Grateful for a Healthy Heart on Heart Month and All Year Long!

After my late husband died of a heart attack, at 50 years old, and after meeting the man I love, and am now happily married to, to find out that he was on heart medication for high blood pressure, I knew I needed to learn some things that would enable me to help him stay alive for a long time to come. 

Have you ever heard of the phrase that goes; "When the student is ready the teacher shall appear"? Well, in this case the teacher showed up in the form of an old friend who introduced me to USANA Health Sciences back in 2002. I am so grateful for all I have learned since then and continue to learn. Below is a sample of some of the important work that USANA is doing in the area of heart health. 

I share this in the middle of National Heart Month, and as Valentine's Day approaches, in the hopes of helping people become more aware of taking control of their health. Heart disease is the number one killer across the world. Every day 2,500 people die, in the US alone, of some form of heart disease. 38% of all women who die, die of heart disease, it is 25% for men. 

There is good news! 80% - 90% of all heart disease can be prevented. It is a lifestyle disease, not something you catch. Making some simple changes in your lifestyle can give you huge rewards of excellent health. 

Why would you want to avoid heart disease? Is it to spend more time with your loved ones? Your grandkids? Your loving spouse? To be around to finish a project you are passionate about? To watch your great grandkids grow up? What is it about life that is so worth living for? For me it is to spend as much valuable time as I can with my dear husband, make a difference in the world, be with family and friends and travel the world.

Here's the article that was published by USANA Health Sciences last week:

"A Smart Approach to Heart Health

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Image from Human Anatomy & Physiology, fifth edition.

A collaborative study between USANA and Boston University shows that supplementing with grape-seed extract and vitamin C can help improve cardiovascular disease. For full details, visit USANA’s Science Posters page. 

Recently, some studies have suggested prescribing statin drugs to patients, all in the name of “preventing” cardiovascular disease (CVD). Does anyone else think this preventive treatment is a little heart dumb?

To further support USANA’s philosophy of using nutritional supplements as part of a heart smart lifestyle, the amazing USANA scientists recently conducted a study in conjunction with a research team at the Boston University School of Medicine. The study showed that some key nutrients in dietary supplements can actually be beneficial for patients who already have a form of CVD. 

Study Background
Oxidative stress appears to impact the heart’s ability to effectively pump blood through arteries and blood vessels. We all know cutting down blood flow is NOT a good thing. Over time, this impaired function has been shown to be a critical factor in the progression of CVD.

Grape-seed extract and vitamin C have both been widely shown to provide significant protection against oxidative stress, as well as to have positive effects on blood pressure. The USANA/BU team suspected that the powerful antioxidants could support healthy blood flow through supplementation of these two key nutrients together. 

What They Did
Researchers gave study participants, who were already diagnosed with CVD, either a placebo or 450 mg of grape-seed extract and 1500 mg of vitamin C, divided into two daily doses of two tablets. Blood samples were taken four hours after receiving the first dose, then again four weeks after taking the same dosage every day.

The researchers measured plasma levels of vitamin C, epicatechin (bioflavonoids), and plasma antioxidant reserve (PAR)—a measure of the blood’s resistance to oxidative stress. They also measured blood flow using fingertip peripheral tonometry (PAT). PAT is especially useful in measuring changes in blood flow because it focuses on the peripheral arteries in the fingertip. Making up the majority of the blood vessels in our bodies, peripheral arteries are those that are farthest from the heart. They are miniscule when compared to the arteries coming directly from the heart, so any noticeable changes are significant. Those with CVD generally do not show a healthy blood flow response when measured using PAT. 

What They Found
In the treatment group, vitamin C, epicatechin, and PAR increased to varying degrees at all three time points measured, meaning all the antioxidant levels were improved. PAT blood flow response also showed significant improvement following the 28-day treatment relative to the placebo group. 

These results suggest that grape-seed extract and vitamin C, working together, improve vascular function in patients with CVD, even in those tiny peripheral arteries. The results of this study were so impressive that they were presented to American Heart Association. 

