Stress: A Sticky Situation

Stress Makes Sticky Platelets Most of us know stress causes your body to react in a “Fright or Flight” manner.  Your heart rate increases, cortisol is produced, and – you might be surprise to learn – your blood gets more sticky. One of the body’s more ingenious reactions to a threatening situation is to make…

Cortisol is Trouble! Pay Your Body Back

Is the stress hormone making you fat and hurting your heart? Pay Your Body back by understanding how Cortisol impacts your health: Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands. We all need cortisol to help us react to stressful situations, especially those requiring a “fight or flight” reaction. Our bodies react to stress…

How to beat the odds of Heart Disease

Are you rolling the dice when it comes to heart disease? Do your habits put you at higher risk or are they protecting your heart? Nearly half of American Adults are at increased risk of heart disease according to the latest report from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  That’s right, half of…

Mammograms and Your Heart: Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – but it is also a time to address heart disease as well. Many women see just one doctor each year, an ObGyn. Don’t neglect your heart when you make your visit this year! Not only can a mammogram detect early breast cancer, but it could also predict early…

Busy Woman’s Guide to Triglycerides: Answers to your questions

I understand there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, but what is this triglycerides thing listed on my test results? Good question!  While presenting at a women’s wellness event for Finger Lakes Health recently, I attended a break out session conducted by Maureen Sullivan-Colletta, RD, CDN.  She gave the best explanation of triglycerides I’ve ever…

Busy Woman’s Guide to Lower Blood Pressure: 7 Easy Tips

Doing your best to keep your blood pressure in check and it is still high? Try one (or more) of these secrets to bring it down: Drink water: You need 5 kitchen-sized glasses of water per day to keep your blood flowing correctly. Do you get enough? Too little water will raise your blood pressure.…

Busy Woman’s Guide to Blood Pressure

Here’s what you need to know about blood pressure: About one in every three Americans has high blood pressure. There are no symptoms and only just over half of the people with high blood pressure receive treatment. Often called the “silent killer,” uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney…

What about family history? Busy Woman’s Guide answers your questions

The men in my family all have heart disease and high blood pressure, but the women are all healthy. I’m safe, right? Sorry, I’m afraid not. Taking all other risk factors into account, if you have a close family member with heart disease, your risk nearly doubles. ALL family members, both male and female, factor…

Cortisol is Trouble! Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart

Is the stress hormone making you fat and hurting your heart? Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands. We all need cortisol to help us react to stressful situations, especially those requiring a “fight or flight” reaction. Our bodies react to stress by giving us a quick burst of energy, lowering our sensitivity…