Dr. Millie Lee

Dr. Millie Lee Integrative Cardiologist and yogi shares her thoughts on heart health, yoga, nutrition, lifestyle and travel.

๐™๐™๐™–๐™ฃ๐™  ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™จ๐™ฅ๐™ž๐™ง๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ข๐™š! ๐Ÿ™โ โ Today, I am grateful for my PATIENTS! โฃ๏ธ I am truly inspired by your stories, your resili...
11/18/2021

๐™๐™๐™–๐™ฃ๐™  ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™จ๐™ฅ๐™ž๐™ง๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ข๐™š! ๐Ÿ™โ 
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Today, I am grateful for my PATIENTS! โฃ๏ธ I am truly inspired by your stories, your resilience, and your determination to take ownership of your health and your lives. ๐Ÿ™โ 
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I would love to hear what inspires you. What are you grateful for? โ 
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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! โฃ๏ธโ 
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๐˜ผ๐™ฅ๐™ฅ๐™ง๐™š๐™˜๐™ž๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ ๐™˜๐™–๐™ฃ ๐™ข๐™–๐™ ๐™š ๐™– ๐™™๐™–๐™ฎ, ๐™š๐™ซ๐™š๐™ฃ ๐™˜๐™๐™–๐™ฃ๐™œ๐™š ๐™– ๐™ก๐™ž๐™›๐™š. ๐™”๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™ฌ๐™ž๐™ก๐™ก๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ๐™ฃ๐™š๐™จ๐™จ ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™ฅ๐™ช๐™ฉ ๐™ž๐™ฉ ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™ฌ๐™ค๐™ง๐™™๐™จ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™–๐™ก๐™ก ๐™ฉ๐™๐™–๐™ฉ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™ฃ๐™š๐™˜๐™š๐™จ๐™จ๐™–๐™ง๐™ฎ. ๐Ÿ™โ 
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# meditationismedicine

DAY 4 ๐Ÿ™ - ๐™ƒ๐™š๐™–๐™ก๐™ฉ๐™ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™œ๐™ง๐™š๐™–๐™ฉ๐™š๐™จ๐™ฉ ๐™œ๐™ž๐™›๐™ฉ, ๐™š๐™จ๐™ฅ๐™š๐™˜๐™ž๐™–๐™ก๐™ก๐™ฎ ๐™ฌ๐™๐™š๐™ฃ ๐™ž๐™ฉ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™œ๐™ž๐™ซ๐™š๐™ฃ ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™›๐™–๐™ข๐™ž๐™ก๐™ฎโ โ I am so grateful for the renewed heal...
11/18/2021

DAY 4 ๐Ÿ™ - ๐™ƒ๐™š๐™–๐™ก๐™ฉ๐™ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™œ๐™ง๐™š๐™–๐™ฉ๐™š๐™จ๐™ฉ ๐™œ๐™ž๐™›๐™ฉ, ๐™š๐™จ๐™ฅ๐™š๐™˜๐™ž๐™–๐™ก๐™ก๐™ฎ ๐™ฌ๐™๐™š๐™ฃ ๐™ž๐™ฉ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™œ๐™ž๐™ซ๐™š๐™ฃ ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™›๐™–๐™ข๐™ž๐™ก๐™ฎโ 
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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. โ 
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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. โ 
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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 ๐Ÿ™ had no damage to her heart. โ 
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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. ๐Ÿ™โ 
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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. โ 
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We can all eat better, exercise better, manage stress better, spend more time with loved ones, and be more grateful. ๐Ÿ™โ 
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Shanti loves the cooler weather! So grateful for girls best friend! ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿพ.
11/15/2021

Shanti loves the cooler weather! So grateful for girls best friend! ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿพ.

