Going Red and Taking Care of Your Heart

It's been some time since I have updated the blog, but much has been going on--especially in areas related to the heart. Mine and the hearts of 14 other incredible women, who I am lucky enough to now call friends. And sisters of the heart.

Who are we--this group of 15 women who will now, I know without a doubt, be friends for life? We are the 2010-2011 national spokeswomen for the Go Red for Women movement, a grassroots movement launched by the American Heart Association in 2004 to get the word out to women about heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer of women, though so many women aren't aware of this at all. We tend to worry about things like breast cancer, without giving a second thought to that 11 oz. powerhouse that keeps us going every day. The workhorse of the body doesn't always get the attention it needs. And here's the rub: give the heart attention and you'll find that is exactly what it needs. According to the AHA, though heart disease is the number one killer of women, 80 percent of it is preventable. So women taking care of their hearts is precisely the thing to do.

It might sound daunting, but it isn't. For inspiration and tips go to http://www.goredforwomen.org/. And if you would like to meet us (the fabulous 15 who demand nothing less than heart healthy habits), go to http://www.goredforwomen.org/meetrealwomen/2010/.

Last week we were announced in the NASDAQ building in NYC. And in the midst of the lights and never ending glitz that is Times Square, I paused for a moment and thought of our hearts. Beating their songs in our chests, keeping us afloat, as we mingled: biology dressed up in heels and red dresses filled to the brim with the stories we have decided we and our bodies (and our hearts) need to share.