Take a Load Off Your Heart

December 16, 2002
Piscatella (Fat-Proof Your Child), a motivational speaker who had coronary bypass surgery in 1977 at the age of 32, and Franklin (Making Healthy Tomorrows), director of a Cardiac Rehabilitation Laboratory, collaborated on this clearly written guide to preventing heart disease. Like other consumer health books on this subject, the authors recommend, in detail, nutritional strategies that will lower cholesterol, exercises designed to promote cardiovascular health and, of course, an absolute prohibition against smoking. However, what is different about their plan is the emphasis on reducing stress. According to the authors, recent research into cardiac health indicates that chronic stress not only has a direct negative impact on the heart by, for example, promoting arterial inflammation, but can also play an indirect role. Enduring daily stress frequently prevents people from finding the energy and motivation to make healthy lifestyle changes such as eating sensibly and exercising regularly. Piscatella and Franklin recommend many stress-management techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, learning to laugh and taking regular vacations that will lead to a more relaxed way of life. Exercise itself has been found to be as effective as tranquilizers in alleviating tension. Included are useful self-assessment tests for those who want to monitor and improve their heart health.