Record-Review Today's Woman 2012

A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE RECORD-REVIEW MARCH 9, 2012

Beauty BOLD

By TRACI DUTTON LUDWIG

Color and femininity define fashion’s new look ave a fling with fashion this spring. Fun and optimistic, the mood of the season is defined by amplified color, bold pattern, athletic inspiration and refined silhouettes. With this new wardrobe, it is time to redefine modern femininity through confidence and individuality. Designers’ collections are resplendent with beautiful options, so it’s up to you to make the look your own.

Here are the season’s top styles to infuse your wardrobe with wonder…

Creative color blocking A favorite trend of the past few seasons, color blocking has outgrown its strict geometry to embrace a new creative flair. This season, look for energized diagonal wedges and asymmetrical juxtapositions of complementary colors.

Finished as collage prints or patchwork constructions, even simple basics like skirts, cardigans and sheaths become bold standouts. Accessorize with bright, chunky jewelry and strongly geometric shoes, and you’ll rock the dynamics.

Bold prints Turn up the volume; spring’s prints are louder, brighter and bolder than ever before. Vibrant, colorful patterns range from psychedelic florals and geometric graphics to elegant, repeating motifs of birds or arabesques. Let playful confidence dominate the look, so it will be about your attitude — and not about the 6-inch chrysanthemums sprayed across your chest.

Photoshop Technology defines our modern world — and, sometimes, fashion too.

Silk-screened digitized prints now appear on everything from postcards to

billboards to… dresses. Out of context, out of proportion, altered and distorted, familiar images become anything but ordinary. Instead, these photographs of landscapes, architectural monuments and digitally manipulated objects read as abstract colors, shadows and lines before their iconography becomes apparent. A perfect blend of art and technology.

Shine on Space age or disco retro, metallic basics are defining a new attitude in daywear. What used to be reserved for eveningwear and sequin splendor, is now finding a place in everyday fashions — for work or play. Going for a look that is more burnished than shiny, the current fabric of choice is matte satin. Look for beautiful examples in pewter, bronze, copper and metallic snakeskin hues like blues and greens. Skirts, jackets, vests and accessories such as belts, shoes and handbags are fabulous mediums for this new kind of cool.

Curves ahead Feminine silhouettes are back in a big way. Emphasis is on the hourglass shape of a defined waist and curvy hips. Approximating this body type, the tailored shape of the peplum is resplendent in spring collections. Look for cinched waists, low closing buttons and flared hip panels in peplum jackets and shirts.

In peplum skirts, a perfect silhouette combines a body-hugging fit, from the derriere through the thighs, with a playful angular ruffle near the knees. Ranging from ladylike to edgy, peplum suits satisfy every taste this season. Peplum jackets are versatile separates; just keep overall proportions in balance by pairing them with pencil skirts or slim pants.

Military wives Aye, aye, Sergeant Runway! With this season’s new Army- and Navy-inspired prints and military jackets, it’s easy to fall

into perfect fashion formation. Current order favors an overt reference to camouflage prints, excited by added color.

Traditional grays, browns and muddy greens have been replaced by brighter pinks and oranges, lighter blues and grassy greens. Unexpected fabrics and constructions range from tailored canvas jackets to fluid silk dresses, as “camo” signals its distinctly feminine side. Wear it as a flirty print with girly accessories; or create edgy contrast by pairing the slinkiest, most colorful fatigues with heavily buckled military boots.

Tropical heat Warm shades of orange, pink and yellow add heat and drama to the spring palette. Used in moderation — as a daring accent or as cheerful trim — these spicy hues give seasonal basics and simple silhouettes a cheeky blush. But when absorbed in full saturation — especially in unexpected places like shorts suits, jumpers and evening dresses — these high-intensity colors no longer pop… they explode! To amplify the Samba beat, drum up accessories in contrasting colors — blue with orange, lime with pink, purple with yellow — or extend the rhythm through basic black or white.

Many designers are now pairing black and yellow, which can be supremely elegant and not at all “bumble bee.” To avoid associations with the buzzing insect, just stay away from stripes — and find your honey elsewhere.

Times Square Get ready to light up the night. Electrified colors have jumped from the boardwalk to the catwalk to the main street. Look for neon flashes everywhere — throwing out sparks from jacket linings and underpinnings, to manifesting full fireworks displays as jeans and cocktail dresses. Inspired by ’80s punk Continued on page 2A

Eye of the Beholder Breining combines beauty and brains

By EVE MARX

inside Step in Style: Spring shoes follow seasonal fashions ...............................3A Designing Woman: Jane Bell’s journey from dancer to decorator .........................4A Behind the scenes: McDonald the driving force of Clocktower Players ..........5A A wrinkle in time: imagine if image didn’t matter .............6A Women’s Health: Your heart, your health ..........................6A Frank Lyman is celebrating 10 years of his own brand of bold, colorful designs for women who are ‘excited about life.’

Available at En Vogue in Scarsdale.

E

rica Ficaro Breining, originally from Grosse Pointe, Mich., is 33 years old, married and has two daughters, ages 2 and 4. She is also the founder and owner of Bellava MedAesthetics & Spa in Bedford Hills, a medically based beauty emporium she opened in September 2011. She is certainly a woman of today, for those reasons and more.

Although beauty is now her business, Breining’s background is engineering. As a young University of Michigan undergrad majoring in engineering, she accepted an internship the summer between her junior and senior years at IBM in Fishkill. While her mom was unhappy she was going to be so far from home for the summer, the company was so impressed that they offered her a full-time position when she graduated.

During her seven years at IBM, Breining took online courses and completed an M.S. in operations research from Columbia University.

The specialized degree is designed to enable students to concentrate their studies in methodological areas such as mathematical programming, stochastic models and simulation. Through the Columbia program Breining studied logistics, supply chain management, revenue management, financial engineering, risk management, entrepreneurship and general management. It was, she said, a very

JIM MACLEAN PHOTO

Erica Ficaro Breining didn’t have to leave behind her engineering background. She instead incorporated it into Bellava MedAesthetics & Spa in Bedford Hills.

solid background to have going into the med spa business.

So how did an engineer come to be an ambassador and purveyor of the tools of technological beauty? “I always believe that you should work at what you enjoy,” Breining said from behind her desk at Bellava, where she spends much of her day.

After the birth of her first child, Breining knew she wanted to leave the corporate world behind to make more time for her family. She left IBM to start up a handbag business, HGBagsonline.com to sell rare, authentic designer handbags sought after by fashionistas all over the world.

