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WOMENHEART'S ALL HEART FAMILY COOKBOOK Featuring the 40 Foods Proven to Promote Heart Health by Kathy Kastan, LCSW, MA.Ed., and Suzanne Banfield, Ph.D., with Wendy Leonard and members of WomenHeart Rodale Books February 2008 $29.95/Hardcover with jacket ISBN-13: 978-1594867965

Contact: Trina Kaye
The Lisa Ekus Group, LLC
310.915.0970
TrinaKaye@tkopr.com

Heart disease is the # 1 killer of women in America. Nearly two-thirds of women had no symptoms prior to a heart attack. But studies have shown that women can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82% by leading a healthy lifestyle. While that is not surprising, the foods to eat for good heart health are — dark chocolate covered cherries, creamy avocado dishes like guacamole, and luscious fruits like raspberries can all improve women's heart health, according to WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. These are just a few of the 40 super foods that increase heart health and are incorporated into delicious recipes in WomenHeart's ALL HEART FAMILY COOKBOOK: Featuring the 40 Foods Proven to Promote Heart Health, by Kathy Kastan, LCSW, MA.Ed., and Suzanne Banfield, Ph.D., with Wendy Leonard and members of WomenHeart. This family-friendly cookbook educates women about foods that promote heart health and helps raise awareness of heart disease.

WomenHeart's ALL HEART FAMILY COOKBOOK is a collection of tasty recipes, some written by women living with heart disease, that encourage all women to take better control of their heart health by focusing on nutrition. The cookbook highlights 40 foods such as dark chocolate, red wine, tropical fruits, cherries, almonds, avocados, and sweet potatoes that are proven to reduce, prevent, and even reverse heart disease.

Each of the 175 recipes in the book contains at least three of the "super" foods and follows the most recent American Heart Association dietary guidelines. These heart-healthy recipes include:

• Zesty Clam Chowder
• Linguini with Walnut Pesto
• Broccoli and Cheese Strata
• Asparagus Frittata
• Green Tea-Oatmeal Pancakes
• Orange Pistachio Cake
• Raspberry Buckle

"Unlike so many books today that tell people what not to eat, our cookbook shows women how to protect their hearts and enhance their health by adding delicious foods to their life, not by taking them away," says Kathy Kastan, LCSW, MA. Ed., immediate past president of WomenHeart. "The recipes are easy to make and teach people how to help manage their heart health with these new, scrumptious food choices."

Plenty of soups, salads (including an elegant Grape and Fennel Salad), vegetable side dishes, grains, beans, pasta, and main courses such as Sesame Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salad, Oven-Fried Fish and Chips, Revamped Chicken Potpie, and Make-Over Veal Marsala grace the pages. The variety and ease of recipes make WomenHeart's ALL HEART FAMILY COOKBOOK a reliable-and lighthearted-resource for anyone living with or working to prevent heart trouble.

"Nutrition is a crucial part of taking care of your heart, especially if you are at risk for heart disease," says Carol Allred, current president of the WomenHeart board of directors. "After experiencing a major heart attack, heart failure, angina, and a number of other traumatic health issues in a short period of time, I decided to educate myself about heart disease, and that is when I found WomenHeart. I am honored to be leading an organization that has made such a meaningful impact on my life and the lives of millions women living with heart disease."

WomenHeart is the nation's only advocacy organization serving the eight million American women living with heart disease. The mission of WomenHeart is to improve the quality of life of women through prevention, early detection, accurate diagnosis, and proper treatment of heart disease. The organization provides information on issues ranging from risk factors to research and provides support by connecting women heart patients through an online community and local support networks. WomenHeart is the co-founder of the Heart Truth Campaign, which launched the Red Dress symbol to raise awareness of heart disease, the leading cause of death in women. For more information on WomenHeart, please visit www.WomenHeart.org.

Suzanne Banfield, Ph.D. has worked as a dietician, food scientist, and educator for over 20 years. She is the co-author of WomenHeart's ALL HEART FAMILY COOKBOOK and heads the North Jersey Support Network for the organization. Dr. Banfield also served on the organization's board of directors. In 2002, Dr. Banfield had a triple coronary bypass and carotid artery surgery after a routine physical picked up a major blockage in her left carotid. After experiencing this major medical set-back, she became serious about making heart-healthy lifestyle changes. She quit her corporate job and returned to her first love — food and nutrition.

Her approach to heart-healthy eating is to focus on all of the wonderful foods everyone can enjoy, instead of what they should not be eating. As a result, she developed a colorful, flavorful list of 40 heart-healthiest foods, which was the genesis of the WomenHeart's ALL HEART FAMILY COOKBOOK. A highly sought-after speaker in the US and abroad, Dr. Banfield is a great educator and motivator. She is a 2003 Mayo Clinic graduate and has delivered WomenHeart's message to companies like Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Glaxo Smith Kline, and Chubb Insurance, as well as to medical, professional, and community groups. Dr. Banfield has been featured as an authority in heart-healthy living on local television and as an expert source in newspapers. She holds degrees in home economics, food science and nutrition, and organization development. Currently, Dr. Banfield lives in Basking Ridge, N.J. with her husband Ed.

Kathy Kastan, LCSW, MA.Ed., is co-author of WomenHeart's ALL HEART FAMILY COOKBOOK and immediate past president of the board of directors of WomenHeart. Kastan is also the immediate past chairman of the board of directors for the Northwest Region of the American Heart Association (AHA). As a bypass survivor at age 42, Kastan understands the unique perspectives and challenges of women living with heart disease.

During her frequent conversations about heart disease with women's groups, journalists, health care providers, and political leaders across the country, Kastan urges women to know the risk factors for heart disease. She also advises women to demand that their doctors partner with them to promote heart-healthy living and offer appropriate treatment that meets their individual needs. Kastan holds a MSW and MA.Ed. from Washington University in St. Louis, and is a certified LCSW and licensed family mediator. She has more than 14 years of clinical experience in hospital and private settings, specializing in individual, family, and group therapy for children, adolescents and adults. Kastan is the author of From the Heart: A Woman's Guide to Living Well with Heart Disease. She has been married for 26 years and has three wonderful sons. She resides in Memphis, TN.

Kathy Kastan and Suzanne Banfield are available for interview.