Dr. Millie Lee

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚! 🙏⁠
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Today, I am grateful for my PATIENTS! ❣️ I am truly inspired by your stories, your resilience, and your determination to take ownership of your health and your lives. 🙏⁠
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I would love to hear what inspires you. What are you grateful for? ⁠
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The act of writing it down, even in digital format, has tremendous health benefits - reduces stress, anxiety, depression, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk! ❣️⁠
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𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙮. 🙏⁠
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# meditationismedicine

DAY 4 🙏 - 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩, 𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮⁠
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I am so grateful for the renewed health of my beautiful mom. About a month ago, mom almost had a heart attack. I say almost because we caught it in time. ⁠
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She, like so many other women, was having some atypical symptoms (pain in her shoulders). After much prodding and begging on my part, she sought medical attention. ⁠
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We went back to my old stomping grounds - New York-Presbyterian Hospital - where they discovered she had a 90% blockage in a major heart artery. She had a stent implanted in one of her arteries and thankfully 🙏 had no damage to her heart. ⁠
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I am forever grateful to the amazing people who work at New York-Presbyterian, from the incredibly kind woman, Carmen, we met in the emergency room, to all of the nurses, especially my old friends Rita, Maria and Noel in the cath lab, the PAs, & my dear friends Dr. Maurer and Dr. Irobunda. 🙏⁠
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Cardiovascular disease touches ALL of our lives. I never thought it would personally touch my family. We, like so many of you, do our best to be healthy. This taught us that we can, and must, do better. ⁠
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We can all eat better, exercise better, manage stress better, spend more time with loved ones, and be more grateful. 🙏⁠
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Shanti loves the cooler weather! So grateful for girls best friend! 🙏🐾.

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𝘼 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩. ⁠
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Studies show that a regular practice of gratitude can have profound and lasting health benefits. Gratitude can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, lower depression & anxiety, & increase your heart rate variability, a measure of your stress resilience. ⁠
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There is ALWAYS something to be grateful for even on our worst days. ⁠
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Studies also show that putting pen to paper boosts immune function and reduces stress and anxiety. ⁠
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Today, ⁠
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I am grateful for a beautiful autumn day. 🍁⁠
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I honestly don't know (or remember) if I appreciated these beautiful days growing up. I was always too busy working. ⁠
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But now, I am truly mesmerized by the amazing color show that Mother Nature shares with us these days. ⁠
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🙏 My practice in mindfulness has opened up my senses to the beautiful sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of this season. ⁠
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𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧? ⁠
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I hope everybody got outside this weekend, did something physically fun, and enjoyed the beautiful, warm weather. ⁠
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Let's keep up the momentum and commit to moving your body several times a day. 👣⁠
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HEALTH BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: ⁠
👉Lower blood pressure⁠
👉Lower blood glucose ⁠
👉Lower cholesterol ⁠
👉Reduce the risk of heart disease ⁠
👉Help you lose weight⁠
👉Decrease depression and anxiety⁠
👉Improve brain function ⁠
👉Improve immune function⁠
👉Reduce inflammation⁠
👉Improve sexual function⁠
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Dr. Millie Lee updated their address.

𝑫𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 (𝑫𝑺𝑻) begins tomorrow for most of us in the U.S.

DST results in more hours of darkness in the morning, and more hours of daylight in the evening. For many people, it may be harder to wake up in the morning and harder to fall asleep at night. 😴

Our internal clock doesn’t automatically sync to the changes in the official time, like the clocks on our cellphones do.

Our bodies are guided by 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒓𝒉𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒎𝒔, which are 24-hour cycles (internal clocks) that regulate 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑 and other key bodily functions, like 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. These rhythms are largely dependent on light exposure.

Cutting sleep short one hour one night might not sound that detrimental to health, but, the lost hour can have significant effects, especially among the many of us sleeping less than the recommended seven to nine hours to begin with.

Even though our bodies will adjust to the new schedule after a few days, there’s evidence the change may still affect our health, and more specifically 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉. Researchers have found a 24% increase in heart attack risk the first Monday of DST in the spring. The findings were published in the journal Open Heart.

8 𝑻𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑮𝒆𝒕 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑺𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑

1. 𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑺𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝑯𝒚𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒆. Sleep hygiene refers to good habits that can influence sleep for the better. Set a time to start unwinding & prepare the body & mind for sleep.