The company sells brand names including Balenciaga, YSL, Jimmy Choo, Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton.

“It’s an online business,” Breining said.

“Import, export. We sell them all over the world.” The “we” being Breining and her

husband, who helps her with that work.

“Thirty to 40 percent of our business is in Asia,” she noted.

But bags, even the most sought after, high-end bags, were not enough to keep Breining busy. “My main flaw is that I’m always working,” she said, smiling apologetically.

Breining became interested in the beauty business, she said, in part because of the numbers, but also because of her tech background in engineering. “It’s the ultimate combination of beauty and technology,” she said. “There’s the medical aspect and the technological. What’s happening because of the latest advances in the technology is that we’re able to offer beauty treatments that are actually medical procedures to achieve results that were never possible in the past.”

Continued on page 4A

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Today’s Woman

March 9, 2012

Today’s Woman Fashion

Spring’s boldBeauty Continued from page 1A

rock fashions, the new neon is more uptown and wearable than ever before. For intense shine, without any glare, stick to a solid shade, a simple silhouette and a frame of basic black.

Pastel Soft, sweet colors play an enduring melody for spring’s celebration of femininity. Pale taffy tones and sorbet shades are a welcome counter to the season’s other high-intensity colors. Whispers of pink, blue, yellow, lilac and green are the obvious choice for floaty dresses, billowy skirts and sheer blouses. Very ladylike, this is a palette for elegant dressing at its best — goddess gowns, wrap dresses and chic suits. Classic accessories like pearls, cropped sweaters and sparkly belts emphasize an ageless, timeless beauty.

Color and flow Long legs are poised to enjoy all the kicks of spring fashion. Loose, flowing pants perfectly complement the season’s warmer winds and breezier attitude. A welcome alternative to the skinny jeans and tight trousers of the past, these new lightweight styles are easy to wear. Silk palazzo pants dress up any occasion, while slouchy, pajama-inspired loungewear is a versatile look for casual affairs. Because wide cuts add movement and volume to the legs, make sure to add structured, fitted or stretchy pieces on top.

Saturated Crayola-colored jeans are another fun look for spring. Primary colored denim — or cotton pants in other bright, flat hues — sharpen up a crisp white shirt or fitted tee. An accent of gold jewelry keeps the look country club chic, while Boho beads and a tasseled belt add an element of urban funk.

Athletic chic Traditional categories are dissolving, with an ever-blurring distinction between athletic sportswear and couture style. Designers’ spring presentations were populated by visions of ski bunnies, skater girls, motorcycle divas and scuba

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sirens. So, as these looks translate from the catwalk to the main street, consumers can expect to find collections marked by an increasingly sporty attitude. The trend starts with funky sports shoes, crisp white tees and collared golf shirts — elevated, of course, to a glamorous tone through expert fit and construction. Deeper into the trend are jackets, pants and dresses made from Lycra, Spandex and slick textiles borrowed from traditional wetsuits and biking wear. Even tracksuits have sprinted into the fashion race. With bold details

and tailored silhouettes, they might just take first place.

Angel wings A calm within the visual storm, pure white clothing is a welcome balance to all the hyped-up graphics and hyper12 bolic color this season. White’s angelic look is about ethereal grace and youthful innocence. Gossamer textiles and gauzy layers distinguish the best silhouettes. Tone-on-tone and monochrome are blank canvases, so play up the artistry with luxurious fabrics, sensual textures and refined details. Accessories can be as tame or as wild as your mood allows.

Waist not, want not Spring’s eye is on the waistline. Inspired by dancewear and the 1980s, crop tops are experiencing renewed popularity. Favorite cuts merge boxy silhouettes

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with wide, open necklines. These belly tops come in various lengths. Super short shows off killer abs — if you have them to flaunt. Longer-length tops, some with strategically positioned cutouts, command sex appeal with just a flick of bare skin. For the greatest versatility, layer a cropped top or truncated jacket over a neutral bodysuit or slinky dress. Dropwaist dresses are also making a comeback, but they are decidedly more difficult to wear, depending on one’s body type.

Rain, rain, go away Gray skies or blue, the anorak is the outerwear of choice this spring. Beyond adding chic appeal to rainy days, these lightweight boxy jackets are a stylish counterpart to any slim pants, casual skirts or spring leggings. These jackets reinforce spring’s sportiness and casual attitude; yet in bright colors or sumptuous textiles, they communicate strong femininity. As such, anoraks command the identity and versatility of a fashion chameleon. Who said you couldn’t be practical and beautiful at the same time?

Pictured: 1) ALC by Andrea Lieberman’s ‘sophisticated must-haves’ are available at Churchills of Mount Kisco. 2) At En Vogue in Scarsdale, Frank Lyman Design offers a bold look. 3) Wheat Petal earrings by Giles and Brother from Robin McCormick Jewelry and Design Studio in Katonah. 4) Graphic prints are making a bold statement this spring from big floral patterns and geometric designs to zig zags made chic like the Cropped Zig Zag Skinny pant from 7 For All Mankind. Available at Lester’s in Rye and Lesters.com. 5 and 6) For spring, Ramy Brooks focuses on feminine silk tops and dresses in bright vibrant colors.

Her clothing is all made in New York. She creates an effortless, sexy look. Ramy Brook designs are sold exclusively at all Great Stuff locations in Scarsdale, Rye, Chappaqua, Westport and Greenwich. 7) Dear Cashmere combines ‘quality and style’ at Churchills of Mount Kisco. 8) ALC’s ‘modern wardrobe’ at Churchills of Mount Kisco. 9) Sterling silver engraved flower pendant set with a rose cut diamond by Me&Ro at Robin McCormick Jewelry and Design Studio in Katonah. 10) Find New York-based Lars Andersson’s knitwear at Churchills of Mount Kisco. 11) Long Archer link necklace by Giles and Brother at Robin McCormick Jewelry and Design Studio in Katonah. 12) Diamond, left, is wearing Seven shorts, an Acrobat sweater and Frye boots; Jackie is wearing a Fluxus top, Seven jeans and Frye boots at Industry in Dobbs Ferry.

Today’s Woman

March 9, 2012

The Record-Review/Page 3A

Step in Style

Spring’s neutral wedge is the perfect way to complement the season’s high-intensity, colorcharged styles. Available now at Lester’s, from left: Manngo by Steve Madden; Tulle from the DV by Dolce Vita Collection; Chinese Laundry’s Dig It; Merrit from DV By Dolce Vita.

