Taking Responsibility
Healthy women create healthy communities.
Ruthan Brodsky Contributing Writer
Motivating women to be
responsible for their own
health was the goal of the
Chaldean American Ladies of
Charity (CALC) at a compli-
mentary brunch for members
and guests. Co-sponsored
with DMC Huron Valley Sinai
Hospital in Commerce, the
event featured guest speakers
and hospital resources pro-
viding detailed information
about steps women need to
take to prevent disease and
maintain a healthy lifestyle.
"Gathering a group of women
together to learn ways they can
improve their health is important
because women learn and inspire
each other and they network with
other women:' says Suhair Kallabat of
West Bloomfield, event co-chair.
"Since CALC started 50 years ago,
one of our goals has been to preserve
our heritage and enrich our commu-
nity through awareness, advocacy and
education. We also wanted to share
this event with our Jewish sisters
because Chaldean and Jewish women
can learn from each other and sup-
port one other regarding health issues
that-affect both our communities."
Shenandoah Country Club in West
Bloomfield was the backdrop for the
250 women greeted with coffee and
biscotti on June 21. Health screenings
for blood pressure readings and BMI
(body mass index) numbers were
available before and after the presen-
tations.
14 CHALDEAN NEWS I JEWISH NEWS October 2011
The Kahn Factor
Keynote speaker Dr. Joel Kahn,
DMC medical director of wellness
programs as well as of preventive
cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation,
focused on the top five health num-
bers women should know throughout
their lives.
Kahn opened his remarks with
information about how to reduce
stress regardless of age. Although
some level of stress is good because
it keeps you focused, too much stress
can be bad for your heart and mental
health. He suggested breathing slowly
and deeply before reacting to a stress-
ful event.
Paying attention to your cholesterol
numbers was Kahn's recommenda-
tion for women in their 20s. He
reported that high Cholesterol levels
are associated with increased risk of
coronary heart disease. In fact, not
wearing a seatbelt and heart disease
are the two major causes of early
death in the U.S.
Kahn suggests that eating a more
high-nutrient diet with vegetables,
fruits, beans and nuts in your 20s will
help lower your cholesterol levels as
you age.
Eating a plant-based diet with sev-
eral servings of vegetables and fruits
also should be the focus in your 30s.
"When the majority of your calories
are from high-nutrient foods such
as vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts,
you can reduce cholesterol levels and
maintain a proper weight:' says Kahn.
"This type of diet also goes a long
way to prevent diabetes."
In your 40s, Kahn recommends
knowing your body mass index
(BMI) numbers and whether you
have sufficient amounts of Vitamin
D. BMI is a number calculated from
your weight and height used to screen
for weight categories and obesity.
"BMI is not the only factor related
to disease risk:' says Kahn. "Your
waist circumference is also important
because abdominal fat is a predictor
of risk for obesity-related disease and
other conditions such as high blood
pressure and physical inactivity:"
Vitamin D, on the other hand,
together with calcium, encourages
bone density protecting women from
osteoporosis as they age.
Having a CT scan to measure the
calcium deposits in the coronary
arteries is a procedure Kahn recom-
mended for people in their 50s. "The
calcification measurement from the
CT scan is a good indicator of your
risk for a heart attack or other heart
problems:' says Kahn.
Metabolic Equivalents, or MET, is
a major factor for women in their
60s. MET is a term commonly used
to measure metabolic rate. The result
is a ratio comparing your metabolic
rate while seated and resting to your
metabolic rate while performing
some task. More specifically, MET is
used to indicate how much energy
you've used for an activity and com-
pared that number to the average. If
you've used more energy, you may be
a risk for cardiovascular and other
conditions."
Positive Feedback
"It was wonderful to see how well
attended the event was:' said Dr.
Nathima Atchoo, a retired West
Bloomfield gynecologist who prac-
ticed for 55 years. "Dr. Kahn's infor-
mation is new to many people here. I
felt like these women were just wait-
ing to hear this information and it
was a wakeup call:'
Father Anthony Kathawa of Mother
of God Chaldean Catholic Church
in Southfield discussed the impor-
tance of healthy spiritual life. He
was the event's special guest speaker.
Emphasizing the need to balance the
body and the soul, he explained we
are obligated to care for our body
because it is a gift.
"When we neglect one area, we
lose our balance and our focus:' said
Father Anthony. "Balancing life means
weighing priorities and by putting
our faith and spirituality first, every-
thing else falls into place. The other
ingredients are our intellect, which
includes our mind and education,
and our humanity, which is our com-
Dr. Joel Kahn
suggests
breathing
slowly and
deeply to
counter high
stress.
munity. We need all three to care for
our health."
"Just three years ago, my health
information IQ was average said
Sharona Shapiro, hospital admin-
istrator/director of community
development at DMC Huron Valley-
Sinai Hospital. "Since joining the
DMC HVSH team, I've become
more informed, aware and proactive
regarding my health. I didn't know
heart attacks were the No. 1 killer for
women. I always thought women had
to worry about breast cancer and men
worried about heart attacks."
Taking Stock
"I was thrilled by the dynamic Dr.
Kahn and Father Anthony as they
shared with us the knowledge to
care for ourselves: mind, body and
spirit',' said Lois Shulman of West
Bloomfield, event committee member.
"They affirmed that women from
all cultures and faiths are important
to their families and their communi-
ties. My heart jumped to acknowl-
edge Father Anthony's profound
comment that it is 'politics that sepa-
rates us, not religion!' Our faith, our
belief in God, brings us together and
empowers us."
LeeAnn Kirma, president of
CALC, and Jeannie Weiner, an active
volunteer in the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit, co-chair a
workgroup focusing on social action
projects.
"The event was outstanding and all
part of the Jewish-Chaldean bridge
building initiative says Weiner, of
West Bloomfield. "There are car-
diac issues in my family, and what
I learned today will motivate me to
keep taking care of myself and to live
a balanced life."