Worth Celebrating: Your Heart!
February 9, 2012 at 11:24 am, by Amelia Harnish
When I think of February, I think of red—lots of it. Not because of all the cheesy (but fun) Valentine’s Day stuff, but because it’s American Heart Month. February doesn’t really start until that first Friday when we celebrate National Wear Red Day.
Did you participate last week? (We did! That’s us, the @lhjHealthLadies on Twitter, above.) This year, Go Red for Women is hosting a challenge on its Facebook page to spotlight its most spirited supporters. All you have to do is submit a photo of you and your coworkers or friends (or pet!) wearing red. Then, until February 23 people can vote via “Likes” on their faves. Winners will be announced February 25.
Here at the Journal we start gearing up for February way in advance, when we plan our heart health coverage for the magazine. Yes, some of it can be glamorous—like the beautiful photos we shot of a model hooked up to an EKG (below) for this year’s story. But the real reason we devot
e pages to cholesterol, blood pressure and the myths and realities of heart disease is that unfortunately, it is still the number one killer of American women. And women between the ages of 35 to 54 appear to be dying from it at an increasing rate, despite decreasing rates among other groups. This year, we also learned that nearly half of women say they wouldn’t call 911 immediately if they thought they were having a heart attack. That’s crazy! Women are also less likely to be diagnosed correctly, making them less likely to receive life-saving therapy right away.
All of this is why we sent one of our over-stressed writers with all the wrong risk factors to see a cardiologist and report back. And why we decided to interview a heart attack survivor turned blogger about why doctors dismissed her symptoms at first. Sometimes personal stories say it even better than statistics.
But that doesn’t mean stats aren’t useful in their own way. Yesterday, I went to a briefing hosted by the Mayo Clinic, The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and WomenHeart where I picked up a few telling numbers:
- 1 in 2 women will die of heart disease or stroke, versus 1 in 25 who will die of breast cancer.
- 8 million: the number of American women with a history of heart attack or angina.
- Do you smoke? Besides the fact that 30 percent of heart disease deaths are caused by smoking, your risk of heart disease is 25 percent higher than a male smoker’s. (And social smoking counts—you don’t have to smoke a pack a day, or even a pack a month, to hurt your heart.)
- 90 percent of women have at least one risk factor.
But the most important number is this one: 80 percent of heart disease cases are preventable. There are lots of things you can do to keep your heart healthy, and the sooner you start the better. Check out our resources page if you need a little direction.
Happy American Heart Month from the LHJ Health Ladies!
Categories: Health, Ladies' Lounge | Tags: American Heart Month, Go Red for Women, Heart Truth, Lung and Blood Institute, Mayo Clinic, National Heart, National Wear Red Day, NHLBI, Red Dress, Wear Red Day Challenge | 1 Comment
Margaret Durante’s Nashville Diaries
February 8, 2012 at 4:33 pm, by Ron Kelly
This month’s installment of Margaret Durante’s Nashville Diaries finds the up-and-coming country star answering our reader submitted questions from one of her previous guest blog installments. Watch our fun video chat with Margaret (and get a quick tour of her recording studio in Nashville) to find out everything from her thoughts on those who shoot to instant stardom on American Idol to her varied musical influences, her love affair with the snooze button and her most recent healthy snack obsession, hummus, which she claims she would eat with a spoon if it were socially acceptable.*
Margaret is gearing up for her next single, “I Ain’t Your Mama,” to hit radio next month. The playful and sassy number is the first release off of her forthcoming full-length CD, tentatively titled Better Now, which is being produced by James Stroud (Tim McGraw, Chris Young, Toby Keith). So while we all wait for those musical goodies, go grab yourself an edible goodie (hummus, anyone?) and continue on after the jump to watch our video Q&A with Margaret.
Note: I checked with LHJ food and entertaining director Tara Bench, and we both say acceptable or not, we’d be right there with Durante eating the stuff by the spoonful. Bench’s creative but less fanatical serving suggestions include whisking a spoonful into a lemon vinaigrette to make a creamy dressing for salad or grilled chicken, or spicing it up with some hot sauce and spreading it on an egg sandwich for breakfast.