Spring shoe styles follow seasonal fashions

By TRACI DUTTON LUDWIG

T

he obsession with shoes begins early. As soon as little girls (and even many of the boys) can open their mothers’ closets, they are drawn to the teetering, strappy, crimsonsoled accouterments of grown-up femininity. Shoes create fantasy, and magical footwear has inspired legends. Cinderella found her prince through a glass slipper.

Hans Christian Andersen wrote a whole tale around “shoes of fortune,” and there was an “old woman” of folklore who spent her life living in one.

For modern-day damsels, footwear may not be enchanted, but it hasn’t lost its enchantment. Each season brings a new treasure trove, and these gems of the fashion world — shoes — follow couture in perfect stride. Or, sometimes, they lead the way.

As spring and summer shimmy on the horizon, expect shoes to be their own fashion statements. Their feminine forms, metallic surfaces, exotic skins, vibrant texture, bold color and intriguing heels are artwork for the feet.

Shoes are an essential accessory, “capable of completing an outfit or making an outfit,” said Joan Zombek, co-owner of Suede, in Larchmont. “You can take

something as basic as jeans and a white shirt and entirely change it up with a great shoe. Wear it with a sneaker, and the look is fun, funky and easy. If you switch to a great heel, it becomes a sexy, nighttime look … Shoes change the mood of an outfit. It’s all about how you wear your clothes.”

Some of the most popular shoes for spring and summer are wedges and booties. Both add height and shape to the leg, while providing secure footing through solid or stacked heels. Colored raffia bases and a use of contrasting materials give wedges a contemporary attitude. With booties, the new look is all about sexiness — transparent mesh sides, open toes and heels, or matte metallic finishes.

“We’re seeing a lot of dyed wedges in green, yellow and blue — a great match for all the new colors we’re seeing in clothing. There are even polka dot wedges, picking up on the polka dot trend… although I’d recommend pairing these with a solid color outfit,” Zombek said.

According to fashion insiders, the booty is the new “it” shoe. “It’s edgy and funky, and it looks great with dresses and tighter cigarette pants,” Zombek said.

Lori Land, co-owner of Churchills in Mount Kisco, agreed: “Ankle booties, along with wedges, are a huge trend now.

I especially love them in metallic linen, suede or lighter spring colors. They’re a great look with skinny jeans and a big sweater or a long skirt. Also, with a flirty

little dress, a bootie can be really cool.”

Glamour magazine recently identified and nicknamed a popular new bootie. It has been dubbed the “shootie” because of its sheer side panels or strappy openness around the toes and ankles. For added visual interest, some designers have been embellishing “shooties” with chic metal decoration.

“We’re seeing a lot of studs and grommets,” Land said. “It’s a style that transcends from fall’s love of the motorcycle jacket. Those same spiky studs and metal bits from biker jackets are now appearing, this season, on sandals and booties. It’s a rock ‘n’ roll, edgy look put into a shoe.”

Playing up spring’s feminine pulse are towering pumps and stilettos. With these styles, contour and proportion are everything. Toe tips have become pointier, and 3-inch heels have narrowed. It is a silhouette that visually lengthens the foot and draws the eye upward along the sinuous line of a flexed calf. These are sexy shoes — with or without added decoration.

However, when they are adorned, these shoes have the added bonus of carrying the hot trends of spring. For example, metallic finishes on skirts and jackets translate to shoes with shiny metal toe tips and glittery, bejeweled heels. Depending on style, these metallic finishes can add sharp bite or be diva sweet. No longer reserved for after dark events, sparkle and glitz are now fun looks for daytime as well.

Spring’s current shoe palette reflects the

contemporary taste for bright, saturated colors. Emerald green, canary yellow, hot pink and marine blue are becoming as common as traditional black and brown.

As neon clothing has electrified the catwalk, designers have turned out matching high-voltage sandals and pumps. Color blocking has also found its way into fashionable footwear — with shoes that patch together different colors or mix patent and flat leathers.

If so much color feels like an overload, nude-tone shoes offer an elegant alternative. One of the most versatile looks in spring and summer footwear, nude shoes look good with everything because they mimic the color of skin. With a short skirt and bare legs, nude-tone shoes create a lean, long-legged look. A variation of the nude shoe is the transparent vinyl flat, which was introduced last year. At first thought to be a passing trifle, vinyl shoes have endured and developed. They are most fun when embellished with crystals or trimmed with rhinestones.

Skins are back in style again, and they’re surprisingly versatile. Look for python, crocodile, lizard or ostrich. “If you don’t yet own a great pair of skin shoes, now is the time to get a pair. They go with everything — a bright red dress, jeans and a tee shirt, a leather jacket, a fun cocktail dress. They transition into so many different outfits and always looks fabulous,” Land said.

Low-heeled sandals and flip-flops have

become staples of warm weather dressing, and this season’s versions play up texture and femininity. Straps, bow ties and buckles create punctuating details. Braided leather trim, woven surfaces and applied floral accents add interesting texture. It’s all about breaking the rules.

Following along, innovation informs a new look for athletic shoes. No longer reserved for sports and training, sneakers are now making their way into everyday fashion. Look for leather and canvas sneakers that pack a stylish punch — bright colors, funky trim, neon accents or contrasting laces.

Patty Palmieri, owner of LV2BFIT, an athletic fashion boutique in Rye Brook, spoke about the development of this crossover trend: “British designer Stella McCartney is the mastermind behind the Team GB Olympic fashion, paving the way for athletic shoes to become as glamorous and mainstream as ever. Another designer, Marc Jacobs, paired sneakers with his clothing designs during New York Fashion Week this year … Sportswear is the new hip way to dress, even in the office setting.”

Likewise, “Getting a killer athletic wardrobe can guarantee a surge in confidence,” said Palmieri. “At LV2BFIT, our philosophy is: when you look good, you work out harder and feel better too.”

Looking good means adapting to the trends, and color blocking works especially well with athletic shoes.

“Vibrant colors are being paired on the canvas of sneakers, providing a youthful and timely flare for athletic outfits,” Palmieri said. “The tops of shoes are not the only part getting love from the designers — the bottoms of athletic shoes are also being splattered with design and pops of color. They may not be red-bottom shoes, but it gives a sense of individuality and glamour … If you look at Nike’s customization model, you will see one of the largest trends in shoes. People want the ability to customize their shoes, especially in the ‘me’ generation.”

