The Heart Manual: My Scientific Advice for Eating Better, Feeling Better, and Living a Stress-Free Life Now »

ValentÍn Fuster, MD, PHD, is director of Mount Sinai Heart Center in New York, general director of the National Center for Cardiovascular Investigations (CNIC) in Spain, and former president of the American Heart Association and of the World Heart Foundation. His research on causes of coronary illness, which has led to significant advances in the treatment and prevention of heart attacks, has earned him awards and accolades around the world.

The director of the Cardiovascular Institute at New York s Mount Sinai Hospital, Valentín Fuster calls his book The Heart Manual, My Scientific Advice for Eating Better, Feeling Better, and Living a Stress-Free Life Now. In this essential, gimmick-free guide, the renowned cardiologist whose clients have ranged from Bill Clinton to Ted Kennedy, from Henry Kissinger to the Bush family, offers easy to read and follow advice to help you achieve TOTAL health, both physical and mental. The Heart Manual belongs in every home health library right next to You: The Owner s Manual by Dr. Mehmet C. Oz.

Follow world-renowned cardiologist Valentín Fuster's essential recommendations to a healthier heart and a longer life!

Cardiovascular disease affects, and often cuts short, millions of lives every year and very few doctors have had as much success as Dr. Valentín Fuster in treating this widespread scourge. For years, U.S. presidents and world leaders have sought Dr. Fuster's expertise and advice and now he offers it to a wide audience.

Dr. Fuster knows it isn't easy putting your health first to reach and maintain an ideal weight, to quit smoking, and to conquer stress and depression . . . all the behaviors and alterations necessary to keep cardiovascular disease at bay. In The Heart Manual, the legendary physician gets to the core of many of today's most important health issues, and offers solid, easy-to-follow tips and advice on how to better the quality of your life and transform cardiovascular disease into a manageable ailment.

Foreword vii

Preface: Time for Prevention ix

1 It's Never Too Late to Start Taking Care of Yourself 1

2 It's Never Too Soon: Prevention Begins in Childhood 11

3 Checkups: What I Should Know about My Health 23

4 Your Ideal Weight: Why It's So Hard to Maintain 41

5 Your Diet: How to Lose Weight (and Not Put It on Again) 51

6 Cholesterol: How to Keep it Under Control 63

7 Hypertension: The Silent Killer 75

8 Coagulation: A Storm in a Blood Vessel 87

9 Vitamins and Minerals: Why Doctors Recommend Eating Fruit 97

10 Fat: Dangerous Pleasures 109

11 Proteins: Natural Born Carnivores 121

12 Carbohydrates: Sweets That Sour 133

13 Alcohol: In Praise of Moderation 143

14 Tobacco: How to Quit Smoking 153

15 Exercise, Part 1: How to Get Started... 165

16 Exercise, Part 2:...And How to Keep Going 177

17 Stress: Living on the Edge 189

18 Emotions: Happiness as Life Insurance 201

19 At Night: Sex, Drugs, and the Heart 211

20 Heart Attack: When a Chest Pain Means You Should Call an Ambulance 221

21 After a Heart Attack: Making a New start 235

22 Stroke: An Emergency More Urgent than a Heart Attack 245

23 When to See a Cardiologist Even Though its Not an Emergency 257

24 Longevity: How Long Can We Get to Live? 271

Emergency Dictionary 279

Index 283