Saving Women’s Hearts: Giveaway

 Pop quiz. (Answers at end)
1. What is the number one disease that kills North American women?
2. Do heart attacks look the same in women as they do in men?
3. Is Omega 3 a helpful preventative to heart disease, or not?
4. Are you at risk of developing heart disease?
5. Is an African American woman more likely to develop heart disease than a Caucasian woman? Which race is more likely to die of heart disease?

Last year a good friend of mine had a heart attack. She is in her early 40s. To say that her heart attack was a shock to us, to her, and to anyone who knows her, is probably the greatest understatement I could make. Thankfully she is recuperating and her heart is healing a bit more every day. When Mom Central Canada contacted me and asked if I wanted to review this book Saving Women’s Hearts I was thrilled to be able to offer it to my readers. Because if it can happen to a 40-year-old then heart disease is everybody’s problem. Also I have a giveaway copy of the book for one lucky reader.

Back to my original question. If you guessed that heart disease kills more women than stroke or breast cancer, then you are correct. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in North America. Frightening information really. In her lifetime, one in three women will develop heart disease. That number is rapidly approaching one in two women. If you fumbled over any of the answers to the above, then you need this book. Saving Women’s Hearts is a fantastic, educational tool for women. Written by two women, Martha Gulati, a cardiologist, and Sherry Torkos, a pharmacist, health author and certified fitness instructor in Ontario, Canada, this book is all about empowering women to take control of their own health. It is a super reference guide to keep in your personal library for when your loved one has heart surgery, or a heart attack. It is also a great self awareness tool. An entire chapter is devoted to determining your risk of heart disease. Chapter three should be a wake up call to many readers to change their lifestyle and their diet if they have any of the risk factors that can tip the scales in favour of developing heart disease. Another excellent chapter is devoted to medications that are often used in treating heart disease. I like that this is a positive tool for getting women the information they need to stay healthy at any age. It is written in an easy to read and accessible style for anyone. This isn’t a book by doctors for doctors. It’s for women, any and all women.

The Answers to My Quiz:
1. Heart disease. 2. No. 3. Yes. 4. Yes. Really everyone is at risk if one out of three women gets heart disease. 5. African American women are more likely to contract heart disease. They are also more likely to die from heart disease.

Saving Women’s Hearts is by Martha Gulati and Sherry Torkos, 2011, John Wiley and Sons, $16.95 US, $19.95 Canadian, 262 pages

Thriftymommastips review $$$$1/2 out of $$$$$

From John Wiley and Sons:
Women and Heart Disease: Myths and Misconceptions

1.Heart disease is only an issue for elderly women: While heart disease is the chief killer of women over 65, it is also the second-leading cause of death in women ages 45-64 and the third-leading cause of death in women 25-44.


2.Women should be treated less aggressively after a heart attack then men: Absolutely not; the unfortunate reality is that women are treated less aggressively after a heart attack and are also more likely than men to die after suffering a heart attack


3.Risk factors for heart disease are the same in women as in men: Not so. Certain conditions are more likely to cause heart disease in women than in men, such as metabolic syndrome and menopause. Stress is also more likely to damage women’s hearts.


4.Sex increases the risk of heart attack: It is commonly thought that sex is a major trigger for heart attacks, yet only 1% of heart attacks are brought on by sexual activity.


5.Coffee is bad for your heart: While too much caffeine can raise blood pressure, coffee actually contains a significant amount of antioxidants. A recent review of 21 studies found that women who drank one to four cups daily actually had a lower risk of heart disease.


6.Nuts can raise cholesterol levels: Nuts are a good source of soluble fiber and other nutrients and research has found that consuming a handful of nuts daily can lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.


7.Hormone replacement therapy protects against heart disease: In fact, menopausal women who participate in estrogen replacement therapy actually may be at increased risk for heart disease.

To win a copy of the book. Mandatory! Canada and US

1. Leave me a comment here saying why you want to win or read the book. Leave me your email address too, so I can reach you when you win.
2. Follow me on GFC (Google Friend Connect here at the side of the blog) or tell me that you already do so.

I will draw for the prize on March 9th with random.org

I am participating in the Saving Women’s Hearts program by Mom Central on behalf of Wiley Publishing. I received a copy of the book to review and gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.