Light athletic shoes are another huge trend in the gym. Palmieri said, “The less the shoe weighs, the easier it is to achieve a maximum workout. People want light shoes they can carry around in their workout bags after they leave the gym.

The lighter it is, the easier it is to carry.”

Trendy athletic shoes are not just stylish; they “can be more effective because of technological advances and the evolution of consumer needs,” Palmieri said.

She recommends “having multiple pairs of sneakers for different occasions and workouts… [because] what you wear during athletic training can easily affect your mental and emotional state while working out.”

All this is good news for shoe gals who follow the old adage when it comes to their feet: “If the shoe fits, wear it.”

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They all wear Miss Marisa Perfume.

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Today’s Woman

Page 4A/The Record-Review

March 9, 2012

Today’s Woman

Designing Woman

JIM MACLEAN PHOTO

Jane Bell took an interesting path to get where she is today, now a mother and owner of Jane Bell Interiors.

Jane Bell’s journey from dancer to decorator

By JACKIE LUPO

R

einventing yourself is something many women find themselves doing at least once in their lives. Jane Bell, owner of Jane Bell Interiors in Scarsdale, where she also lives, has done it several times.

And, like the ballerina she first trained to be, she has taken on every new role with style and grace.

Bell was brought up in Manhattan with a view of Washington Square Park — her mom was on the faculty at NYU — and a passion for ballet. By the time she was a teenager, she was training at the School of American Ballet at Juilliard six days a week, dancing all the children’s and teenage roles.

“Then, when I was 17, I grew 4 inches and I was too tall to work with any of the men,” she said. “I was crushed. So I went over to Joffrey, which was a little more of an edgy company.” But at over 6 feet tall when she was en pointe, she knew she was just too tall to win the plum roles in the super-competitive world of New York ballet. The curtain came down on her ballet career.

She may have been too tall to be a top ballerina, but all that work wasn’t for nothing. Bell entered a profession that not only accepted her height, but required it: international runway modeling. She also appeared in TV commercials where her dance background was an asset. But the grueling hours of practice were over.

“I went from years of rigid training to this fun world of commercials, and going to Milan, Tokyo, Paris,” she said.

“Then, my parents basically said, ‘You have to find something real to do with your life.’”

Act III took Bell in another, completely new direction, one that allowed her to build on other important experiences she had had while growing up: “My dad was in the hotel business and I had traveled extensively and had been exposed to designers and architects. I decided I wanted to pursue a career in interior design.”

She liked to sketch and knew how to draw a floor plan, so she created a portfolio of drawings and floor plans based on some of the favorite places she had visited. She was admitted to Fashion Institute of Technology, where she spent some of the toughest four years she had experienced yet.

“I thought my dancing was hard, but during those four years, I never went out,” Bell said. “Two hundred of us started and only 20 of us graduated.”

In 1988, during her last year at FIT, the 28-year-old fledgling designer won a national competition that launched her career. She and another student won a slot designing a series of former servants’ rooms in a show house in Greenwich, at the old Gimbel estate. The two young designers were the only student decorators creating rooms for the show house, which included rooms by New York design stars such as Mario Buatta.

“We borrowed antiques, asked decorative painters to work for us, and we created this beautiful series of rooms,” she said.

Many job offers followed, but Bell decided she would start her own business. “I

jumped into it myself and had a couple of tough years,” she said. At first, she didn’t know much about contracts, bills and all the other financial details involved in running an interior design business. But she learned, and soon had many clients.

Little did Bell know it, but she’d soon be appearing in one of the most important roles of her life: “I had my business going for three years when I became engaged. And then, a year later, my husband [James Cammarata, a software developer at IBM] had the opportunity to move to Paris for his job. So I closed up my business in the city and left, and we had our son, Alexander, while in Paris.”

Bell had spent a summer in Paris through Parsons School of Design and jumped at the idea of returning there.

“I had the most amazing experience,” she said. “I loved Paris, and I went and saw decorative art museums, homes and chateaux. I had the best two years not working, just soaking up French design.”

Returning from Paris, the family decided to move to Scarsdale instead of reestablishing themselves in the city.

“We thought we’d try the suburbs for a year and we rented a house,” Bell said.

“We came in the winter of 1996, and there was a huge blizzard with 3 feet of snow. I wasn’t much of a driver because I had only lived in New York and Paris, and I felt so isolated.”

When her daughter, Sarah, was born that spring, Bell began to join local parents’ groups and started to feel comfortable with the idea of staying in suburbia. The family bought a house and put down roots in Scarsdale. “Now we love it,” she said.

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Bell started working part time when her children were very young (a third child, Sophie, followed Sarah four years later), gradually building a base of clients that now includes everything from Manhattan pieds-a-terre to large Westchester houses. Her design studio is on the third floor of her house, but she spends much of her work time meeting with clients and shopping the market.

She decided early on that she would limit the hours she worked while her kids were young.

“I had a person who helped me with the children one day a week. I knew if I had someone full time I would work full time, so I had someone helping me one day a week when I would work till 7 p.m., and the other days I would work until 3.”

Today, Bell said, “I’m in a really good place now. I love the people I work with.

You get to the point where you get business through word of mouth and you don’t have to advertise. I have a good network of people.”

Bell explained that she charges by the hour, giving clients the flexibility to hire her to do as little or as much as they feel comfortable with: “With some very young couples, I give them a list of what to do. Sometimes I come for a few hours to people who want to freshen their home, while others want someone to completely take over.”

For two couples that moved to apartments on Christie Place in Scarsdale, Bell helped with the difficult task of downsizing. “It’s nice to have somebody come in and be a little more objective,” she said. “I definitely encourage them to figure out what to keep. A lot of times they want to

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make a completely fresh start of it, but I encourage them to take a couple of pieces that have meaning. I worry they’re going to be sad if they don’t take some things.”

Bell said she’s not wedded to any particular style, so it’s important to her to get to know what excites her clients.

“I dislike the most when somebody says, ‘I have no idea — you go ahead,’” she said. “I always encourage them first to go through magazines and tear out pictures. I say they’re never going to find something that’s just right, but maybe there something about the room they like, or just the color. I had a person who was going through magazines and found a bouquet of flowers, and that was a starting point for the whole room.”

Sometimes a client’s own possessions can spark a design theme: “Somebody had an Egyptian box from a trip, and we ended up doing a Moroccan motif for their dining room.”

