests and treatments). Throughout is information updated since the first edition, such as the recommended dose of baby aspirin per day, the importance of sleep, a smarter way to read food tables, the PLAC test, and more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761160731
Publisher:	Workman Publishing Company
Publication date:	01/13/2011
Pages:	450
Sales rank:	1,109,138
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Barry Franklin, Ph.D., is director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Laboratories in Royal Oak, Michigan, as well as professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine and the University of Michigan Medical School.

Author Joseph C. Piscatella has been a keen observer of American eating habits since 1977, when emergency open-heart surgery at the age of 32 forced him to recognize the intimate connection between dietary habits and overall health. His successful recovery and determination to make adjustment in his own lifestyle and diet inspired a new career as an active proponent of healthy lifestyle changes. As president of the Institute for Fitness and Health, Inc. in Tacoma, Washington, he lectures extensively to a variety of clients, including medical organizations, corporations and professional associations, and is a consultant on major wellness projects for Fortune 500 companies, the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force. Cited in Time for their practicality and effectiveness, his seminars deal with the management of lifestyle habits to increase health, longevity and productivity. Mr. Piscatella is the only non-medical member of the National Institute of Health Cardiac Rehabilitation Expert Panel, which develops clinical practice guidelines for physicians. He is also a member of the Association for Worksite Health Promotion, the American Association of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, and the National Wellness Association.

Table of Contents

Before We Start xv

Introduction xli

Step 1 Assess Your Risk 1

10 Critical Cardiac Markers 3

1 Cholesterol and Other Lipids 8

2 Coronary Inflammation 22

3 Blood Clotting 26

4 Weight 29

5 Blood Pressure 36

6 Diabetes 41

7 Metabolic Syndrome 46

8 Aerobic Capacity 48

9 Smoking 54

10 Personality 57

Your Cardiac Marker Profile 73

Time for Action 81

Lower Your Cholesterol Numbers 81

Reduce Your LDL Level 82

Increase Your HDL Level 83

Bring Down Your Triglycerides 84

Manage Your CRP Level 84

Lower Your PLAC Level 85

Control Your Fibrinogen Level 86

Keep Your Weight Down 86

Monitor Your Blood Pressure 89

Deal with Diabetes 90

Be Smart About Metabolic Syndrome 91

Give Up Smoking 92

Cope with Stress 93

Step 2 Manage Daily Stress 95

Making Sense of Stress 97

What Is Stress? 98

The Stress of Life 104

A Changing View 108

How Stress Works Against Your Heart 110

Time for Action 116

Take Time Out to Relax 117

Reserve Judgment 117

Focus on Concerns, Not Worries 118

Expect the Unexpected 118

Keep a Journal 119

Practice Positive Self-Talk 119

Clarify Your Goals and Values 121

Tranquilize with Exercise 122

Breathe Deeply 124

Get Enough Sleep 125

Develop Resiliency 126

Meditate 129

Listen to Your Spiritual Side 130

Visualize Life as You Want It 132

Take Up Tai Chi 132

Practice PMR 133

Release Stress Now! 134

Laugh 134

Practice Yoga 135

Be Assertive 136

Take a Vacation 137

Stretch 138

Volunteer 139

Get a Massage 139

Don't Be a Stranger 140

Be Realistic 140

Get a Pet 141

Control Your Anger and Hostility 142

Turn Off the TV 143

Step 3 Make Exercise a Habit 145

The Exercise Advantage 147

The Benefits of Exercise 148

A Balanced Exercise Program 159

It's Never Too Late 171

Time for Action 173

Don't Wait till Wednesday 173

Take the Mirror Test 175

Just Do It! 175

Get an OK from Your Doctor 176

Start Slow and Steady 176

Have Fun 177

Work Toward a Goal 177

Take Time to Stretch 177

Join a Group 178

Make a Contract 179

Keep an Exercise Journal 179

Don't Be a Fool for Frauds 180

Walk Briskly 181

Take One Step and Then Ten Thousand 183

Run When You Could Have Walked 184

Be a Road Warrior 186

Banish Negativity 187

Drink Up 188

Spring for a Lesson 188

Make Exercise a Family Affair 189

Take a Seat 189

Plan a Fitness Vacation 191

Lift Those Weights! 191

Use Your Groceries 192

Disguise Your Exercise 192

Buy Shoes That Fit 194

Don't Neglect Your Arms 194

Feel the Beat 195

Switch Gears to Boost Metabolism 196

Visit the Mall 196

Mix It Up 197

Make Machines Work for You 197

Step 4 Balance Your Diet 201

Know What You Eat 203

A Dietary Snapshot 204

What Makes a Heart-Healthy Diet? 209

The Truth About 224

Time for Action 236

Give Up Dieting 237

Decide to Lose Fat, Not Pounds 238

Keep a Food Journal 241

Develop a Hydration Plan 243

Make a Daily Fat Budget 244

Now Keep to Your Budget! 247

Get Your Calories Early in the Day 250

Be Cautious About Dietary Cholesterol 251

Rough Up Your Diet 251

Put More Fish in Your Diet 256

Don't Drown Your Fish in Fat 256

Become Label-Literate 257

Go Lean 262

Watch Out for Ground Beef 265

Add Soy to Your Diet 266

Get an Oil Change 267

Be Picky About Poultry 270

Don't Pass the Salt 272

Make Your Mustache Fat-Free 274

Get Your B's 276

Move the Cheese 278

Hide the Sugar Bowl 279

Drink Tea 282

Get Your Antioxidants from Food 284

Know Your Margarines 286

Have a Drink...If You Drink 288

Rewrite Your Favorite Recipes 290

Eat Your Beans 291

Easy on the Mayo 291

Be Smart About Snacks 292

Dress Salads Lightly 296

Figure Out Fast Food 298

Don't Go Menu-Mad 300

Limit Caffeine 302

Brush and Floss Your Teeth 303

Epilogue 305

Prescriptions, Procedures and Programs 307

Drug Therapy 309

Aspirin Therapy 309

Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs 312

Hormone Therapy 320

ACE Inhibitors 321

Beta-Blockers 323

Combination Drug Therapy 324

Testing for Coronary Heart Disease 325

Basic Tests 325

Intermediate Tests 327

Advanced Testing 330

Newer Diagnostic/Screening Tests 331

Revascularization Treatments for Coronary Heart Disease 334

Balloon Angioplasty 334

Bypass Surgery 337

Emerging Interventional Techniques 339

Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs 341

Rehabilitation Basics 342

Issues Regarding Rehabilitation Effectiveness and Utilization 343

Appendix: Sources, Credits and Websites 345

Index 364

About the Authors 381