Categories: Entertainment, Food, Fun, Ladies' Lounge | Tags: country music, Margaret Durante, Maybe Tonight, Nashville | No Comments
How to Update Your Blah Winter Wardrobe
February 8, 2012 at 8:59 am, by Gabrielle Porcaro
Gab, I am so tired of my wardrobe. Any advice on pieces I can buy to brighten up by wardrobe—and that I can wear now and throughout the spring? — Olivia
I am with you! I am sick of standing in front of my closet staring, hoping something marvelous will just appear. If you want to buy something new, here are my top 5 suggestions for things you can buy now.
1. Tops. Generally tops are always a good item to buy since you can wear them all year round, especially silk ones. This striped tank with a navy cardigan or blazer is perfect for now, and you can wear it with shorts (like the model) when the weather heats up.
2. Color-blocked anything. This is one of the biggest trends this spring. Whether it’s a dress, a top or a bag, you can’t go wrong!
3. Colored jeans. This is another trend that started last fall and will continue through to the summer. There are jeans literally in every hue and in all shapes and sizes. No matter what you are looking for — a skinny, a flare, neon or something a bit safer — you will have no trouble finding it.
4. Loose-knit sweaters. Light, spring sweaters have already replaced heavy winter ones in stores. A loose knit one, like this striped sweater from Rachel Rachel Roy, has a perfect casual vibe for all seasons.
5. Accessories. A colored pump, a neon bracelet or a light scarf might be just the trick to get you out of your winter wardrobe slump.
And don’t worry too much, only 42 days left until Spring…
Categories: Fashion, Fun, Ladies' Lounge | Tags: go ask gab, shopping, update, winter | No Comments
Guest Blog: Holly Burns’ Tips for Remodeling on a Budget
February 8, 2012 at 7:00 am, by Beth Roehrig
from this...
...to this!
If you saw Holly Burns’ kitchen transformation in our March issue, you’ll know that she and her husband pulled off an amazing feat of DIY derring-do. So we asked her to share what she learned about saving money on the process. Holly blogs at Nothing But Bonfires. And is still working up the courage to renovate her bathroom.
How to Remodel a Kitchen on a Budget (Without Losing Your Mind)
Three months after we bought our fixer-upper house in an uncool part of San Francisco, my husband Sean and I decided to remodel the kitchen. Actually, that’s not quite true; we decided to remodel the kitchen before we’d even signed the papers in the realtor’s office—if you’d seen that hideous flowered wallpaper, you would have too—but we needed a little time to save up. I like to joke that we also needed a little time to get our wills in order. You know, in case we murdered each other in the process.
Renovating your kitchen yourself isn’t easy. It isn’t even particularly fun. And it certainly isn’t always cheap. But when you approach the project with a little humor and a lot of knowledge, it’s definitely a whole lot more manageable. If you’re thinking of tackling a DIY remodel, here are a few ways to keep your budget bearable and your sanity intact. Mostly, anyway. (You may also need wine.)
Categories: Home, Ladies' Lounge | Tags: budget remodeling tips, kitchen remodel, Nothing But Bonfires | No Comments
Plastic Surgery Trends (to Avoid!)
February 6, 2012 at 12:51 pm, by nykiaspradley
From “stem cell facelifts” to butt implants some plastic surgery procedures are too good to be true. Here’s board-certified plastic surgeon (and author of In Stitches) Dr. Anthony Youn’s take on the hottest not-so-hot trends in plastic surgery.
AY:The newest craze in cosmetic surgery is stem cell therapy. Some doctors are now injecting the patient’s own stem cell growth factors into and under the facial skin–in hopes of creating a younger, healthier glow. Some cosmetic and plastic surgeons are touting stem cell treatments as cutting edge procedures that promise results far greater than anything we have ever seen in plastic surgery. It’s true that the future of medicine and plastic surgery is stem cells. Unfortunately, the claims of today’s marketing have pushed far ahead of the actual science supporting these cosmetic stem cell treatments. So if you are considering a stem cell cosmetic treatment, two words of advice: buyer beware.