To get an idea of what direction her clients’ tastes may lean, she’ll come to an appointment armed with many pictures of sofas or tables. It soon becomes obvious whether their tastes tend toward the traditional, the contemporary, or that inbetween world of “transitional” style. But when it comes to designing the actual room, Bell always starts at the bottom.

“In terms of color, you always start with the carpet,” she said. “Your carpets are your biggest investment. They set the tone and color. I’ll have 10 carpets delivered to the home, because there’s nothing like seeing it in your home and flipping back and forth and seeing what you like.

It’s really a process, and when you have a designer it’s less daunting because we know the order in which to do things.”

Bell also loves winning over the clients who lack confidence in their design sense: “A lot of people think of designers as overbearing, always saying, ‘This is what you should do,’ but most of us want to bring out what the clients want.

“I have one lady who never had an accessory in her life (she never even wore any jewelry or accessories in her clothing). She had two sofas. I don’t think she had a plant, a basket or a pull-up chair.

In the bedroom there was just a bed and two night tables. We’ve been together now three years, and we’re really excited about the process. She sends me pictures.

She just got her first live tree, and she’s never had a plant before. It turns out she does have a style, but was too scared to even start.”

As for Bell, she loves accessories of all kinds. “I love things that look like life, that they’ve collected,” she said. “There was a lady who said they had gone to the ocean and had collected these beautiful rocks. She showed them to me, and I said, ‘Let’s display them.’”

Designing for suburban families has made Bell aware of the practical considerations. A designer might mandate white silk upholstery for a Manhattan client without children, but that’s out of the question for active families with kids.

“I think back to my city days prechildren and how unaware I was, but I never realized how bad it was until I had my three,” Bell said. “I’m very aware that the family room has to be comfortable for the people living there. Even the living room does, to some extent. It should look dressier than the rest of the house, but I think you want the kids in there, too.

There are so many gorgeous fabrics that you never know are synthetic. I still love silk and lacquer, but you have to be aware of the people living in it.”

BReininG Continued from page 1A

Bellava is named for Breining’s daughters, Isabel and Ava. A cosmopolitan, sophisticated, relaxing environment, Bellava offers men and women alike hydrofacials, laser hair removal, SlimLipo, botox and other dermal fillers, skin rejuvenation, fractional skin resurfacing and a variety of soothing spa services including massage and body wraps.

According to Breining, interest in services such as skin rejuvenation and SlimLipo are on the rise. “Most women today aren’t looking to be perfect, but they want results that are A-minus,” she said.

Dr. James Lyons, the medical doctor associated with the spa, is an accomplished plastic surgeon and author of “The Brown Fat Revolution,” but he is also pioneering new procedures that can be done with SlimLipo.

For example, a SlimLipo breast reduction or using the Palomar-manufactured tool to excise hanging underarm flab or sagging jowls costs a fraction of scalpel-using surgical procedures, not to mention the short downtime for healing and that the procedure is done at Bellava, not a hospital, and without general anesthesia.

Anything to improve the appearance of the skin is popular now, Breining said. “All women want to be able to walk around with no make-up,” she said. “Fractional skin resurfacing, laser photo facials, diamond microdermabrasion, treatments to address hyper pigmentation, fine lines, smaller pore size, the new injectables — we do all these treatments here. I believe these things make women feel better, feel happier about themselves.”

Inner and outer beauty are intrinsically linked, Breining said. Feeling younger and fresher is the goal, not fulfilling unrealistic expectations about turning back the clock.

Apparently some of Dr. Lyons’s newer procedures are really taking off. “He did two SlimLipo breast reductions in the last month,” Breining said. “It’s really dramatic, looking at the before and after pictures.”

The concept of medical spas is a relatively new idea. “The first ones opened sometime in the late ’90s,” Breining said. Since then, the business has exploded into a multimillion dollar industry. The biggest change, besides advances in technology, is who is the consumer. For the most part now, it’s a professional woman who feels she must put her best face (and body) forward to compete in the workplace.

To introduce new clients to her business, Breining has engaged in the new social media, for example offering discount coupons through Groupon, a move she said flooded her with new business. “I’m not afraid to try new marketing techniques,” Breining said. “That’s the engineer in me. It’s not about making mistakes, it’s about trying new things and then analyzing the data. As an engineer, I know that theory and reality don’t always match.”

One of the newest products Bellava is offering is Xeomin, an injectable filler that replaces Botox. “If you’ve used Botox enough times, you build up antibodies toward it and it won’t work,” Breining said.

She is always researching the latest advances in beauty medical products with an eye toward staying ahead of the curve.

“I like to think of what we’re doing here as pioneering, educational work,” she said.

“We are the experts. The perception of what is beautiful is always changing. I like to think of what we’re doing as important work, bringing the benefits of our expertise and knowledge, and ultimately personal happiness, to people who didn’t know what was possible before they came in here.”

Juggling her responsibilities as a wife and mother are just that, she said — a juggling act. “I really rely on my husband and my staff,” Breining said. “It’s all about prioritizing. You can do anything you set your mind to, as long as you prioritize.”

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Today’s Woman

March 9, 2012

The Record-Review/Page 5A

McDonald the driving force of Clocktower Players Arm twister Linked In

By LAURIE SULLIVAN

T

Today’s Woman

heater runs deep in the Clocktower Players’ artistic director Cagle McDonald’s blood dating back to grade school. As a kid growing up in Jacksonville, Fla., whatever book she read in a particular week influenced what play she would direct the neighborhood kids to perform. If one week she was reading “Heidi,” then Heidi was the play of the week. When McDonald was 10, she and her family moved to Thailand for two years when her father, a communications engineer, was transferred. Of life there, she said Bangkok was “great, fascinating” and added to her arsenal of experiences.

By high school her career was already set on a predetermined course. McDonald, now 58, did some theater and took voice and dance classes. It was then that she decided on her college major. As a liberal arts major at Indiana University her course load focused on a theater arts program that required lots of design, lighting and directing.

She did a stint for a summer program with kids, going from camp to camp storytelling, building on her summer experience she had as a kid. McDonald went on to do her master’s at the Dallas Theatre Company, where she hoped to get involved “in more of a repertory company.”

She explained, “You weren’t allowed to work in the business because attending the school was considered your training time.” To help support herself she did some modeling, commercials and dinner theater.