   โ โ ๐˜ผ ๐™œ๐™ง๐™–๐™ฉ๐™š๐™›๐™ช๐™ก ๐™๐™š๐™–๐™ง๐™ฉ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™– ๐™๐™š๐™–๐™ก๐™ฉ๐™๐™ฎ ๐™๐™š๐™–๐™ง๐™ฉ. โ โ Studies show that a regular practice of gratitude can have profound and last...
11/15/2021

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๐˜ผ ๐™œ๐™ง๐™–๐™ฉ๐™š๐™›๐™ช๐™ก ๐™๐™š๐™–๐™ง๐™ฉ ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™– ๐™๐™š๐™–๐™ก๐™ฉ๐™๐™ฎ ๐™๐™š๐™–๐™ง๐™ฉ. โ 
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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. โ 
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There is ALWAYS something to be grateful for even on our worst days. โ 
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Studies also show that putting pen to paper boosts immune function and reduces stress and anxiety. โ 
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Today, โ 
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I am grateful for a beautiful autumn day. ๐Ÿโ 
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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. โ 
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But now, I am truly mesmerized by the amazing color show that Mother Nature shares with us these days. โ 
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๐Ÿ™ My practice in mindfulness has opened up my senses to the beautiful sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of this season. โ 
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๐™’๐™๐™–๐™ฉ ๐™–๐™ง๐™š ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™œ๐™ง๐™–๐™ฉ๐™š๐™›๐™ช๐™ก ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง? โ 
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I hope everybody got outside this weekend, did something physically fun, and enjoyed the beautiful, warm weather. โ โ Let'...
05/24/2021

I hope everybody got outside this weekend, did something physically fun, and enjoyed the beautiful, warm weather. โ 
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Let's keep up the momentum and commit to moving your body several times a day. ๐Ÿ‘ฃโ 
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HEALTH BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: โ 
๐Ÿ‘‰Lower blood pressureโ 
๐Ÿ‘‰Lower blood glucose โ 
๐Ÿ‘‰Lower cholesterol โ 
๐Ÿ‘‰Reduce the risk of heart disease โ 
๐Ÿ‘‰Help you lose weightโ 
๐Ÿ‘‰Decrease depression and anxietyโ 
๐Ÿ‘‰Improve brain function โ 
๐Ÿ‘‰Improve immune functionโ 
๐Ÿ‘‰Reduce inflammationโ 
๐Ÿ‘‰Improve sexual functionโ 
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04/03/2021
๐‘ซ๐’‚๐’š๐’๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‰๐’• ๐‘บ๐’‚๐’—๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ๐’” ๐‘ป๐’Š๐’Ž๐’† (๐‘ซ๐‘บ๐‘ป) begins tomorrow for most of us in the U.S. DST results in more hours of darkness in the morn...
03/13/2021

๐‘ซ๐’‚๐’š๐’๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‰๐’• ๐‘บ๐’‚๐’—๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ๐’” ๐‘ป๐’Š๐’Ž๐’† (๐‘ซ๐‘บ๐‘ป) 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. ๐Ÿ˜ด

Our internal clock doesnโ€™t automatically sync to the changes in the official time, like the clocks on our cellphones do.

Our bodies are guided by ๐’„๐’Š๐’“๐’„๐’‚๐’…๐’Š๐’‚๐’ ๐’“๐’‰๐’š๐’•๐’‰๐’Ž๐’”, which are 24-hour cycles (internal clocks) that regulate ๐’”๐’๐’†๐’†๐’‘ and other key bodily functions, like ๐’„๐’‚๐’“๐’…๐’Š๐’๐’—๐’‚๐’”๐’„๐’–๐’๐’‚๐’“ ๐’‡๐’–๐’๐’„๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’. 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, thereโ€™s evidence the change may still affect our health, and more specifically ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’• ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’๐’•๐’‰. 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 ๐‘ป๐’Š๐’‘๐’” ๐’•๐’ ๐‘ฎ๐’†๐’• ๐‘ฎ๐’๐’๐’… ๐‘ธ๐’–๐’‚๐’๐’Š๐’•๐’š ๐‘บ๐’๐’†๐’†๐’‘