2. Avoid caffeine & alcohol in the evening before bedtime.

3. Your last meal of the day should be about 3 hours before bedtime.

4. 𝑼𝒏𝒑𝒍𝒖𝒈. Turn off the TV and the devices at least one hour before bedtime. The brain sees this blue light as sunlight and suppresses melatonin, a hormone released in the evening to make you feel sleepy.

5. Establish a Consistent Sleep Routine. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.

6. Practice deep breathing exercises & meditation before sleep to help the body & mind relax

7. Make sure you get at least seven hours of sleep each night

8. Spend Time Outdoors. Natural light is the master regulator of our circadian rhythms

Feeling the good feels 😊⁠
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💓 Research shows that focus on your 💓 and positive emotions such as love and appreciation creates a beautiful, smooth electromagnetic field from the 💓 that can be measured as heart rate variability (HRV). ⁠
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💓 Remember .. everything is energy, including every organ in our bodies. ⁠
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💓 The heart’s electromagnetic energy field is 5000 times greater than the brain’s. In fact, the heart has its own nervous system, called the heart-brain which sends vital information to the brain.⁠
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💓 The heart’s energy is said to reach at least three feet outside of the physical body and can be detected in a nearby persons ECG (heart) and EEG (brain). Have you ever walked into a room with an angry person in it and immediately felt the negative energy? ⁠
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💓 The rhythm of the heart synchronizes with your brain waves. (Yep, the brain has rhythm too!) Positive emotions send messages to the brain that strengthen your response to stress. ⁠
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💓 When the heart and brain are in energetic alignment, this generates a state known as COHERENCE. This state builds RESILIENCE. ⁠
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💓 My favorite tool and app to practice coherence is the Inner Balance app that tracks your HRV while you feel the good feels. ⁠
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𝑴𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒚𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒆 may be the most common & alarming syndrome you may not have heard of. ⁠
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😮 Metabolic syndrome (Met Syn) is a cluster of risk factors associated with increased risk of multiple chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.⁠
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😮 Met Syn doubles your risk of developing heart disease and triples your risk of Type 2 diabetes.⁠
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😮 Nearly 90% of Americans have at least one of the Met Syn criteria! About 30% have three criteria which make the diagnosis of Met Syn. ⁠
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What are the criteria?⁠
🔥 𝑶𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 - Waist circumference more than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women⁠
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🔥 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒍𝒚𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔 (𝒇𝒂𝒕) - 150 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL) or greater⁠
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🔥 𝑳𝒐𝒘 𝑯𝑫𝑳(𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅) 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒍 - less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women⁠
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🔥 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒆 - l00 mg/dL or greater⁠
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🔥 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 - systolic 130 mmHg or higher and/or diastolic 85 mmHg or higher⁠
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What can you do if you Metabolic Syndrome or any of these criteria? ⁠
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Simple Lifestyle changes! ⁠
❣️ Lose weight if overweight or obese⁠
❣️ Eat whole foods - vegetables, fruits, lean protein, healthy fats⁠
❣️ Exercise - move your body several times a day⁠
❣️ Sleep at least 6 hours a night ⁠
❣️ Take time everyday for stillness, breathing & meditation⁠
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"The 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒕 of all human emotions is 𝑮𝑹𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑻𝑼𝑫𝑬." ~ Hans Selye

A positive mental attitude, like gratitude, is 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕. It fends off depression, stress, and anxiety, which can increase the risk of heart disease.

Studies also show that expressing gratitude (especially if you write it down) can lower inflammation. And we all know that heart disease is an inflammatory disease.

Yes, times are hard and stress levels are higher than ever. But, when there are so many of our neighbors dealing with Covid-19 or without heat or food during these challenging times, we are reminded that there is still SO much to be grateful for.

I am so grateful for:

❣️ The health of my family, friends, & neighbors
❣️ My health
❣️ A warm home
❣️ Delicious, nourishing food
❣️ The beauty of nature all around me
❣️ A successful practice with beautiful patients
❣️ A #1 International best-selling book
❣️ My new puppy, Shanti

Taking the time to focus on what you are thankful for and letting that sense of gratitude wash over you helps us manage and cope with stress.

𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒔 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒚.