After a visit to see a friend in New York City, McDonald knew that was where she belonged, paving the way to the world of theater and performance. After moving to the city she worked as a professional actress in film, off-Broadway theater and, of course, waitressing, “like everybody else who is trying to break into show business.” McDonald mainly made her living doing commercials.

Backyard adventures acting out A Hastings resident since 1981, McDonald said she was inspired to start her own theater company when her daughter Mary, who will be 25 next month, was very young. “As a kid I was a free spirit and always created plays,” McDonald said. “Unlike today, we were out for the whole day.” So in developing Adventures in Creativity she “kind of went back to my childhood and it just grew out of that.” Her daughter wasn’t interested in taking formal dance classes, but she was very creative and the program allowed her daughter to be very involved.

Held in McDonald’s backyard and in her living room, depending on the weather, the program started with kids telling stories and then acting them out. “As they got older we presented something to the parents,” she said. “It was always a small musical and it grew from that. The kids loved putting on these shows.” McDonald’s backyard summer classes morphed into teaching classes in Hastings and Dobbs Ferry schools, summer camps and homeless shelters.

When “Adventures” outgrew its home location, McDonald took a space in a

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Cagle McDonald has brought theater to the Rivertowns for all ages.

“What is it that defines the Clocktower Players and makes our dedicated group of arts so special?

Simply put, we work from the inside out, driven by joy, passion, energy and heart.”

—CAGLE MCDONALD church in Dobbs Ferry where it stayed for five years until she found a new space for the renamed Cagle & Company where martial arts, performance arts — dance, voice and acting lessons for all ages — were given. There were and still are performance troupes broken down by age groups which perform two shows a year.

Once a year there was an adult production just as there is now.

The Secret of the Clocktower Years earlier a group of local Irvington women discovered the third floor in the clocktower space in Irvington Town Hall and raised money to renovate it. When the clocktower space was discovered, the Irvington Town Hall Theater Foundation changed its name to the Clocktower Players. McDonald said before merging her company with the Clocktower Players, Cagle & Co. “was very successful. We had about 30 young kids whose average age was between first and fifth grades and 40 to 50 teenagers. When I came to Irvington [in 2006] they always had third- through fifth-graders. Cagle & Company already had a built-in enrollment of kids.”

McDonald merged her program with the Clocktower Players at the Irvington Town Hall Theater. Now the numbers have grown to 70 children in grades 1-4 and 45 in the junior and teen groups. A class of 4- and 5-year-olds has about 15 children. Each group does its own shows and then “we put them together in the spring. When we did ‘Hairspray’ we had

35 people, just adults.”

What started as a program just for kids became a community theater group, which now has a range of ages, from kids as young as 4 to adults in their 70s who live in the Rivertowns and beyond. “I got involved with the [Irvington] theater when I became involved with a Michael Penta production of ‘The King and I,’” McDonald explained. “I always loved that show because of having lived in Thailand. I hadn’t acted in a long time. I loved working with the group and made a lot of friendships from that.” (Penta is the founding director emeritus of the not-for-profit community theater group and has directed 72 shows in Irvington since1967.)

There is also a summer camp for grades 1-6 and a teen summer stock program in association with the Hastings Youth Council, Ardsley 7, the Dobbs Ferry Recreation departments and private donors.

McDonald said, “We stretch our casts by providing a professional, supportive staff ” that includes Josue Jasmin, George Groom, Jocelyn Jones, Rene O’Neal, Lili Thomas, Chloe Sasson, John McDonald and David Lovett. McDonald works with her husband, a retired professional actor who was head of operations at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and is very involved in the Clocktower Players. He oversees production and has directed a couple of the shows. He also works as an acting coach for students applying to col-

lege and actors who need coaching before professional acting auditions.

Casting and celebrating diversity In 2005, Cagle & Co. collaborated with the Irvington Town Hall Theater Foundation to present “Purlie,” which required a mostly African-American cast. “We were able to attract a very diverse audience as well as a very diverse cast,” McDonald said. “We definitely look at things that will bring a very diverse cast and productions to bring to the community. Whenever we can we cast colorblind. We have a colorblind policy toward our casting.”

For the kids’ productions, “We try to find a way to feature them in some way.”

But for the adult troupe, it is by audition only and some are turned away. As far as formal training, McDonald said that some people have it and many do not, but that community theater can be more competitive.

When asked how the Clocktower Players attract actors, McDonald replied, “We have been doing this a while and I think our productions have a reputation of being very good. I don’t think there’s much community theater any more. We get a good turnout at auditions.”

They’ve been trying to do a mini commercial for an adult show when the shows run over a weekend or two. For the teen shows because they only rehearse once a week it takes several months of preparation before a show.

McDonald said the most challenging thing about her job is the casting process “because you’re trying to get the best possible balance, give people a chance to be in the group. It’s a difficult part of the process. There’s always disappointment.

We spend a lot of time on it. The people try to be professional. It’s a little hard to explain when people are disappointed.”

The show must go on So just how does McDonald get ideas Continued on page 6A

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Today’s Woman

Balance Day Spa gives back with donations to area charities Balance Day Spa is committed to making a difference in the community and the world at large. Since its inception in 2010, Balance Day Spa of White Plains has made contributions to numerous charities. Several of the charities which Balance Day Spa has supported include Pace Women’s Justice Center, Hadassah, Red Cross, Food Bank for Westchester, American Cancer Society and the YMCA’s Strong Kids scholarship program.

Spa owner Allison Adamiak believes that giving back to the community is of vital importance. “During these difficult economic times, I believe that it is more important than ever to give back to our community,” she said. “There are so many wonderful organizations in the area working hard to do good in our corner of the world and beyond. I am thrilled that Balance Day Spa has had the opportunity to partner with many of these organizations to do our part in supporting their essential work.”

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More recently, she has been afforded the opportunity to study with renowned aroma therapist and doctor of homeopathy, Trish Green of the Balnea Institute in Ontario.

Adamiak’s passion for aesthetics is clear to her clients. “My mission is to provide my clients with the highest quality treatments, products and advice in a relaxing environment,” she said.

for the shows they produce?

“It’s a process. Some of it’s instinct,” she explained. “I think about what our audiences would like to see. We have to sell tickets, the highest price being $30 for community theater, which is competitive with other community theaters and less for student productions.”

One instinct was McDonald’s decision to produce the groundbreaking Broadway show “Spring Awakening” in 2010, which had won eight Tony Awards in 2007. When the rights to the daring rock musical became available, McDonald didn’t hesitate to snap it up. The controversial and frequently banned 19th century play with contemporary lyrics featured an all-teen Clocktower Players production. She wasn’t surprised the kids were all anxious to do the show, because “they had all loved the music and loved the show. Once we announced the show the kids were beside themselves.”

