From the Desk of Dr. E. Lee Rice
Because Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear
Weighing the Truth: Separating Weight Lifting Fact from Fiction
Chocolate!
A Recipe for Relaxation

It’s Valentine’s Day – a time for love.  But love isn’t always about other people; sometimes love is about being grateful for our many blessings, like our health and family.  Here at the Lifewellness Institute, we’ve got a lot to be thankful for.  Most notably, we’re thankful to be adding a new member to our team of wellness experts – licensed massage therapist Marsha Selzer.  We’re also glad to have this opportunity to share valuable health information with you.  Naresh Rao has written an article about the prevalence and atypical signs of heart disease in women.  Exercise physiologist Quan Campbell addresses some common misconceptions about weight lifting.  Our nutritionist, Sabrina Chyzyk, discusses the surprising health benefits of a Valentine’s Day favorite – chocolate.  And Marsha Selzer gives advice on relaxing a sore back after a hard day of work. 

I’m also proud to present our new website, www.mylwi.com.  I hope each of you will have the chance to visit our website and see how much we’ve grown over the past several years. 

This Valentine’s Day, I invite each of you to take a moment to remember that so much of our lives are made possible by good health – which is why it is so important to make health a top priority. 

With love,

Lee Rice, DO

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Heart disease is the number one cause of death in American women, but 87% of women don’t consider it to be their biggest health threat.  This is a worrisome statistic, all the more so because most women who die from coronary heart disease don’t show early symptoms.  The fact is that many women (and even doctors) don’t always recognize the symptoms of a heart attack.  That’s because the symptoms a woman experiences may be very different than signs typical to men. Heart attacks in women are statistically more severe than in men: In the first year after a heart attack, women are more than 50% more likely to die.  They are also 200% more likely to have another heart attack within 6 years.  It's important for women to monitor their risk factors and talk to their doctors.  That’s why every February we celebrate National Wear Red Day – a day to raise awareness in the hopes of changing these statistics.  So take a moment to learn about the symptoms of heart disease in women – it could save a life.

Many people believe that typical symptoms of a heart attack are crushing chest pain, pain radiating down the left arm or into the neck or jaw, and shortness of breath.  However, women frequently do not experience these symptoms.  Instead, women may feel nausea, upset stomach, a burning sensation in the upper abdomen, lightheadedness and sweating.  Women too often ignore these symptoms instead of getting the swift medical attention they need.

Chest pain is also associated with “coronary microvascular syndrome,” a condition that primarily affects women.  Coronary microvascular syndrome occurs when plaque evenly coats the very small arteries, instead of forming blockages in larger ones.  This is a relatively recently discovered syndrome and there is still much to be learned about how the condition progresses.  People with coronary microvascular syndrome may suffer from chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue.  Angiograms, which are routinely used to diagnose heart disease, can’t detect the even coating of plaque in the smallest arteries.  As a result, the condition can go undiagnosed.  However, coronary microvascular syndrome is a serious concern because it may reduce the level of oxygen reaching the heart and increase the risk of heart disease. 

Recognizing the prevalence and severity of heart disease in women is vital to combating the alarming statistics in which 1 in 3 women will die from heart disease.  Above all, it’s important for women to recognize that they may present atypical symptoms if they have a heart attack.  The investigation into coronary microvascular syndrome has just begun, but living a heart-healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent heart disease.  So remember to make heart-healthy dietary choices, adopt a regular doctor-supervised exercise program and always listen to your body.  

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Time and time again, clients give me the same excuse for not adopting a regular weight lifting program: It will make me gain weight.  Well, it’s time to put the myths to rest.  Many people grow concerned because, when they first adopt a weight lifting program, they notice that they don’t lose any weight.  In fact, many people find that their weight actually increases!  The important thing is not to get discouraged – these resistance training sessions are beneficial. A slight weight increase is normal.  It happens because muscle is denser than fat. Often your body will increase its muscle mass quickly to accommodate the new activity, and you may gain a few pounds.  But as you continue to work out regularly, your weight will stabilize and then begin to drop. 

