The first Friday of February kicks off National Wear Red Day. It’s in honor of raising heart health awareness for women. Every year since 2014 I’ve been wearing red on that day. This time I was traveling and my red sweater was damaged. More like completely ruined. No need for me to fret because I packed my red dress pin and I pinned it proudly on my shirt. I generally wear my pin all month long to show support for American Heart Month.
Macy’s has an annual fashion show modeling beautiful red dresses on the runway. This year it will be airing on Thursday Feb 7th. Many celebrities attend this event to raise money for awareness.
The pictures I have featured are from last year 2018 at the Go Red Luncheon in downtown Charleston, SC. The event is very enjoyable. It’s an annual event where women young and old, share their experiences with heart disease. There’s seminars and a fashion segment. Macy’s is a sponsor. Guess what? The dress I’m wearing is a little old, but it’s from Macy’s too. Local News 2 anchor, Octavia Mitchell seen below hosted the event. I’m looking forward to attending this year’s luncheon also.
Heart Disease
American Heart Month is the entire month of February. Make sure you know your numbers. By that I mean: blood pressure, cholesterol, and BMI (body mass index). I’ll give honorable mention to blood sugar, since diabetes is linked to heart disease. These numbers are important as it determines how well blood is circulated throughout your body. Not only that, if those numbers are high, that increases your risk for heart disease.
Heart disease remains the #1 killer of women. Heart disease runs deep in my family, on all sides. Unfortunately it claimed the life of my mother and most recently my sister-in-law. Both died in their 40s. Because of my mother’s passing, I made a decision long ago, not to let heart disease claim my life. That also ignited a passion within me to promote health education and encourage others to incorporate a healthier lifestyle.
Heart disease includes heart attack, heart failure, cardiac arrest, stroke, hypertension (high blood pressure), and several others. The majority of the time heart disease can be prevented; therefore, knowing your numbers is a great start. See the guide below. Be sure to discuss this with your doctor.
Strive For These Numbers
Blood Pressure near 120/80
Total Cholesterol less than 200
HDL 60 or higher
LDL less than 100
Weight
BMI- is the calculation of body fat based on weight and height. High BMI increases risk for heart disease. The goal is to have BMI reflecting normal weight. Click the first resource link below to calculate your BMI.
Normal Weight =18.5 -24.9
Overweight = 25- 29.9
Obesity = 30 or greater
Resources
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
https://www.goredforwomen.org/