Let’s talk health.
Of all things, I am allergic to avocado. I have a serious gastrointestinal reaction– upper and lower– which renders me feeling as if I’m dying for at least 12 hours and then feeling like death warmed over for another 12 hours. Guess what I found out last week? I’m STILL allergic to avocados. I unknowingly had one itsy bitsy piece of sushi with the smallest of slivers . . . the rest, shall we say, is all in the passed.
That experience does have a bit of a silver lining, as I recovered it did, ironically, give me the opportunity to read The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
This publication is no skinny educational pamphlet, weighing in at over 500 pages. At first I was a bit, ho hum, yes I have a medical background what is this going to tell me that I haven’t heard already but I am here to report that I found this to be a very comprehensive resource. It must be a great challenge to come up with an effective layout for a resource of this magnitude but thumbs up to HHS.
Incidentally, the first subject covered was heart disease. I work with my progressive cardiologist hubby in a multidisciplinary clinic setting most weeks where we do extensive education and intervention. I am pleased to report that I thought they handled the subject matter in an excellent fashion. My hubby would be thrilled at the fact they covered sleep apnea as well as thoroughly covering risk factors and lifestyle issues. They did a great job of explaining the disease aspect itself.
Our team dietitian would be thrilled that they actually addressed heart-healthy eating, but she and my hubby would have wanted them to emphasize that anyone with hypertension or even at risk for heart disease should be consuming less that 2000 mg of sodium a day. It is mentioned to cut the sodium but that is an area we find that really needs to be explained ad nauseam (ew, there is that word again . . . I really don’t know if I’ll ever be able to eat sushi again). I cannot tell you how many folks we have seen that are put into a cardiac crisis from too much sodium in their diet.
I was also happy to see that they did address stress issues and how untreated depression negatively affects prognosis in heart disease. One point I would like to make after working with patients in cardiac rehab is to stress that there are absolutely no definitive signs and symptoms for heart attacks; the left arm, jaw pain, weight on the chest, is frequently replaced with simple feelings of fatigue or vague dizziness or shortness of breath or much less severe symptoms. We need to listen to our bodies no matter what the cluster of symptoms are if we suspect our heart may be involved.
Other areas covered in the book include stroke, cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, autoimmune diseases, blood disorders, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, pregnancy, breastfeeding, mental health, healthy aging, violence against women, urologic and kidney health, digestive health, respiratory health, oral health, skin and hair health, nutrition, fitness, pain, and complementary and alternative medicine.
I loved the section at the end of each chapter titled “One Woman’s Story” that shared a personal experience with a health issue discussed in the chapter. That approach went a long way in personalizing and de-stigmatizing the health concerns. For instance, “if the Olympic winning speed skater Bonnie Blair had stress incontinence after giving birth, then by gum it doesn’t mean I did something wrong if I have those symptoms.” There were also nice charts in the chapters that looked at the various diagnosis of condition covered in each chapter, the presenting symptoms, how you get it and how to find out if you have it. These are nice quick reference spots for those wanting some information now regarding a question they might have.
The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
One thing I did miss in the book? The chapter on avocado allergy.