1. ๐‘ท๐’“๐’‚๐’„๐’•๐’Š๐’„๐’† ๐‘ฎ๐’๐’๐’… ๐‘บ๐’๐’†๐’†๐’‘ ๐‘ฏ๐’š๐’ˆ๐’Š๐’†๐’๐’†. 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. ๐‘ผ๐’๐’‘๐’๐’–๐’ˆ. 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 ๐Ÿ˜Šโ โ ๐Ÿ’“ Research shows that focus on your ๐Ÿ’“ and positive emotions such as love and appreciation crea...
02/28/2021

Feeling the good feels ๐Ÿ˜Šโ 
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๐Ÿ’“ Research shows that focus on your ๐Ÿ’“ and positive emotions such as love and appreciation creates a beautiful, smooth electromagnetic field from the ๐Ÿ’“ that can be measured as heart rate variability (HRV). โ 
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๐Ÿ’“ Remember .. everything is energy, including every organ in our bodies. โ 
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๐Ÿ’“ The heartโ€™s electromagnetic energy field is 5000 times greater than the brainโ€™s. In fact, the heart has its own nervous system, called the heart-brain which sends vital information to the brain.โ 
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๐Ÿ’“ The heartโ€™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? โ 
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๐Ÿ’“ 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. โ 
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๐Ÿ’“ When the heart and brain are in energetic alignment, this generates a state known as COHERENCE. This state builds RESILIENCE. โ 
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๐Ÿ’“ My favorite tool and app to practice coherence is the Inner Balance app that tracks your HRV while you feel the good feels. โ 
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๐‘ด๐’†๐’•๐’‚๐’ƒ๐’๐’๐’Š๐’„ ๐’”๐’š๐’๐’…๐’“๐’๐’Ž๐’† may be the most common & alarming syndrome you may not have heard of. โ โ ๐Ÿ˜ฎ Metabolic syndrome (Met Syn...
02/24/2021

๐‘ด๐’†๐’•๐’‚๐’ƒ๐’๐’๐’Š๐’„ ๐’”๐’š๐’๐’…๐’“๐’๐’Ž๐’† may be the most common & alarming syndrome you may not have heard of. โ 
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๐Ÿ˜ฎ Metabolic syndrome (Met Syn) is a cluster of risk factors associated with increased risk of multiple chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.โ 
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๐Ÿ˜ฎ Met Syn doubles your risk of developing heart disease and triples your risk of Type 2 diabetes.โ 
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๐Ÿ˜ฎ 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. โ 
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What are the criteria?โ 
๐Ÿ”ฅ ๐‘ถ๐’ƒ๐’†๐’”๐’Š๐’•๐’š - Waist circumference more than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in womenโ 
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๐Ÿ”ฅ ๐‘ฏ๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‰ ๐’•๐’“๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’๐’š๐’„๐’†๐’“๐’Š๐’…๐’†๐’” (๐’‡๐’‚๐’•) - 150 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL) or greaterโ 
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๐Ÿ”ฅ ๐‘ณ๐’๐’˜ ๐‘ฏ๐‘ซ๐‘ณ(๐’ˆ๐’๐’๐’…) ๐’„๐’‰๐’๐’๐’†๐’”๐’•๐’†๐’“๐’๐’ - less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in womenโ 
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๐Ÿ”ฅ ๐‘ฏ๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‰ ๐’‡๐’‚๐’”๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ ๐’ˆ๐’๐’–๐’„๐’๐’”๐’† - l00 mg/dL or greaterโ 
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๐Ÿ”ฅ ๐‘ฏ๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‰ ๐’ƒ๐’๐’๐’๐’… ๐’‘๐’“๐’†๐’”๐’”๐’–๐’“๐’† - systolic 130 mmHg or higher and/or diastolic 85 mmHg or higherโ 
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What can you do if you Metabolic Syndrome or any of these criteria? โ 
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Simple Lifestyle changes! โ 
โฃ๏ธ Lose weight if overweight or obeseโ 
โฃ๏ธ Eat whole foods - vegetables, fruits, lean protein, healthy fatsโ 
โฃ๏ธ Exercise - move your body several times a dayโ 
โฃ๏ธ Sleep at least 6 hours a night โ 
โฃ๏ธ Take time everyday for stillness, breathing & meditationโ 
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"The ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’๐’•๐’‰๐’Š๐’†๐’”๐’• of all human emotions is ๐‘ฎ๐‘น๐‘จ๐‘ป๐‘ฐ๐‘ป๐‘ผ๐‘ซ๐‘ฌ." ~ Hans SelyeA positive mental attitude, like gratitude, is ๐’ˆ๐’๐’๐’… ๐’‡๐’๐’“...
02/18/2021