The most accurate measurement to track your muscle to fat ratio is to assess your body composition when you initiate your program and again after about 6 weeks, then at regular intervals afterwards.  With a well balanced diet and a regular routine, starting a new exercise program should result in lowering your fat mass and stabilizing or increasing your lean body mass.

Weight lifting is especially beneficial because it can lead to an increase in your Resting Metabolic Rate.  The Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the amount of calories a person burns at rest, no exercising or moving around.  RMR is a function of three factors: 1) overall mass 2) lean mass and 3) amount of regular activity.  Weight lifting helps to increase lean mass (muscle) which increases the RMR.  A higher RMR means that a person starts out with a higher ‘baseline’ and that in turn will burn more calories over the course of the day (assuming there is no change in the activity level).

So, if you have felt hesitant to adopt weight lifting in your daily routine, think again.  Weight lifting will tone and sculpt muscle, increase your Resting Metabolic Rate, provide stress relief and prevent injury.  So don’t be afraid to make resistance training part of your exercise routine.

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Can something as delicious as chocolate really be healthy for the heart?  Several studies have demonstrated that antioxidants in chocolate–known as flavanols–help lower LDL cholesterol levels while increasing HDL cholesterol levels. Flavanols appear to ease inflammation, open blood vessels and result in improved blood flow. These antioxidants also prevent platelets from adhering to the lining of blood vessels, inhibit blood clotting and help prevent plaque formation in the arteries. Flavanols are also found in cranberries, apples, onions, peanuts, tea and red wine. But wouldn’t you rather have chocolate?

However, before you start wolfing down the chocolate cake, make sure you are grabbing the right type of chocolate for a healthy heart:

• Choose chocolate with the least amount of processing (ex. natural unsweetened cocoa powder)
• Select dark chocolate (ex. bittersweet dark bar)
• Look for 70% chocolate liquor – the more chocolate liquor it contains, the more flavanols

Even though there may be heart health benefits, don’t forget about the fat content. Chocolate contains 3 types of fat—oleic, stearic and palmitic acids. Stearic and palmitic acids are forms of saturated fats and are linked to increases in LDL-cholesterol, but fortunately, there are equal amounts of oleic (monounsaturated fat) and the two saturated fats. So if you’re enjoying a bit of chocolate one day, remember to choose less saturated fat in the rest of your diet (meats, dairy, etc.).

Don’t hesitate to grab a square, but make sure you don’t go overboard. Currently, there is no serving size established in order to obtain the heart benefits of chocolate. Here’s a trick: savor a chocolate square by letting it melt on your tongue - you'll find yourself satisfied with a smaller amount.

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A Recipe for Relaxation

By Marsha Selzer, Licensed Massage Therapist

After 30,000 massages, I’ve come to realize that people who spend the majority of the time sitting at a desk and traveling frequently request massage in the upper trapezius (neck/shoulder) and the lower back.

Here’s a free acupressure massage recipe for relaxing some of that back tension after a hard day’s work.

Ingredients:

2-3 tennis balls

Gym socks (hopefully clean ones!)

Duct tape (optional)

5 minutes

Directions: Take 2-3 tennis balls and place them inside a sock or duct tape 2 together. Lay on a flat surface. Place the tennis balls under the muscular area where your neck/shoulder is affected (normally mid-scapula). Lie there for a few minutes. Once the muscles have relaxed, start to roll or rotate shoulders to depress the tennis balls deeper into the muscle. Relax and let your body respond to the pressure. Repeat this technique regularly to help those achy, overused muscles in the neck/shoulder area. You can use this same technique for the lower back by placing the tennis balls on or near your gluteal muscles.

Marsha Selzer, voted Best Massage in San Diego by San Diego Magazine and the Reader, is the owner and founder of Massage Extraordinaire. Licensed and certified as a Holistic Health Practitioner and Massage Therapist by the Potomac Massage Therapy Institute in Washington D.C., she has been practicing massage for more than 30 years. To schedule an appointment with Marsha, call 619.398.2960.

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