It is a fact that yoga is good for your heart. ⁠💓⁠
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These are some of the ways yoga protects your heart. ⁠
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❣️ Lowers blood pressure⁠
❣️ Lowers cholesterol⁠
❣️ Lowers blood glucose⁠
❣️ Lowers inflammation⁠
❣️ Lowers anxiety⁠
❣️ Lowers depression⁠
❣️ Slows the aging process⁠
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Add em all up = Lower risk of heart disease!⁠
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𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕.

Broken heart syndrome also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy is a rare condition that resembles a heart attack in many ways . It mostly affects women (88%) and occurs in response to intense, acute psychological or physical stress.

Stress is a well known, major risk factor for heart disease. There are two types of stress - chronic and acute stress.

Chronic stress, our response to day to day “stressors” can have profound effects on blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol levels, blood clotting and increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and even cancer.

Acute (sudden, severe) stress can result in symptoms that resemble a heart attack and transient weakness of the heart. In fact, even to the trained medical eye, it looks exactly like a heart attack. The big difference is that, unlike a heart attack, their coronary arteries are normal without a significant blockage to explain a heart attack. And, the weakness of the heart is only temporary.

So how do we explain this? 𝑺𝑻𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑺!

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒚𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒆?

Broken heart syndrome is often preceded by an intense physical or emotional event. Some potential triggers of broken heart syndrome are:

The death of a loved one
News of a frightening medical diagnosis
Domestic abuse
Strong arguments
Public speaking
Job loss or financial difficulty
Divorce, breakup, betrayal
Surprise party
Good news, like winning the lottery
Physical stressors, such as an asthma attack, COVID-19 infection, a broken bone or major surgery
Relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga train the mind to cope with stress, and hopefully can prevent the occurrence of a broken heart.

Acute stress is unanticipated, has a sudden onset, and is short in duration. Chronic stress builds up over time. But, what can we do to lessen the deleterious effects of stress on our health?

Relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga train the mind to cope with stress, and hopefully can prevent the occurrence of a broken heart.

Read more about the broken heart syndrome in my latest blog.

https://www.millieleemd.com/broken-heart-syndrome-can-stress-really-break-your-heart/

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𝑫𝑰𝑫 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑲𝑵𝑶𝑾? ⁠
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❣️ What you eat has a direct effect on your blood pressure. ⁠
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❣️ There's a lot of focus on sodium, but did you know how important POTASSIUM intake is in order to maintain normal blood pressure?⁠
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❣️ Most Americans with high blood pressure do not consume enough potassium. ⁠
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❣️ Where can you find potassium? ⁠
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❣️Where else? Fruits and vegetables!⁠
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𝑫𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒖𝒎 ⁠
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◾Apricots⁠
◾Avocado⁠
◾Bananas⁠
◾Beans⁠
◾Broccoli⁠
◾Cantaloupe⁠
◾Carrots⁠
◾Dates⁠
◾Sunflower seeds⁠
◾Sweet potato⁠
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Caution: If you have kidney disease, please consult with your physician⁠
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𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘?⁠
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❣️ One in three Americans have high blood pressure. ⁠
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❣️The risk of developing high blood pressure is linked to lifestyle factors.⁠
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❣️ The majority of people with hypertension don't have an identifiable cause such as sleep apnea, kidney disease, hormonal disorders or certain medications, like NSAIDs or over the counter cough medicine. ⁠
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❣️ These beautiful pomegranates can lower your blood pressure⁠
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BUT we know that the RISK of hypertension INCREASES with:⁠
🔅 Age ⁠
🔅 Cigarette smoking⁠
🔅 Lack of physical activity⁠
🔅 Lack of sleep ⁠
🔅 Being overweight or obese⁠
🔅 Regular alcohol consumption⁠
🔅 High amounts of dietary sodium⁠
🔅 Low amounts of dietary potassium⁠
🔅 Other nutrient deficiencies⁠
🔅 Toxins⁠
🔅 Stress⁠
🔅 Inflammation⁠
🔅 Family history of hypertension⁠
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Consequences of uncontrolled high blood pressure⁠
👉heart disease⁠
👉stroke⁠
👉kidney disease⁠
👉vision loss⁠
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The good news .... there is so much you can do every day to maintain blood pressure in the normal range.⁠
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❣️ First of all, get your blood pressure measured. Generally, there are no signs or symptoms of high blood (why they call it the silent killer). Normal BP is 120/80. Anything higher than that is elevated. ⁠
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❣️ Maintain a healthy weight (better yet, BMI & waist circumference are far better metrics)⁠
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❣️ Be physically active every day. You don't have to run a marathon, but you do have to get up and move!⁠
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❣️ Eat healthy food - real whole foods, anti-inflammatory vegetables & fruits high in anti-oxidants, potassium & fiber and low in sodium⁠
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❣️ Get enough sleep