AY: There are two traditional techniques of buttock augmentation used to give women a fuller, rounder look–solid silicone implants and fat injections. The majority of women undergo the Brazilian Butt Lift, where fat is removed from one area of the body (typically the abdomen, hips, or thighs) and injected into the buttocks. Implants are less common, but the only option in women who don’t have extra pockets of fat. While buttock enhancement is growing in popularity, it doesn’t come without risks. There is no shortage of ‘plastic surgery gone bad’ stories, including the woman who died after having tire sealant and cement injected into her buttocks by a phony doctor. More and more physicians, such as Ob-Gyns, ER physicians, and even family docs are practicing outside their specialty training to perform liposuction and buttock enhancement. Without proper knowledge of anatomy and technique, these doctors can leave a trail of botched surgeries and complications.
AY: First and foremost, budget shopping is okay for some things, but not when it comes to your health. It is simply dangerous and irresponsible to purchase a procedure from a doctor you haven’t consulted with or even met! The most important step you can take to protect yourself is education–do your homework! This is especially important when it comes to board-certification. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make sure your surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Most reputable, skilled plastic surgeons advertise little or not at all, relying on good word-of-mouth to power their practice. Participating in drastic discount deals smacks of desperation. Who wants a desperate surgeon to operate on them?
Categories: Beauty, Ladies' Lounge | Tags: Beauty, Butt Lift, Plastic Surgery, stem cell | 1 Comment
Will You Be My Valentine? A Gift Guide for Your Guy
February 6, 2012 at 10:47 am, by Lauren Cardarelli
Guys have it easy. A pretty piece of jewelry, a bouquet of flowers or even just recognizing the holiday is enough to make us swoon on February 14th. Finding a Valentine’s Day gift for him is another story. Here are ten fun and affordable gift suggestions that will show your special someone just how much you love him (without all the mushy, gushy stuff).
Dean & DeLuca Conversation Heart Cookies, $55
Categories: Fun, Ladies' Lounge | Tags: gift ideas, gifts for guys, Holidays, shopping, Valentine's Day | No Comments
Is Happiness A Skill?
February 3, 2012 at 2:40 pm, by Louise Sloan
I was originally hired to be LHJ’s “psychology editor,” and over my four years here, much of my work has been about improving happiness and coping with stress. In fact, the first article I worked on was called “5 Habits of Truly Happy People.” I joked at the time that after a few months on the job I’d end up being oh so enlightened. But you know what? Lately I’ve realized that I have picked up a few ideas that help me through the hard times. Here are a few LHJ-article tricks I’ve been using—all of which have a lot of university research proving that they’re effective. Plus two thumbs up from this test driver!
Do fun stuff. Sure, you need to take your problems seriously, eat your vegetables and keep up with the news. But not every minute of the day! Take time to click on that cute or funny Facebook link. Watch or read something that makes you laugh (here’s our article on how laughter releases stress), or indulge in some escapism. I’ve most recently been transported to the English countryside, watching Downton Abbey on my iPhone on my subway commute, and reading Plan C, an e-book that came out last week (see photo) that Vanity Fair‘s James Wolcott accurately called a “breathless romp.” The heroine, dressed in expensive stilettos, teeters back and forth between fabulous Manhattan apartments and celeb-filled cocktail parties, exchanging gossip and witty banter with her equally fabulous BFFs—about as far from my NYC life as you can get. Though my reality—being the single working mom of a five-year-old—does help increase the fun factor, I gotta say (check out our article on the psychological importance of play)—there’s usually a game of chase or something silly I can engage in the minute I come home at night.
Think happy thoughts. Even small ones, like, “The Chrysler Building really is beautiful.” Or, “my bum hip isn’t bothering me too much today.” Look for something to enjoy in the moment (for tips, read our mindfulness article), or something to look forward to, something that you’re grateful for, or find a happy memory and dwell on that. These small thoughts add up, boosting your mood and at least temporarily interrupting that endless loop of negativity.
Hug somebody. Thank goodness for my snuggly schoolboy! But if you don’t have a five-year-old or a husband or a friend handy, a pet will work just fine. The benefits of touch are well-documented, and can sometimes really work wonders, as “The Cuddle Cure,” a pet story I edited, demonstrates.
Get some exercise. I know, sounds like broccoli. But wow, does it work. It’s as close to a psychological cure-all as you can get. After 20 minutes of lifting heavy weights, whatever my heavy load is always seems a lot lighter. Hmmm. I think it’s time for a gym break.
What’s your favorite “happiness skill”?
