Smart at Heart: A Holistic 10-Step Approach to Preventing and Healing Heart Disease for Women

by Malissa Wood

If you are one of the millions of women who has been diagnosed with heart disease or are at risk for developing it, you might be surprised to learn that simple life changes will profoundly affect your health. According to a revolutionary study by Harvard-trained cardiologist Malissa Wood, true cardiovascular health must address the whole heart--its physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects.
 
Dr. Wood’s findings form the basis of Smart at Heart , a breakthrough mind-body approach to preventing and healing heart disease by strengthening the ten “bridges” that create total heart health. By exploring these ten key areas of your life, you can fight heart disease. For example, while exercise and nutrition are known to improve cardiac health (and make up two of the bridges), Dr. Wood’s study also shows how small changes to your environment, the way you communicate, or how you handle stress has a big effect on your heart. So something as commonplace as clearing out the clutter from your home can positively change not only your emotions, but also your physical well-being.
 
Heart disease is a serious diagnosis and if you are at risk, there’s a lot you can do to improve your own health. Smart at Heart empowers you with the solutions you need--backed up by science--to create a healthy, whole heart.

Genres: Health

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought to the surface habits that are less than constructive that I was engaging in without much thought. Being aware of behavior patterns that affect my health in a negative way prompted me to use the practical tools provided by Dr. Wood in her book. It was gift she gave me and I'm grateful for the changes that have not only made a difference in my life but those who love me

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply written and useful. IInformation not technical, and what people with risk factors already know, but presented with empowerment.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a user-friendly, easy to read all-around heart health book. The author is a cardiologist, but most of this book isn't about the actual medical side of things. Rather she looks at environment, relationships, nutrition, exercise, stress, and mindfulness and how each area contributes to heart disease and heart health. Suggestions are easy and not exactly "new" but it is nice to have all these areas addressed at once and to be targeted for women. She provides a decent overview of each area, but there are whole books written on these subjects, so her advice is mostly broad guidance.

[Annie Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have heart issues, this is a good book that addresses not only the standard physical things you can do to help yourself but also the many other things that can affect heart health.

Inspirational, practical, full of research tidbits, personal, and motivating, Smart at Heart is a reflection of what the author has done and learned in the Women's Heart Health Program she codirects. Very worthwhile.

(Note: her own negative experience of marriage shines through in a few places in this book, although she does quote the 'good marriages are healthy' statistics.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second time reading this book, and again I felt like I learned something new about managing my own cardiac care. I picked this up again after experiencing some irregular heart beats and undergoing and EKG, halter monitor and echocardiogram. Heart disease kills 10x as many women as breast cancer, and the message in Dr. Wood's book is easy to read, common sense, and takes a whole life into consideration: diet, exercise, relationships, communication, etc. Well worth the time to read a second time.