The hormone,𝑰𝑵𝑺𝑼𝑳𝑰𝑵, is essential for life. ⁠
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It plays many important roles in the body, especially in liver, muscle, and adipose (fat) cells. Its main function is the regulation of our energy supply by regulating the metabolism of carbs, protein, and fats. ⁠
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𝑰𝑵𝑺𝑼𝑳𝑰𝑵 𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑵𝑪𝑬 occurs when insulin in the blood (released in response to carb consumption) is not easily recognized by the cells. ⁠
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𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆? ⁠
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➡️ - Excess Body Fat. Adipose (fat) cells release several inflammatory chemicals that impair proper insulin functioning. ⁠
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➡️ - Lack of physical activity⁠
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➡️ - Poor sleep⁠
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➡️ - Smoking⁠
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𝑺𝒊𝒙 𝑾𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆⁠
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#1 - Decrease consumption of refined (bread, pasta, rice, cereals) and added sugar (table sugar, pastries, cakes, candy, soft drinks, salad dressings, sauces, alcohol)⁠
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#2 - Eat plenty of fiber, predominantly soluble fiber from plants⁠
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#3 - Try intermittent fasting. Not eating for at least 12 hours (between dinner and breakfast or lunch) decreases the demand for insulin and the body switches from using glucose for energy to breaking down fat for energy⁠
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#4 - Weight Loss, especially the fat around the waistline⁠
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#5- Physical activity⁠
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#6 - Sleep Well

𝑫𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒋𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆⁠
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Diabetes Mellitus (DM) occurs when your blood glucose (blood sugar) level is high. It is a disease of 𝑰𝑵𝑺𝑼𝑳𝑰𝑵 production and efficiency. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, is responsible for getting glucose (from food) into the cells. ⁠
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People with type 1 DM (usually children & young adults) produce little or no insulin as a result of an autoimmune attack on the pancreas. Type 1 DM accounts for only 5-10% of diabetes in adults. ⁠
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90-95% of American adults, however, have type 2 diabetes which is caused by 𝑰𝑵𝑺𝑼𝑳𝑰𝑵 𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑵𝑪𝑬, when the cells in the body are not responsive to circulating insulin. ⁠
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∙34 million Americans have type 2 diabetes - diagnosed as fasting blood sugar of greater than or equal to 126 mg/dl⁠
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∙85 million Americans have pre-diabetes - diagnosed as fasting blood sugar of 100 mg/dl to 125 mg/dl⁠
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∙90% of people with pre-diabetes don't even know they have it!⁠
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Find out what your fasting blood glucose and insulin levels are. Pre-diabetes is completely reversible and Type 2 diabetes is reversible if identified and acted upon early. ⁠
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A 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑳𝑻𝑯𝒀 𝑳𝑰𝑭𝑬𝑺𝑻𝒀𝑳𝑬 can prevent & reverse DM. Twenty years of medical research has proven that it works just as good if not better than medication. ⁠
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Simple Tips:⁠
∙Eat foods that are low-glycemic and high in fiber & healthy fats⁠
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∙Eat lots of non-starchy vegetables. The more colorful the better⁠
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∙Moderate exercise at least 5 days a week⁠
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∙Weight Loss if you're overweight or obese