Now, you can share these exciting results with your friends and family, as well.
For more information, including graphs that illustrate the results of the study, please visit theScience Posters section of USANAtoday. Go to “Prospecting” and select “Tools” from the drop-down menu. There you can find either large-format posters or a new 8.5X11, multiple-page format of “Grape Seed Extract Plus Vitamin C Improves Markers of Vascular Health” available for download. 

Now, don’t you feel heart smart?"
 

The two antioxidants referred to, grape seed-extract and vitamin C, are in USANA's exclusive new Profavanol C100. It is part of USANA Health Sciences new HYBRID technology that was introduced in the Summer of 2010. This is really exciting news to share because as a Go Red for Women Ambassador, with the American Heart Association, I am meeting so many people that tell me they feel they are on a path to heart disease. It is difficult sometimes to show them how they can prevent it by making positive lifestyle changes. Every bit of information helps.

With gratitude to USANA Health Sciences,

Dyann

Grateful for the Unexpected Honor!

The 8th Annual Go Red Luncheon in Tacoma, Washington was earlier this week. Prior to the luncheon there were two hours of VIP pampering for 100 of the 250 luncheon guests. The pampering included hand massages, parafin wraps, a light buffet, blood pressure tests and the first chance at the silent auction.

Our Go Red Ambassador program, which I am extremely grateful for as it gives me a place to serve in honor of my late husband, Lee Oberbeck, started late last year and this is the first year the Ambassadors were at the luncheon. I was moved and delighted by a very inspiring fashion show made up of our Go Red Ambassador survivors, ranging in age from about seven to seventy-six years of age. They each did a wonderful job of sharing their personal story of survival and walking across the stage in an adorable outfit from Macy's, one of the sponsors of the luncheon.

During the program I was surprised by an unexpected presentation. I was honored as the first, Go Red Ambassador of the Year. The words, Founding Go Red Ambassador, are inscribed on the beautiful Tiffany bowl I was given. It was an amazing and humbling honor to receive this award for doing something that I am so passionate about. I am grateful for the honor, the acknowledgment and for the pleasure I receive from being with and working with the many amazing women I am so honored to serve with.

Here is a video I made as a tribute to all the Go Red Ambassadors I have the pleasure of serving with. It explains "Why We Go Red". My husband, Wild Bill Jones, who is our Go Red Mascot and Guy Friday to all the ambassadors took the videos during the luncheon. Some of our ambassadors were not there, this is in honor of them too.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1-fTsl7Kyo

What do we do as Go Red Ambassadors? We give presentations to different organizations and businesses in the South Sound region. Our presentation consists of a short power point where we share the warning signs of heart disease, show what a heart attack is, share the risk factors and show what you can do to take actions to prevent heart disease. After that we share our personal stories. Each one of us has a very different story to share. I became a widow in an instant when Lee died suddently of a heart attack, Victoria is a heart transplant recipient, Tina is a heart attack survivor, Carol is a sudden cardiac arrest survivor, Lori is a stroke survivor and we have many more brave and courageous women who share their stories in the hopes of saving lives.

Most of us, including me, are not professional speakers. Here is a video of one of my Go Red presentations. Several of us spoke at the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency in Olympia, Washingtom on April 13, 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZEx6-31zUI

Do you know that heart disese is largely preventable? Since January 2010 our Go Red Ambassadors have talked to over 1000 people in the greater Tacoma area. We have the intention of saving lives and we believe we have an impact of increasing awareness to the warning signs of heart disease and how to prevent one in the first place by choosing to live a heart healthy life. Please support any Go Red movement in your own community or start a Go Red program of your own. The life you help to save may be that of a loved one or someone you never meet. We never know who we will impact by sharing these stories of survival.

With Love and Gratitude,
Dyann

I am feeling a Go Red Gratitude tonight!