"The ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’๐’•๐’‰๐’Š๐’†๐’”๐’• of all human emotions is ๐‘ฎ๐‘น๐‘จ๐‘ป๐‘ฐ๐‘ป๐‘ผ๐‘ซ๐‘ฌ." ~ Hans Selye

A positive mental attitude, like gratitude, is ๐’ˆ๐’๐’๐’… ๐’‡๐’๐’“ ๐’š๐’๐’–๐’“ ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’•. 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:

โฃ๏ธ The health of my family, friends, & neighbors
โฃ๏ธ My health
โฃ๏ธ A warm home
โฃ๏ธ Delicious, nourishing food
โฃ๏ธ The beauty of nature all around me
โฃ๏ธ A successful practice with beautiful patients
โฃ๏ธ A #1 International best-selling book
โฃ๏ธ 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.

๐‘จ๐’๐’… ๐’‰๐’†๐’๐’‘๐’” ๐’Œ๐’†๐’†๐’‘ ๐’๐’–๐’“ ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’•๐’” ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’๐’•๐’‰๐’š.

It is a fact that yoga is good for your heart. โ ๐Ÿ’“โ โ These are some of the ways yoga protects your heart. โ โ โฃ๏ธ Lowers bloo...
02/16/2021

It is a fact that yoga is good for your heart. โ ๐Ÿ’“โ 
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These are some of the ways yoga protects your heart. โ 
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โฃ๏ธ Lowers blood pressureโ 
โฃ๏ธ Lowers cholesterolโ 
โฃ๏ธ Lowers blood glucoseโ 
โฃ๏ธ Lowers inflammationโ 
โฃ๏ธ Lowers anxietyโ 
โฃ๏ธ Lowers depressionโ 
โฃ๏ธ Slows the aging processโ 
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Add em all up = Lower risk of heart disease!โ 
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โฃ๏ธ

๐‘บ๐’•๐’“๐’†๐’”๐’” ๐’„๐’‚๐’ ๐’ƒ๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’Œ ๐’š๐’๐’–๐’“ ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’•. Broken heart syndrome also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy is a rare condition that ...
02/15/2021

๐‘บ๐’•๐’“๐’†๐’”๐’” ๐’„๐’‚๐’ ๐’ƒ๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’Œ ๐’š๐’๐’–๐’“ ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’•.

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 โ€œstressorsโ€ 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? ๐‘บ๐‘ป๐‘น๐‘ฌ๐‘บ๐‘บ!

๐‘พ๐’‰๐’‚๐’• ๐’Œ๐’Š๐’๐’…๐’” ๐’๐’‡ ๐’”๐’•๐’“๐’†๐’”๐’” ๐’„๐’‚๐’ ๐’•๐’“๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’ˆ๐’†๐’“ ๐’‚ ๐’ƒ๐’“๐’๐’Œ๐’†๐’ ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’• ๐’”๐’š๐’๐’…๐’“๐’๐’Ž๐’†?