Shoveling snow can be dangerous to your heart. 💔⁠
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Every winter, about 100 people die in the U.S. die of a heart attack while shoveling snow. ⁠
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What is it about shoveling snow that is so dangerous? ⁠
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Snow shoveling is a strenuous exercise that will increase the demand on your heart. Unfortunately, many people who shovel snow rarely exercise. Going from zero to 60 without warming up first is like jumping on the treadmill and immediately going to high speed and incline. ⁠
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Picking up a shovel and moving hundreds of pounds of snow, particularly after doing nothing physical for several months (I'm thinking pandemic), can put a big strain on the heart. Pushing a heavy snow blower can do the same thing. ⁠
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The cold weather is a major contributor because it can boost blood pressure, interrupt blood flow to part of the heart, and make blood more likely to form clots.⁠
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When a blood clot forms inside a coronary artery (a vessel that nourishes the heart), it can completely block blood flow to part of the heart. Cut off from their supply of life-sustaining oxygen and nutrients, heart muscle cells begin to shut down, and then die. This is what we call a myocardial infarction, aka heart attack.⁠
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The so-called classic symptoms of a heart attack are a squeezing pain in the chest, shortness of breath, pain that radiates up to the left shoulder and down the left arm, or a cold sweat. Other signs that are equally common include jaw pain, lower back pain, unexplained fatigue or nausea, and anxiety.⁠
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Here are some tips for safe shoveling:⁠
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❄️ Don't shovel first thing in the morning - Most heart attacks occur first thing in the morning.⁠
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❄️ Warm-up your muscles before starting, just like you should with any type of exercise.⁠
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❄️ Shovel more light loads instead of fewer heavy ones.⁠
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❄️ Take frequent breaks.⁠
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❄️ Drink plenty of water.⁠
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❄️ Stop immediately and seek medical attention if you have any chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack. ⁠
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❄️ If you have any major medical conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease, or if you are out of shape, hire a teenage neighbor. He or she could use the money, and probably the exercise.

Heart health impacts all of us. ⁠
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FACT: Heart disease is the #1 killer of American men & women. One in every 4 deaths is due to cardiovascular disease. ⁠
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FACT: One person dies every 36 seconds in the U.S. from cardiovascular disease. ⁠
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FACT: Almost half of all Americans have at least one risk factor for heart disease. ⁠
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FACT: 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆. 👏⁠
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Today is day 1 of American Heart Month, a time for all of us to focus on our heart health. What small action can you take each day this month (& beyond) to safeguard your heart? ⁠
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Here are some simple ways that have been proven to be heart healthy.⁠
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∙ Sit less, Move more 🏃🏽‍♀️⁠
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∙ Eat more vegetables 🥦⁠
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∙ Meditate 🧘‍♂️ ⁠
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∙ Give Gratitude 🙏⁠
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#𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 is at the core of all infections, including COVID-19😷 & ⁠
at the core of ❤️ DISEASE. ⁣⁠
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𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓 - Individuals with pre-existing heart disease are at a higher risk of serious complications if they get infected with COVID-19.⁣⁠
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𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓 - Individuals with pre-existing risk factors for heart disease such as 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘦 also appear to be at increased risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2, as well as worse health outcomes from the virus.⁣⁠
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𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓 - Individuals without any known heart disease or risk factors can develop cardiac involvement. ⁣⁠
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Find out why in my latest blog. Spoiler alert #𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍⁣ 🔥🔥⁠
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Now that you know why, find out HOW to boost your immune function & 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞! Follow the linktr.ee in my profile.⁠
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Did you know that the heart is very vulnerable to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19? ⁣😷⁠
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There is considerable emerging evidence that the virus can have MAJOR effects on the cardiovascular system, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.⁣⁠
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Learn how to 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 ❤️ during this pandemic in my latest blog which you can find in my profile/Linktree!⁠

https://www.millieleemd.com/blog/

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Oh how I’ve missed you ! First time back in a gym in 5 months. While I’ve been doing the OTF at-home workouts, for which I’m immensely grateful, it’s not quite the same. I haven’t seen 22 splat points all this time & I really missed the coaches. The staff does an incredible job at following the guidelines to keep everyone safe. Everyone was well distanced. Thank you !

The sun rises every day & shines its light on us. This inspires me to rise, move my body & give gratitude for another day on this beautiful planet, another opportunity to shine my light. What motivates you to get up & go and give gratitude? Remember, movement & gratitude are good for the ❤️, your physical heart & your soul!