Because of the mature themes of the musical, McDonald said she made some calls to some “key parents.” She met with parents and kids and went through what the show was dealing with. “They trusted that we would do it as tastefully as we could,” she said. “The kids really related to the theme of the show of [kids] rebelling against authority.”

The only thing that was changed was the staging and the elimination of the nude scene from the original Broadway production. McDonald said the audience loved it, but “it was definitely an intense show.” She was impressed how committed the kids were. “It was wonderful,” said McDonald. “We haven’t gotten any negative feedback at all.”

But ticket sales alone are not enough to keep the Clocktower Players ticking.

There is a fundraising gala every fall that McDonald produces. She and her husband reach out to other professionals to help, among them activist and actress Jane Alexander and her son Jace Alexander.

Rewards and challenges McDonald has many ideas she would like to pursue and wishes she had more time in the day to get more people in-

Today’s Woman health

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Driving force of Clocktower Players Continued from page 5A

March 9, 2012

volved in the board. “I know the board is a crucial part in the operation,” she said.

“We also need to explore fundraising efforts so that there is always a cushion,” she explained. “We want to attract good people; we want to afford the band, the orchestra, directors, choreographers… find ways to involve community businesses. Finding the best way to collaborate with the community.” One way she thinks will help is to have parents perhaps have coffee at local coffee shops while their kids are taking classes.

With little down time between shows, two of her loves, gardening and entertaining friends and family, take a back seat.

She also tries to fit in seeing as much theater as she can.

But there are rewards. “It’s a great feeling, especially when people have gone off to do their own thing, there’s this feedback that you’ve made a difference, whether they’ve gone to other careers [or not],” McDonald said. “They gain more confidence in themselves and I think when people are doing something that they love and people support them it makes a difference than doing just a regular job. It’s a very rewarding life!”

She described how one woman she worked with since she was in third grade just had a baby and moved back to the area and directed “Spring Awakening” for the Clocktower Players.

And what is McDonalds favorite role? “I love directing, but I like all of it,” she said.

“Creating the teams — we have a very strong creative group of choreographers, directors. We’ve given people the opportunity to step up into more responsibility.

“The whole group is very passionate about what they do. There’s a theme of excellence, making it all as good as it can be. There’s this collaborative team effort, there’s a feeling of family and support. It stems from the creative teams and from the classes. We really foster that.”

Though her heart and soul is fully invested in the Clocktower Players, McDonald said, “None of this work that I do is done by myself. It’s working with such great people. It’s a community ensemble.”

Bravo to them all!

Today’s Woman A special section of

The Record-Review P.O. Box 455, Bedford Hills, NY 10507 914-244-0533 www.record-review.com

PUBLISHER Deborah G. White SECTION EDITOR Todd Sliss ART DIRECTOR Ann Marie Rezen ADVERTISING DESIGN Katherine Potter ADVERTISING SALES Francesca Lynch, Thomas O’Halloran, Barbara Yeaker, and Marilyn Petrosa ©2012 The Record, Llc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without publisher’s written permission.

heard from a friend that a mutual acquaintance in her 90s wanted a breast lift and plastic surgery to get rid of some of her wrinkles. She was willing to go to Argentina to have the work done. I consider this woman really beautiful, wrinkles and all, and admire her vitality and energy and the remarkable life she has led and continues to lead.

Can’t we ever relax? When does it end, the quest for a more youthful appearance?

We’ve all seen women who’ve gone too far with the plastic surgery and fillers.

Even when young, beautiful women are air-brushed in the pages of magazines; how can we ever measure up? Yes, we all want to look good, no matter how old we are. It’s even more important now to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle. We don’t bounce back as quickly after too much to eat or drink or lack of sleep, but how do we get beyond the physical as we get older and create a satisfying, fulfilling, joyful life?

In 1996, on the cusp of turning 50, feminist Letty Cottin Pogrebin wrote “Getting Over Getting Older.” Letting go of trying to look young and focusing energy instead on finding and developing what will sustain us through the second half of our lives is Pogrebin’s approach to aging.

Letting go doesn’t mean giving up — it’s about giving more to yourself, learning to understand and honor and cherish who you are and appreciate where your life experience has brought you.

Geraldine Greene, director of the Scarsdale § Edgemont Family Counseling Service, whose new Girl’s Center was launched to empower and nurture middle school girls, said, first you have to “break through” that feeling of always trying to look young. Shutting out popular youth culture is hard, but helpful to nurturing a positive self-image, she said, adding, “It’s not so much letting go — it’s how do we feel good about ourselves at any age? The deeper issue at midlife is how to feel relevant and connected.”

“If we don’t have the caretaker role anymore — wife, mother — looking young is a tangible,” Greene said. “We feel we can do something about it. We have an inner emptiness and longing, is life passing me by? It’s about connection and staying connected. It’s about meaningful connection, feeling good from the inside out.”

Without the caretaker role, how do we get our needs met?

“Knowing what you really want to do, finding other people that share that with you, finding the company of women who are like-minded, perhaps do things we haven’t had time for,” Greene said.

“You find your voice and articulate it.

Connect with people who validate you.”

Balancing act Laurie Albanese, 52, is the author of the novel “Lynelle by the Sea” and the memoir “Blue Suburbia.” She is a high school English and creative writing teacher and is a co-leader of the new Girl’s Center.

“Be proud of being 50 instead of being ashamed,” she said. “Some people don’t get to be 60 — ever. My mom died at 53.

She didn’t get to be old.”

Albanese added, “We can look attractive in our age group.” It’s about balance.

“Do you want to look young or do you want to look good? Are they mutually exclusive?” Albanese asked.

“For myself, I’m in better shape than I’ve been in for a long time, having a healthy body,” Albanese said. “It’s inner and outer balance. I think I work out more than I ever did. I didn’t need to when I was young. Now I do it partly because it does keep you looking more vibrant.”

Many women complain that after a

certain age they feel invisible. They no longer enjoy the feelings of sexual power from turning a man’s head on the street.

“That’s hard to deal with,” Albanese admitted. “I understand that feeling of being invisible. I mentioned that to my husband and he said, ‘But you can still light up a room.’ He didn’t mean my looks so much. You have to be comfortable with your own package. Be comfortable with your age. Don’t try to look young, but try to look confident and polished.”