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/

 โ  โ โ ๐‘ซ๐‘ฐ๐‘ซ ๐’€๐‘ถ๐‘ผ ๐‘ฒ๐‘ต๐‘ถ๐‘พ? โ โ โฃ๏ธ What you eat has a direct effect on your blood pressure. โ โ โฃ๏ธ There's a lot of focus on sodium, ...
02/12/2021

โ 
โ 
โ 
๐‘ซ๐‘ฐ๐‘ซ ๐’€๐‘ถ๐‘ผ ๐‘ฒ๐‘ต๐‘ถ๐‘พ? โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ What you eat has a direct effect on your blood pressure. โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ There's a lot of focus on sodium, but did you know how important POTASSIUM intake is in order to maintain normal blood pressure?โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ Most Americans with high blood pressure do not consume enough potassium. โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ Where can you find potassium? โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธWhere else? Fruits and vegetables!โ 
โ 
๐‘ซ๐’Š๐’†๐’•๐’‚๐’“๐’š ๐‘บ๐’๐’–๐’“๐’„๐’†๐’” ๐’๐’‡ ๐‘ท๐’๐’•๐’‚๐’”๐’”๐’Š๐’–๐’Ž โ 
โ 
โ—พApricotsโ 
โ—พAvocadoโ 
โ—พBananasโ 
โ—พBeansโ 
โ—พBroccoliโ 
โ—พCantaloupeโ 
โ—พCarrotsโ 
โ—พDatesโ 
โ—พSunflower seedsโ 
โ—พSweet potatoโ 
โ 
Caution: If you have kidney disease, please consult with your physicianโ 
โ 

๐‘ซ๐’Š๐’… ๐’š๐’๐’– ๐’Œ๐’๐’๐’˜?โ โ โฃ๏ธ One in three Americans have high blood pressure. โ โ โฃ๏ธThe risk of developing high blood pressure is lin...
02/12/2021

๐‘ซ๐’Š๐’… ๐’š๐’๐’– ๐’Œ๐’๐’๐’˜?โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ One in three Americans have high blood pressure. โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธThe risk of developing high blood pressure is linked to lifestyle factors.โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ 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. โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ These beautiful pomegranates can lower your blood pressureโ 
โ 
BUT we know that the RISK of hypertension INCREASES with:โ 
๐Ÿ”… Age โ 
๐Ÿ”… Cigarette smokingโ 
๐Ÿ”… Lack of physical activityโ 
๐Ÿ”… Lack of sleep โ 
๐Ÿ”… Being overweight or obeseโ 
๐Ÿ”… Regular alcohol consumptionโ 
๐Ÿ”… High amounts of dietary sodiumโ 
๐Ÿ”… Low amounts of dietary potassiumโ 
๐Ÿ”… Other nutrient deficienciesโ 
๐Ÿ”… Toxinsโ 
๐Ÿ”… Stressโ 
๐Ÿ”… Inflammationโ 
๐Ÿ”… Family history of hypertensionโ 
โ 
Consequences of uncontrolled high blood pressureโ 
๐Ÿ‘‰heart diseaseโ 
๐Ÿ‘‰strokeโ 
๐Ÿ‘‰kidney diseaseโ 
๐Ÿ‘‰vision lossโ 
โ 
The good news .... there is so much you can do every day to maintain blood pressure in the normal range.โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ 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. โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ Maintain a healthy weight (better yet, BMI & waist circumference are far better metrics)โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ Be physically active every day. You don't have to run a marathon, but you do have to get up and move!โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ Eat healthy food - real whole foods, anti-inflammatory vegetables & fruits high in anti-oxidants, potassium & fiber and low in sodiumโ 
โ 
โ 
โฃ๏ธ Get enough sleep

The hormone,๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘บ๐‘ผ๐‘ณ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต, is essential for life. โ โ It plays many important roles in the body, especially in liver, muscle, an...
02/04/2021

