A Tale of Two Hearts

     If you listen to pop lyrics, women are survivors and we rule the world. In fact, we’re good at being all things to all people. But women, says cardiologist Robert Marshall, MD, often self-sacrifice, put up with hardship, and push through heart disease symptoms. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet only half of us recognize it as our greatest health risk. In fact, many of us think of heart disease as a man’s disease. How many of you can relate to this video?

Is Healthcare Reform Necessary?

Joe Ross, president and CEO
of Meritus Health

     Healthcare reform is a hot topic, but not so easy to understand. What does reform mean, and why should we care? Joe Ross, president and CEO of Meritus Health, draws on his years of healthcare experience and breaks the topic down in a way most people can comprehend. Here are highlights of his recent comments.

The second leading cause of blindness…

Dr. Sunil Thadani

     Happy glaucoma awareness month! That’s right, January is all about educating people about the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of glaucoma. I chatted with Dr. Sunil Thadani, who was also interviewed in this article in the Herald-Mail, to answer some important questions about glaucoma.

Q: What is glaucoma?
A: Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually cause patients to lose vision without warning; the vision loss is caused by damage to the optic nerve. It is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization.

Looking for nutritional information?

     Have you ever wondered why you need to eat fruits? Or why too many carbs are bad for you? Are you trying to lose weight? Gain weight? Avoid gluten? Find new ways to incorporate veggies? Do you want to learn how to make sure your children get all of the food they need, and not as much of the food they don’t need?

Just Push the Organization Button

     These days, there’s an app for everything. “Lose It!” helps you track your calories. “Yelp” suggests nearby restaurants, and “RedLaser” lets you scan bar codes for price checks. But don’t you wish you could push a button to organize your life—from post-it notes that litter your PC, to losing the remote every night. Well, here’s some good news: you can change your evil ways. If you want to get a handle on to-do’s, commitments, objects, and schedules, below are my “best of” organizing tips to help mange your life.

Exercising to Relax

     I’m always looking for more bang for my buck or a way to kill two birds with one stone. So when I stumbled across an article on exercising to relax, it made me stop and think. What if I could burn some calories and clear my mind at the same time? Now we’re talking.

Smoke Signals

     Marianne is a neighbor and good friend of mine. We were chatting about habits—both good and bad—and she shared her journey on how she quit smoking. For those who smoke (or dabble in it), take a read. It might help you make an important decision this year.

     I started smoking my freshman year in college. It was accepted back then—in bars and at parties—and cool. I kept it up for 26 years, and there were times when I’d stop smoking because of a cold or flu, but I’d always get back to my pack-and-a half per day habit.

A Reality Check on Weight Loss Surgery

     Today’s post is a guest post from Denise Tyssens, a patient at Meritus Health’s Weight Loss Center. –Kayla

     Three years ago, I had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and joint pain. I was diabetic, and closing in on weighing 300 pounds. I tried dieting with my bible study group and Weight Watchers, but every time I’d lose the weight, I’d gain it right back again.

New Year’s Resolutions

     Well, today is January 3rd. I’ve always toyed with the idea of making New Year’s resolutions, but I never actually have. I think it’s because I didn’t want to become part of the large group of people who fail at them. According to The Guardian, a paper out of the United Kingdom, 78% of people fail to uphold resolutions. They say the ones who have succeeded had five major differences – they broke their goal into smaller steps, rewarded themselves for each step, told their friends about their goal, focused on the benefits of achieving their goals, and kept a diary of progress.

     I’ve seriously considered making a weight-loss centered goal (who hasn’t?) but I’m tired of focusing on the number on the scale. Frankly, it depresses me, especially when I'm doing the right things and the numbers don't change. Then I saw this video – it’s long, but I promise it’s worth it: