B-R-E-A-T-H-E and Heal Your Heart

John M. Kennedy, M.D., is on a mission to reduce cardiac conditions without invasive surgery or a daily regime of prescription drugs. As the leading cardiologist on the stress-heart disease connection, Dr. Kennedy’s first book divulges simple techniques to prevent and reverse the four major kinds of heart disease in just 15 minutes a day.

The 15 Minute Heart Cure:The Natural Way to Release Stress and Heal your Heart in Just Minutes a Day teaches the BREATHE technique to help heal and protect your heart through specific stress-reducing breathing and guided imagery. A modern take on traditional meditation, this technique elicits the “relaxation response,” which helps create neural networks in our brain to help us to reduce stress. His new book, The Heart Health Bible, will be released on February 4, 2014.

Listen to Dr. Kennedy’s speech on stress at the Astoria Open House Event which was held in October.

“Our global economy, 12-hour work days and pressure to accomplish more in less time make stress part of our everyday lives. Unfortunately, if we fail to recognize stress, over time it can wreak havoc on our cardiovascular system,” says Dr. Kennedy, who is the newest member of the FoodTrients Board of Advisors. His book explains how stress can harm our cardiovascular system, but Dr. Kennedy is determined to not allow stress to damage your heart. Whether you have had a heart attack, have been diagnosed with a heart condition, or just want to keep your heart in shape, The 15-Minute Heart Cure gives you the tools to reduce daily stressors and protect your heart for a healthy life.

As a recognized expert in the field of cardiology and a much sought-after authority on alternative medical approaches for heart conditions, Dr. Kennedy has successfully helped thousands of patients with his techniques since beginning his practice 20 years ago. He is Board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, board member of the American Heart Association and a clinical associate professor of cardiology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Kennedy, who hosts MD-VOD: Your Health Live and On Demand, is also dedicated to preventative wellness, and as the Director of Preventive Cardiology and Wellness at Marina Del Rey Hospital, his program specializes in rehabilitation, early detection and the treatment of cardiac problems, with an emphasis on complimentary treatments.

Dr. Kennedy explains, “While heart disease remains the number #1 killer in America, it is largely preventable.” In his book, Dr. Kennedy focuses on the four most common cardiac conditions – arrhythmia, angina and heart attack, congestive heart failure, and valvular heart disease. 

In 2006, the Center for Disease Control reported that 24.7 million U.S.adults were diagnosed with heart disease. Dr. Kennedy recommends that you pay close attention to your body’s signals. Because people often confuse symptoms of heart failure with heartburn, he recommends if you experience frequent heartburn that you check with your doctor to make sure it is a problem with your stomach and not your heart. And, while most people have no signs of an imminent heart attack, some people experience:

• Chest discomfort
• Neck pain
• Back pain
• Jaw pain
• Even arm pain

An estimated 4.8 million Americans have congestive heart failure (CHF). Half of the patients diagnosed with CHF will be dead within 5 years. Each year, there are an estimated 400,000 new cases. Common symptoms of congestive heart failure, which currently affects 5 million Americans, include:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breathe
• Racing and erratic heartbeats
• Swelling of the feet, abdomen and face
• Other possible symptoms are:
• Weakness
• Tiredness
• Difficulty Breathing when you are lying down
• Waking up at night coughing or with difficulty breathing
• Needing to use the bathroom many times at night
• Dizziness

Arrhythmia, an abnormal, erratic heart rhythm caused by a diseased electrical system. Symptoms include palpitations, light-headedness and difficulty in breathing. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common form of arrhythmia and affects more than 2 million Americans.

Valvular heart disease is a condition that means the valves that connect the four chambers of the heart fail to close properly. The symptoms are difficulty breathing, chest pain, and even passing out. Aortic stenosis, the most common adult heart-valve disease, increases in prevalence with advancing age, afflicting 2 to 3 percent of the population by the age of 65.

Our fast-paced global world is filled with daily challenges and frustrations, so stress is here to stay and likely to become even more prevalent. How do you ward off the damaging effects of stress? Here is what Dr. Kennedy recommends:

1. Know your stress triggers.
2. Stay in the present.
3. Be grateful.
4. Maintain a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise.
5. Practice the B-R-E-A-T-H-E (Begin, Relax, Envision, Apply, Treat, Heal, End) technique.

Dr. Kennedy’s BREATHE technique combines two proven forms of relaxation — guided imagery and breath work — and puts a modern spin on ancient wisdom. Both of these techniques elicit the “relaxation response” which is opposite the “stress response.” When practiced regularly, like toning your muscles in the gym, you’ll develop a special neural network that will help you focus and find a sense of calm when faced with one of life’s unexpected stressful challenges.

The BREATHE technique can be used to help heal and protect your heart as well as help you focus and concentrate. It has been used successfully in health, business, academics and athletics.