The hormone,๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘บ๐‘ผ๐‘ณ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต, is essential for life. โ 
โ 
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. โ 
โ 
๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘บ๐‘ผ๐‘ณ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต ๐‘น๐‘ฌ๐‘บ๐‘ฐ๐‘บ๐‘ป๐‘จ๐‘ต๐‘ช๐‘ฌ occurs when insulin in the blood (released in response to carb consumption) is not easily recognized by the cells. โ 
โ 
๐‘พ๐’‰๐’‚๐’• ๐’•๐’“๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’ˆ๐’†๐’“๐’” ๐‘ฐ๐’๐’”๐’–๐’๐’Š๐’ ๐‘น๐’†๐’”๐’Š๐’”๐’•๐’‚๐’๐’„๐’†? โ 
โ 
โžก๏ธ - Excess Body Fat. Adipose (fat) cells release several inflammatory chemicals that impair proper insulin functioning. โ 
โ 
โžก๏ธ - Lack of physical activityโ 
โ 
โžก๏ธ - Poor sleepโ 
โ 
โžก๏ธ - Smokingโ 
โ 
๐‘บ๐’Š๐’™ ๐‘พ๐’‚๐’š๐’” ๐’•๐’ ๐’“๐’†๐’—๐’†๐’“๐’”๐’† ๐‘ฐ๐’๐’”๐’–๐’๐’Š๐’ ๐‘น๐’†๐’”๐’Š๐’”๐’•๐’‚๐’๐’„๐’†โ 
โ 
#1 - Decrease consumption of refined (bread, pasta, rice, cereals) and added sugar (table sugar, pastries, cakes, candy, soft drinks, salad dressings, sauces, alcohol)โ 
โ 
#2 - Eat plenty of fiber, predominantly soluble fiber from plantsโ 
โ 
#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 energyโ 
โ 
#4 - Weight Loss, especially the fat around the waistlineโ 
โ 
#5- Physical activityโ 
โ 
#6 - Sleep Well

๐‘ซ๐’Š๐’‚๐’ƒ๐’†๐’•๐’†๐’” ๐’Š๐’” ๐’‚ ๐’Ž๐’‚๐’‹๐’๐’“ ๐’“๐’Š๐’”๐’Œ ๐’‡๐’‚๐’„๐’•๐’๐’“ ๐’‡๐’๐’“ ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’• ๐’…๐’Š๐’”๐’†๐’‚๐’”๐’†โ โ Diabetes Mellitus (DM) occurs when your blood glucose (blood sugar) l...
02/03/2021

๐‘ซ๐’Š๐’‚๐’ƒ๐’†๐’•๐’†๐’” ๐’Š๐’” ๐’‚ ๐’Ž๐’‚๐’‹๐’๐’“ ๐’“๐’Š๐’”๐’Œ ๐’‡๐’‚๐’„๐’•๐’๐’“ ๐’‡๐’๐’“ ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’• ๐’…๐’Š๐’”๐’†๐’‚๐’”๐’†โ 
โ 
Diabetes Mellitus (DM) occurs when your blood glucose (blood sugar) level is high. It is a disease of ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘บ๐‘ผ๐‘ณ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต production and efficiency. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, is responsible for getting glucose (from food) into the cells. โ 
โ 
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. โ 
โ 
90-95% of American adults, however, have type 2 diabetes which is caused by ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘บ๐‘ผ๐‘ณ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต ๐‘น๐‘ฌ๐‘บ๐‘ฐ๐‘บ๐‘ป๐‘จ๐‘ต๐‘ช๐‘ฌ, when the cells in the body are not responsive to circulating insulin. โ 
โ 
โˆ™34 million Americans have type 2 diabetes - diagnosed as fasting blood sugar of greater than or equal to 126 mg/dlโ 
โ 
โˆ™85 million Americans have pre-diabetes - diagnosed as fasting blood sugar of 100 mg/dl to 125 mg/dlโ 
โ 
โˆ™90% of people with pre-diabetes don't even know they have it!โ 
โ 
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. โ 
โ 
A ๐‘ฏ๐‘ฌ๐‘จ๐‘ณ๐‘ป๐‘ฏ๐’€ ๐‘ณ๐‘ฐ๐‘ญ๐‘ฌ๐‘บ๐‘ป๐’€๐‘ณ๐‘ฌ can prevent & reverse DM. Twenty years of medical research has proven that it works just as good if not better than medication. โ 
โ 
Simple Tips:โ 
โˆ™Eat foods that are low-glycemic and high in fiber & healthy fatsโ 
โ 
โˆ™Eat lots of non-starchy vegetables. The more colorful the betterโ 
โ 
โˆ™Moderate exercise at least 5 days a weekโ 
โ 
โˆ™Weight Loss if you're overweight or obese

