From Publishers Weekly
Piscatella (Fat-Proof Your Child), a motivational speaker who had coronary bypass surgery in 1977 at the age of 32, and Franklin (Making Healthy Tomorrows), director of a Cardiac Rehabilitation Laboratory, collaborated on this clearly written guide to preventing heart disease. Like other consumer health books on this subject, the authors recommend, in detail, nutritional strategies that will lower cholesterol, exercises designed to promote cardiovascular health and, of course, an absolute prohibition against smoking. However, what is different about their plan is the emphasis on reducing stress. According to the authors, recent research into cardiac health indicates that chronic stress not only has a direct negative impact on the heart by, for example, promoting arterial inflammation, but can also play an indirect role. Enduring daily stress frequently prevents people from finding the energy and motivation to make healthy lifestyle changes such as eating sensibly and exercising regularly. Piscatella and Franklin recommend many stress-management techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, learning to laugh and taking regular vacations that will lead to a more relaxed way of life. Exercise itself has been found to be as effective as tranquilizers in alleviating tension. Included are useful self-assessment tests for those who want to monitor and improve their heart health. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

William C. Roberts, M.D., Editor in Chief, American Journal of Cardiology
"If we lived by this advice, the cardiac health of Americans would skyrocket."

Steven N. Blair, P.E.D., Director of Reasearch, Cooper Institute
"A marvelous road map to heart health. The information is up-to-date and scientifically accurate. I recommend it highly."

Kathy Berra, M.S.N., N.P., Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Stanford Medical Center
" Finally, a book to tell us not just what to do - but how to do it."

Michael S. Lauer, M.D., Director of Clinical Research, Director of Stress Laboratory, Department of Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
" Detailed, balanced, yet accessible..."

Gary J. Balady, M.D., Director of Preventive Cardiology, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine
"This easy-to-read book takes the mystery out of heart disease..."

Gerald C. Timmis, M.D., Medical Director, Clinical Research, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan
"Take a short-cut to a long life with a few hours of entertaining reading."

Book Description
Increase the odds of living longer with this bold, broad approach to cardiac health. A medically up-to-the-minute and easy-to-implement program, Take a Load Off Your Heart sets our four key steps to cardiovascular fitness, from assessing risk to managing stress, from improving diet to making a habit of exercise. It demystifies predictive markers such as trigylcerides and Syndrome X, and offers 109 simple, practical lifestyle tips - #22 Breathe deeply, #96 Drink black tea, #3 Increase your HDL level, #54 Walk briskly, #75 Give up dieting - for preventing, stabilizing and, yes, reversing heart disease.

About the Author
JOSEPH PISCATELLA is president of the Institute for Fitness and Health, Inc., in Tacoma, Washington. He is an active speaker, with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to medical professionals.BARRY FRANKLIN, PH.D., is director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Laboratories in Royal Oak, Michigan, as well as professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine and the University of Michigan Medical School.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Action Steps to Manage Stress 1. VOLUNTEER. Helping others makes it harder to dwell on your own problems.2. KEEP A JOURNAL. Try to write everyday and make sure to focus on feelings, not just facts. 3. BREATHE DEEPLY. Take a deep breath through your nose with your mouth closed. As you inhale, push out your stomach. Hold the breath for a few seconds, then expel it slowly through your mouth with you lips pursed, as if you were whistling. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes to create a state of calm. 4. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED. Build a cushion into your day for the unexpected. Instead of cramming your schedule, fill it to 80%, leaving 20% for traffic jams, family illness and other surprises. 5. TRANQUILIZE WITH EXERCISE. Regular exercise burns up stress hormones and stimulates the production of endorphins and other chemicals linked to energy, mood and attention.6. LAUGH. A good laugh - like a good workout - releases tension, produces a sense of well-being, and creates a different perspective on life and its challenges. Cultivate friends who smile and joke, put playfulness into your relationships, and leave work concerns at the office. 7. MEDITATE. Use this centuries-old technique to clear the mind and anchor it in the present. Assume a comfortable position in a quiet spot, close your eyes, and focus your mind on a word. Any word will do. Take a deep breath and slowly repeat the word in your mind, over and over again. After a while, the mind becomes quiet and a state of deep rest and relaxation is created.8. PRACTICE POSITIVE SELF-TALK. Each of us is continually involved in self-talk, a running internal conversation that interprets events and actions. This conversation influences emotions. If the talk is negative with harmful put-downs, stress is heightened. But if self-talk is positive, it allows us to better manage stress. 9. DEVELOP RESILIENCY. No one can be successful in everything. But don't let failure define you. It isn't the failure that is important; it's how the failure is handled. 10. PRACTICE YOGA. Yoga's stretching, strengthening and meditative exercises encourage a focusing that results in reduced tension and stress.Adapted from chapter 2 of TAKE A LOAD OFF YOUR HEART

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Increase the odds of living longer with this bold, broad approach to cardiac health. A medically up-to-the-minute and easy-to-implement program, Take a Load off Your Heart sets out four key steps to cardiovascular fitness, from assessing risk to managing stress, from improving diet to making a habit of exercise. It demystifies predictive markers such as triglycerides and Syndrome X, and offers 109 simple, practical lifestyle tips for preventing, stabilizing and, yes, reversing heart disease.

SYNOPSIS

Increase the odds of living longer with this bold, broad approach to cardiac health. A medically up-to-the-minute and easy-to-implement program, TAKE A LOAD OFF YOUR HEART sets our four key steps to cardiovascular fitness, from assessing risk to managing stress, from improving diet to making a habit of exercise. It demystifies predictive markers such as trigylcerides and Syndrome X, and offers 109 simple, practical lifestyle tips - #22 Breathe deeply, #96 Drink black tea, #3 Increase your HDL level, #54 Walk briskly, #75 Give up dieting - for preventing, stabilizing and, yes, reversing heart disease.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Piscatella (Fat-Proof Your Child), a motivational speaker who had coronary bypass surgery in 1977 at the age of 32, and Franklin (Making Healthy Tomorrows), director of a Cardiac Rehabilitation Laboratory, collaborated on this clearly written guide to preventing heart disease. Like other consumer health books on this subject, the authors recommend, in detail, nutritional strategies that will lower cholesterol, exercises designed to promote cardiovascular health and, of course, an absolute prohibition against smoking. However, what is different about their plan is the emphasis on reducing stress. According to the authors, recent research into cardiac health indicates that chronic stress not only has a direct negative impact on the heart by, for example, promoting arterial inflammation, but can also play an indirect role. Enduring daily stress frequently prevents people from finding the energy and motivation to make healthy lifestyle changes such as eating sensibly and exercising regularly. Piscatella and Franklin recommend many stress-management techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, learning to laugh and taking regular vacations that will lead to a more relaxed way of life. Exercise itself has been found to be as effective as tranquilizers in alleviating tension. Included are useful self-assessment tests for those who want to monitor and improve their heart health. (Jan.)

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Finally, a book to tell us not just what to do - but how to do it.  — Kathy Berra

If we lived by this advice, the cardiac health of Americans would skyrocket.  — William C. Roberts

A marvelous road map to heart health. The information is up-to-date and scientifically accurate. I recommend it highly.  — Steven N. Blair

Detailed, balanced, yet accessible...  — Michael S. Lauer

This easy-to-read book takes the mystery out of heart disease...  — Gary J. Balady