Albanese paraphrased from Tina Fey’s book, “Bossypants,” saying, “We’re so focused on youth, rather than being accomplished. We want to be young rather than be proud of what we’ve done to get where we are.”

Mothers, be good to your daughters Tina Henderson, 51, a Scarsdale resident and teacher, has “an affinity” for teaching adolescent girls, she said. “The only way to feel good is to live and pursue your passion,” an idea she is trying to instill in the workshops at the Girl’s Center.

“Instead of focusing on those wrinkles, stay true to who you really are,” Henderson said. “Live your passion and your dreams and your values, then those external things will not be the focus. That’s what I teach young women at the Girl’s Center. My mother taught me that.”

About feeling invisible Henderson noted, “If you feel that you don’t matter any more, then you’re focusing on the wrong thing. Our self-worth doesn’t come from men. The women’s movement was to help us understand we’re not objects. We’re perfect in every way to be lovable.”

“Look at Adele,” Henderson said, referring to the pop star. “She’s an extraordinary talent and could not care less about her looks.”

When reminded that jokes and derogatory comments about Adele’s weight abound in the media, Henderson was impassioned: “It’s our responsibility to get our society on board [with not focusing on appearance]. We’ve got to stop walking around with facelifts and tummy tucks. I strongly believe in this. We have to get girls at younger ages. It’s our responsibility as women to change the image and send the message out more broadly and stronger.

“I have two girls. I never let them watch ‘Jersey Shore’ or ‘The Kardashians.’ The image a mom sends out to daughters is so important. I have never walked around the house saying ‘I’m too fat,’ ‘I’m not sexy enough.’ I can live the role of a focused, passionate woman and help them figure out what is important to them. I feel really strongly about it.

“We’re not going in the right direction fast enough.”

Your heart, your health

By MARY LEGRAND

T

he statistics should be enough to make every woman stand up and pay attention.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), “every minute in the United States, someone’s wife, mother, daughter or sister dies from heart disease, stroke or some other form of cardiovascular disease,” or CVD. More than 1 in 3 women in the United States is living with CVD, AHA representatives continue, including nearly half of all African-American women and 34 percent of white women.

Heart disease death rates among men may have declined steadily over the last quarter century, but rates among women have fallen “significantly less,” heart association statistics prove.

Dr. Mitchell Fishbach, WESTMED cardiologist at Ridge Hill, is among the physicians at WESTMED Medical Group, a Purchase-based large multispecialty group medical practice. Dr. Fishbach noted that while some risk factors for heart disease — including smoking, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity — are similar in men and women, “Women receive some partial hormone protection so they might develop coronary disease a bit later in life compared to men.”

That being said, Fishbach continued, “Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, accounting for more mortality than the next three causes combined (all cancer, chronic lung disease and Alzheimer’s).”

Women’s heart disease symptoms are “sometimes more atypical than men, and a higher proportion have had no prior symptoms before dying suddenly of coronary heart disease,” Fishbach said.

Heart attack symptoms in women include “uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest,” noted the American Heart Association, adding that the pain can last more than a few minutes, or go away and come back.

Additional symptoms include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach; shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort; and other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

“As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort,” AHA representatives continue.

“But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.”

Women of all ages should be aware of their heart disease risk, said Fishbach, who is chief of cardiology and director of cardiovascular services at Lawrence Hospital Center. He is also assistant clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University School of Medicine and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

The amount of attention women should pay to heart health depends on their individual risk factors. “If you are diabetic, obese, hypertensive, hyperlipidemic, a smoker and/or have a family history of premature coronary disease, then risk factor modification should begin as early as possible, upon diagnosis,” Fishbach said, explaining that a family history of premature coronary disease

kicks in by having a close male relative 55 or younger and a close female relative 65 or younger with serious disease.

The AHA notes that women should also be aware of their potential for having metabolic syndrome, which leaves them “at greater risk for developing artery and vascular disease, type 2 diabetes and having a stroke.”

The AHA’s guidelines for metabolic syndrome risk include a waist that’s greater than 35 inches; triglycerides higher than 150 mg/dL; HDL, or “good” cholesterol, less than 50 mg/DL; blood pressure higher than 130/85 mm Hg; and a fasting blood sugar higher than 100 mg/dL. Fishbach recommended that screening begin in a woman’s fifth decade, “depending on the calculated 10-year risk of coronary artery disease. Hispanic women and African-American women have the highest cardiovascular disease deaths, regardless of age, with twice the risk of stroke compared to Caucasians.”

Dr. Oxana Popescu, an internist with Modern Medical Practice, PLLC, in Hastings, said that many women are becoming more aware of the importance of their heart health. “The education is beginning to get out there,” she said. “Maybe it’s just the population group that I’m

taking care of, because of the generally high level of education in this area.”

Dr. Popescu said baseline tests help physicians learn their patients’ risk factors. “Body mass index should be checked at least during routine physical examinations,” she said. “Checking cholesterol at least once a year should be mandatory.”

As far as lessening risk factors, Popescu recommends that her patients exercise “at least one hour daily,” suggesting fast walking as one option easily accessible to most women. She also suggests that patients keep diaries of what they eat as a method to control weight and control risk factors for heart disease.

Fishbach at WESTMED agreed that exercise plays an important role in maintaining heart health. “The combination of exercise, proper diet and achieving an ideal body weight can reduce your risk of heart disease by 80 percent,” he said.

“Women who exercise will usually weigh less, don’t smoke, experience less stress and, overall, are happier compared to those who don’t exercise.”

American Heart Association heart health guidelines, available at www.heart. org, include eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole-grain and highfiber foods; eating fish at least twice a week; limiting sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day; avoiding trans-fatty acids; eating very little saturated fat, such as from meat, cheese and butter; eating less than 150 mg of cholesterol a day; and drinking no more than one alcoholic drink a day.

“Get 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week, such as brisk walking,” AHA representatives counsel. “If you’re trying to lose weight, then you will need 60 to 90 minutes a day.”

Women, so used to taking care of others, need to pay attention and take care of themselves for a change, and take any heart problem symptoms seriously, health experts urge. “Even when the signs are subtle, the consequences can be deadly, especially if the victim doesn’t get help right away,” American Heart Association representatives stress.

If you have any of the signs of heart attack, “don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help. Call 911 and get to the hospital right away.”

Today’s Woman

March 9, 2012

The Record-Review/Page 7A

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