Shoveling snow can be dangerous to your heart. ๐Ÿ’”โ โ Every winter, about 100 people die in the U.S. die of a heart attack w...
02/01/2021

Shoveling snow can be dangerous to your heart. ๐Ÿ’”โ 
โ 
Every winter, about 100 people die in the U.S. die of a heart attack while shoveling snow. โ 
โ 
What is it about shoveling snow that is so dangerous? โ 
โ 
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. โ 
โ 
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. โ 
โ 
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.โ 
โ 
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.โ 
โ 
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.โ 
โ 
Here are some tips for safe shoveling:โ 
โ 
โ„๏ธ Don't shovel first thing in the morning - Most heart attacks occur first thing in the morning.โ 
โ 
โ„๏ธ Warm-up your muscles before starting, just like you should with any type of exercise.โ 
โ 
โ„๏ธ Shovel more light loads instead of fewer heavy ones.โ 
โ 
โ„๏ธ Take frequent breaks.โ 
โ 
โ„๏ธ Drink plenty of water.โ 
โ 
โ„๏ธ Stop immediately and seek medical attention if you have any chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack. โ 
โ 
โ„๏ธ 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. โ โ FACT: Heart disease is the  #1 killer of American men & women. One in every 4 deaths i...
02/01/2021

Heart health impacts all of us. โ 
โ 
FACT: Heart disease is the #1 killer of American men & women. One in every 4 deaths is due to cardiovascular disease. โ 
โ 
FACT: One person dies every 36 seconds in the U.S. from cardiovascular disease. โ 
โ 
FACT: Almost half of all Americans have at least one risk factor for heart disease. โ 
โ 
FACT: ๐‘ฏ๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’• ๐’…๐’Š๐’”๐’†๐’‚๐’”๐’† ๐’Š๐’” ๐’๐’‚๐’“๐’ˆ๐’†๐’๐’š ๐’‘๐’“๐’†๐’—๐’†๐’๐’•๐’‚๐’ƒ๐’๐’† ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐’“๐’†๐’—๐’†๐’“๐’”๐’Š๐’ƒ๐’๐’†. ๐Ÿ‘โ 
โ 
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? โ 
โ 
Here are some simple ways that have been proven to be heart healthy.โ 
โ 
โˆ™ Sit less, Move more ๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿฝโ€โ™€๏ธโ 
โ 
โˆ™ Eat more vegetables ๐Ÿฅฆโ 
โ 
โˆ™ Meditate ๐Ÿง˜โ€โ™‚๏ธ โ 
โ 
โˆ™ Give Gratitude ๐Ÿ™โ 
โ 
โ 

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Welcome to the Practice of Dr. Millie Lee

Dr. Millie Lee, MD, FACC, MBA, RYT was the first female fellow in Interventional Cardiology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. She practiced General and Interventional Cardiology for 20 years where she was also the first female physician to practice in that specialty.

With being trained in Functional Medicine and an RYT - Registered Yoga Teacher, Dr. Lee has extensive experience helping patients addressing the underlying causes of disease through Therapeutic and Cardiac Yoga in addition to Interventional Cardiology.

She strongly believes heart disease is a lifestyle disease and has, therefore, dedicated herself to working closely with all of her patients to establish a personalized health plan that includes realistic and manageable lifestyle improvements.