About the author

Sherry Torkos, BSc, Phm

Sherry Torkos is a pharmacist, author, and certified fitness instructor. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science in 1992 and practices in the Niagara region of Ontario.

As a leading health expert, she has delivered hundreds of lectures to medical professionals and the public. She is frequently interviewed on radio and TV talk shows throughout North America and abroad.

She has authored eight books, including Winning at Weight Loss (Wiley, 2005), The Benefits of Berries (Bearing, 2005), Proven Natural Solutions for Depression (Wiley, 2004), and Breaking the Age Barrier (Penquin Books, 2003).

Table of contents

4Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part One: The Foundation for Good Health

• 5 Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• 7 Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• 9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• 10 Stress Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part Two: Health Conditions, Risk Factors, Symptoms, Management, and Prevention

• 12 Heart Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• 16 Breast Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• 19 Osteoporosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• 22 Menopause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• 25 Weight Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part Three: Financial Health

• 29 Financial Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Book Excerpt: How Is Heart Disease Different in Women?

Years ago it was thought that heart disease was the same for women and men.

Today we know that there are unique factors in women:

	Symptoms of a heart attack can be different for women. They may include fatigue, nausea, or pain in the shoulder, neck, or stomach, rather than the typical chest pain and shortness of breath.
	Heart disease more often affects women later in life than men. Nonetheless, younger women who have heart disease often do less well than men because it can be unrecognized by both the woman and her doctor.
	Women often delay going to the doctor, or fail to seek treatment altogether.
	Women are often treated less aggressively than men, and women’s symptoms may be dismissed as related to anxiety or emotions.
	Women are more likely than men to die after a first heart attack.
	Standard testing (angiogram) may not pick up heart disease in women due to differences in the formation of plaque. In women, plaque may form more smoothly against the artery walls, whereas in men it clumps up and is more apparent with testing. In addition, in some women the plaque buildup may be in the small vessels of the coronary arteries, which cannot be seen by the angiogram.
	Women have been under-represented in the studies used to set the standards for detection and treatment of heart disease.
	Women are more affected by stress, which is one of the common risk factors for heart disease. Stress causes the arteries to go into spasm and can trigger a heart attack. Women today have increased responsibilities—managing careers and taking care of the family and the home—and often put the needs of others ahead of their needs.