A Woman's Guide to Saving Her Own Life: The HEART Program for Health and Longevity

Mellanie True Hills
Healthy Ideas Press (2005)
ISBN 0976600803
Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (4/06)

Coming from a family with a long history of heart disease you'd think I'd jump at the chance to read something that can help me. I wasn't all that thrilled. I kept telling myself, oh come on, I'm fine. Heart like a mule. I'm not really at risk. Who cares that family history, being overweight and not eating properly are my biggest factors... I can ignore them. But can I?

Reading this book truly could save your life. I'm one to ignore the bad things in life. I figure if I don't acknowledge it, it goes away. Unfortunately that's not true. I've learned that through many trials and tribulations. This book enhances the fact.

Mellanie is a heart surgery survivor. What makes her story somewhat different is that she's not a 'typical' heart disease candidate. She had hidden risks, which many of us can have and probably do have along with a few obvious factors that she ignored. This book will walk with you, step by step and show you what you can do, what to look for and how to prevent being like Mellanie - an emergency heart surgery patient.

Heart disease actually kills more women then men, yet all the most books and media stress heart disease in men. Mellanie is on the forefront of changing this, thankfully. Nearly 1,400 women die every day from heart disease. That's 10 times more than breast cancer and 5 times more than all cancers combined. Yet we still remain oblivious for the most part. We have rallies and walks for breast cancer. How many times have you seen the pink ribbons out there for various fundraisers? What have you seen for Women's Heart Disease? Can you even say what the "promotional gimmick" is for women's heart disease? My guess is no. In case you wonder, it's a red dress.

The book begins by sharing Mellanie's story. It's fairly frightening to read as she's not a typical candidate and if you were to think long and hard many of us are typical candidates. If SHE could have this happen, what are OUR chances as high risk? If SHE could have this happen, what are our chances even as low risk? Are you truly low risk? Her book helps you find out.

She breaks the book up in sections - Sharing risk factors, stories of heart disease and most of all a wonderful area to begin your plan to change your lifestyle and risk factor. The book is made as a workbook. Take the time to write down your thoughts, ideas and most of all your goals. Mellanie encourages a proactive approach. She doesn't try to scare you into suddenly changing. Jumping off the bridge quickly only leads to landing hard. Instead she gives you a realistic approach to take daily. She doesn't want to scare you into changing; she wants to show you the benefits.

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