Tonight fifteen Go Red for Women Ambassadors met with Trina Jones in her photography studio in the Old City Hall building on the edge of downtown Tacoma. With us was our friend from the American Heart Association, Connie Hara, who is the guiding light that arranged this photo session for us. Trina was masterful as she arranged all 15 of us for a group photo with the intention of having the perfect photo for billboards around town. I was delighted and thrilled to see so many dear friends, all in red, when I arrived at Trina's studio at about 5:00 pm. As more Ambassadors arrived, hugged our hellos and got comfortable, Trina's studio became a beautiful sea of red filled with bright happy faces.

Each of the Go Red Ambassadors, who range in age from their early 20's to their early 70's, has had a personal experience with heart disease or stroke. Many have suffered one or both of these themselves and have lived to tell about it. It is in the sharing of these stories that we hope lives can be saved.

When we go to an organization for a Go Red Ambassador Presentation we have a short power point to highlight the situation: That heart disease is the number one killer of women, that a woman dies every minute of heart disease, that one out of three women will die of this disease and that it is largely preventable. Then we tell our stories. It is the stories that make the audiance want to listen a bit harder and know a bit more. They become still and serious looking until one of our ambassadors says something funny and the tension is broken with laughter. Each group we speak to is different and often they have a lot of questions for us afterwards. We stay as long as they want to talk with us and we always leave feeling like we have done a good thing.

I have grown to love these women and as our group of Go Red Ambassadors grows there are more women to get to know and fall in love with. For that I am very grateful indeed!

With love and gratitude,
Dyann

Grateful for the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce

This morning I went to a Lakewood Chamber of Commerce meeting that was for their Ambassadors. The Chamber Ambassadors are volunteers that welcome new members into the Chamber community, greet people at Chamber events and spread the goodwill of the Chamber everywhere they go. I was surprised to see several Ambassadors I already know and was intriqued by their wanting to help in this way.

This is the third Chamber meeting/event I have attended since joining a couple of weeks ago. I am so grateful for having joined the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce because everyone I have met so far has been absolutely delightful! The Chamber has a commited staff and they really know how to create events that are not only wonderful networking opportunities but they're fun too!

Thank you Mary Ann Miller for introducing Wild and me to the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce! You and your sidekick Linda Smith really rock!

With love and gratitude,
Dyann

How Do I Decide What I Am Grateful For?

When time is limited and I want to acknowledge gratitude...where do I start? It is easy to write the first thing that comes to my mind so today I will do just that.

Today what comes to mind is: I am grateful to USANA Health Sciences.

Why am I grateful to USANA today and every day? I feel and look great. My husband feels and looks great. My friends that use these products feel and look great. I have made so many wonderful friends through USANA. I love the lifestyle I am living and creating. I am so appreciative of the opportunities, inspiration, education, celebrations, associations, health, wellness and wealth that are all available to me and others.

Thank you USANA Health Sciences and its Founder, Dr. Myron Wentz.

With love and gratitude,
Dyann

Grateful For Saturday Night!

It is Saturday night and I have my honey, Wild Bill, all to myself. The music is on, the candles are lit and did you know that the Sense Shower Gel makes the most delightful bubble bath ever? It has a tangerine scent that fills the room with the scent of orange blossoms.

I hope that your Saturday night is turning out as well as mine!

With love and gratitude,
Dyann

Grateful for Dr. Myron Wentz

A special letter of gratitude to the founder of USANA Health Sciences.

Dear Dr. Myron Wentz,

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the many gifts we have been blessed with since first learning about you and joining USANA Health Sciences in October 2002.

Dyann has been pain free for seven years and has been able to keep her weight down from where it once was. Wild Bill is off all his heart medication and his other health issues are a thing of the past since May of 2003.

Every day we thank you for the gift of health and the opportunity for wealth. What an awesome combination!

We wish you and Prudence a long healthy life as you continue to share your many gifts and love with the world. You have created so many wonderful possibilities that would not exist except for your generous spirit and commitment to making the world a better place to be.

With our love and admiration,
Dyann Lyon and Wild Bill