The "𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴" for 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 are pretty much the same risk factors for most chronic diseases, and recent research shows that these same risk factors increase the risk of poor outcomes with COVID-19 infection. These risk factors are high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.⁣⁠
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In my book, "𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬", I share what I believe to be the real root causes of heart disease (& not coincidentally all the risk factors) - what I call the 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱 - because all of these root causes are intricately connected and spur each other on, amplifying the effect on the heart. The 5 elements of the Heart Matrix are: ⁣⁠
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1. Inflammation⁣⁠
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2. Stress⁣⁠
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3. Gut Problems⁣⁠
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4. Insulin Resistance⁣⁠
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5. Genetics/Epigenetics⁣⁠
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The good news is that 𝐀𝐋𝐋 of these root causes of heart disease (and not coincidentally all the risk factors) are modifiable with a healthy lifestyle! ⁣⁠
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𝐓𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐏: Read all about it in my recently released book, "𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴" or schedule a free discovery consultation with me by following the linktree in my profile. ⁠
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𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 that might benefit from this powerful information.⁣⁠
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#𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 ⁣
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We’ve ALL experienced the transformative 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜. Music can lift your soul and mend your heart. It has often helped heal my spirit when it was broken. It makes me feel happy when I’m sad or stressed and strong when I need empowerment. ⁣
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𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐄. Now with the advantages of modern technology and research, there is strong evidence to support its healing properties. Music is unique in that it simultaneously activates several parts of the brain, including the auditory (hearing) system and centers of movement, learning, memory, and emotion. It also balances the autonomic nervous system, which controls many bodily functions including heart rate, blood pressure and digestion. ⁣
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Here are a just a few examples of how 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬:⁣
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∙ Music relieves stress and anxiety, lowering your risk of heart disease.⁣
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∙ Music may ease anxiety & depression in cardiac patients, especially after a heart attack or surgery ⁣
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∙ Music can affect heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate
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∙ Music can boost immunity⁣
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∙Music improves post-stroke recovery. ⁣
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∙Music therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of patients with Autism, brain injury, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s. I have personally witnessed a musical memory animate a patient with advanced dementia to sing and dance.⁣
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𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭 — 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧!⁣
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One of my favorite happy songs is "𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸!" by Queen ... "𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦". Whether I am or not at that moment, I certainly am once I've heard it!⁣
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I'd love to know what is your favorite musical memory? What song or artist inspires you? Motivates you? Raises your vibe? ⁣🎼
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So, put on your favorite song, maybe dance or move your body in sync with the rhythm, and know that you are doing something good for your health!

#𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭⁣⁠
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What you eat can be either medicine or poison! ⁣⁠
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One way that food can be poison is by causing 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. ⁣⁠
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Sugar (𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘺), trans fats (𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴), processed foods (𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴,𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴), and refined carbs (𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢, 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥) cause inflammation in the body which can lead to many diseases, including heart disease. ⁣⁠
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Only you have the power over your own health. Choose wisely. For your heart health, choose foods that are rich in fiber, antioxidants, minerals, and phytonutrients. ⁣⁠
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The only place to find all of these fine ingredients is in unprocessed, 𝗪𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃, like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. These foods are anti-inflammatory!⁣ 🥦⁠
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Learn more about the gut-heart connection in my book, "Your Heart is in Your Hands" (Follow the link in Link tree) or go to my website to schedule a free discovery consultation⁠
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𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄! ⁣⁠
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Hippocrates was a Greek physician who lived from about 460 B.C. to 375 B.C. He is regarded as the father of Western medicine and taught that all forms of illness had a natural cause AND it all begins in the GUT.⁣⁠
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Research now shows that GUT HEALTH and 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇 are intricately connected. ⁣⁠
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A healthy gut 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐌𝐄 is essential to a healthy heart and a healthy YOU in general. This ecosystem of mostly bacteria that live in our gut, perform many important functions - digestion, the production of nutrients and they play a key role in our immune system.⁣⁠
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As an integrative cardiologist, I often look to the gut for the root cause of heart-related concerns. ⁣⁠
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How do you keep your microbiome happy? ⁣⁠
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𝟏. 𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐀𝐑 - Your microbiome eats what you eat. Harmful bacteria in the gut love to feast on sugar and multiply. The good microbes get outnumbered and can't do their job. ⁣⁠
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2. Avoid medications like antibiotics and NSAIDs as much as possible and only use when absolutely necessary & prescribed by a physician. These drugs alter the composition of the microbiome and can lead to "𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐘 𝐆𝐔𝐓"⁣⁠
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3. 𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐄 isn't just good for your heart, it's good for your gut too! Exercise has been shown to increase the beneficial microbes in the gut enhancing overall microbiome composition and function. ⁣⁠
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4. Practice 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 or meditation. Your microbiome gets stressed when you do. A mindfulness practice or any way that helps you manage stress is not only good for the heart ... you got it, but it's also good for the gut. ⁣⁠
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If you have heart disease or any of the many risk factors for heart disease, schedule your free discovery consultation with me. Follow the link in link tree. ⁣⁠
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