Saving Women's Hearts: Book Review and Giveaway

Heart disease is probably something that many of us worry think about. When I was a kid, it wasn't something I even gave a single thought about. Now, I find myself making sure I go to my dance and pilates classes and go to my Zumba classes. I make sure my family and I healthy, well-balanced meals with lots of veggies. I won't lie. I do worry about heart disease.

I was shocked when I discovered that heart disease is the leading killer of women in North America. Did you know that? I thought it was breast cancer. I was mistaken. It's heart disease!

When asked to review the book Saving Women's Hearts: How You Can Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease With Natural and Conventional Strategies by Martha Gulati and Sherry Torkos, I jumped at the opportunity.  I was happy to discover that the book was written by two highly qualified women. Martha Gulati is a cardiologist, specializing in cardiac disease prevention in women and Sherry Torkos is a pharmacist with training in both conventional and complementary medicine. The book was written in hopes of empowering women to recognize the risks and improve their heart health.

Saving Women's Hearts discusses in great detail, the screening procedures, diagnosis, treatment options, and the prevention of heart disease. What I liked the most was that each chapter was informative and as a whole, helped me understand the illness better.

Chapters that caught my attention:
* "Affairs of a Woman's Heart" and "The Risks to a Woman's Heart": Why heart disease is different and unique for women. I was interested in reading about Non-modifiable, Modifiable, and Emerging Risk Factors for Heart Disease Development. I won't spoil this read by giving all the details, but there are lots of interesting facts about genes, ethnicity, age (among other factors), and the roles they play when it comes to heart disease.

* Nature's Pharmacy - the role of vitamins and other supplements
Again, I won't ruin this for you (as I know you are now aching to get your hands on a copy of this book so you can check it out for yourself!). All I  have to say is: Green foods, garlic, cinnamon (to name a few heart-friendly foods)!

* The impact of stress and practical tips on managing stress: This is a chapter I should be memorizing! Strategies for surviving stress and managing stress are discussed in Chapter 10. The chapter opens with the story of Leslie, a single mom with two  young children, who owns her own business, puts in at least 10 hours of work a day, plus has all the responsibilities of her kids and their activities. She goes to bed at midnight and has to get up for work at 6AM. Apart from some slight differences, Leslie's routine sounds strikingly similar to mine. The running from one commitment to another with no time to relax, feeling out of time, anxious, overwhelmed, stressed out...Ummm...Hello?! I feel that way!!!

* The role of sleep and heart health: Yikes! Were you aware that lack of sleep can increase your risk of heart disease and other health problems?

I've read the book from cover to cover and would definitely recommend it to every woman out there. This is something I'm considering getting for my female family members and friends.


Would you like your own copy of Savings Women's Hearts? You're in luck!

WIN IT! Here's how! 

MANDATORY ENTRY:  To be entered to win your own copy of the book, simply leave me a comment about why you'd like to read Saving Women's Hearts. Please remember to leave your email address so I can reach you if you win!

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This giveaway closes on Wednesday March 9th, 2011. Open to Canadian Residents only.



Disclosure - I am participating in the Saving Women’s Hearts program by Mom Central on behalf of Wiley Publishing. I received a copy of the book to review and gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.