My forearms are hurting like crazy! I had so much fun at the driving range hitting golf balls the other day, that we decided to go back again the next day. It was fun again but the swing is not something I usually do, so my arms are not used to it. I tried to stretch to keep the muscles from getting tight but it didn’t work. Ouchies!
Today we are eating Mexican food and I’m super excited about it. I love Mexican food! It’s my favorite kind of food ever. So I’m super excited to try eating it in New Zealand. It’s going to be a happy day today!
But while I am going on about all this… did you know that today is National Wear Red Day in honor speaking up about heart disease – the number one killer in our nation. Check out the Go Red For Women website that explains more. (This post is a little late in the day but does that really matter? We should care about these things every day, not just on one day.)
A few eye-opening facts you might not know about heart disease…
- Worldwide, 8.6 million women die from heart disease each year, accounting for a third of all deaths in women. Three million women die from stroke each year. Stroke accounts for more deaths among women than men (11% vs 8.4%) with additional risk for CHD unique to women related to oral contraceptive use in combination with smoking.
- Under age 50, women’s heart attacks are twice as likely as men’s to be fatal.
- 267,000 women die each year from heart attacks, which kill six times as many women as breast cancer. Another 31, 837 women die each year of congestive heart failure, representing 62.6% of all heart failure deaths.
At-risk facts…
- 71% of women experience early warning signs of heart attack with sudden onset of extreme weakness that feels like the flu – often with no chest pain at all. Medical professionals are challenged to respond to women’s milder symptoms, acting with insufficient guidelines.
- Nearly two-thirds of the deaths from heart attacks in women occur among those who have no history of chest pain.
- Smoking, diabetes and abnormal blood lipids erase a woman’s estrogen protection.
- Women who smoke risk having a heart attack 19 years earlier than non-smoking women.
For all the facts, click here.
So why am I blogging about this?
Because most of us are headed straight for a heart attack if we keep up our old lifestyles.
It really is that simple. Most of us are/were heart attacks and heart disease cases waiting to happen. But we’ve decided we don’t want that. We’ve decided to get healthy and change our lives and prevent this tragedy from happening to us too soon. In fact, our plans are the first three steps the American Heart Association recommends in their simple 7 action plan to prevent heart disease:
Get active, eat better, lose weight, stop smoking, control cholesterol, manage blood pressure, and reduce blood sugar.
Our plans to get healthy are plans to prevent heart disease. We are making a difference in our own lives. So now you need to turn outward and help others. Talk to your friends and loved ones and tell them the facts about heart disease and help them live a healthy life too.
It’s worth it.
What a great post, you are just a wonderful daughter, I have my red on today as many of my co-workers do also. This is a tragedy amongst women (men also) but it hits women in ways they do not expect. Like my friend Karen, thought she had the flu and before the sun set she was gone. Her heart just completely failed, due to overweight, smoking and diet pills.
This should hit home to everyone, especially mothers and wives that want to be there for their families, make changes and stick with them. My daughter is so right in posting such a informative post, we all need to heed the warning signs and do our best to respect the fact our hearts are for more than love, without them beating strongly we can not love or be loved for long.
Love you Mary, and thanks for being such a caring person.
MOM
Thanks for the comment Mom.
Thanks for sharing that information. It’s scary to think about. But on a more positive note, I’m glad that so many of us bloggers are taking the steps to help lower those statistics. Have a great weekend!
.-= Alissa´s last blog ..Weigh In Day =-.
We are! We are in control and changing our lives for the better! GO US!
Definitely worth blogging about! I forgot my red shirt today, so my blog text is red!!! Enjoy the Mexican food in NZ!
.-= Erin´s last blog ..Free the Wookiees! =-.
This is a great post. I’m passionate about this because my grandmother died of a heart attack.
.-= Cynthia (It All Changes)´s last blog ..Blazing New Trails =-.
We should all be passionate about it. I don’t think I’d be wrong in saying we all know someone who has been affected by heart disease – many way too early in life.
I’m so glad I came to your post. I’ve been having a weak moment and am ready to go to the store and buy my favorite junk and binge. I just go numb and on automatic and gorge. I paused and thought about distracting myself and reading a blog or two. Your post and your mom’s sweet comment snapped me back to reality. Thank you, from the bottom of my…heart.
.-= Gina Fit by 41 Maybe 42´s last blog ..This Sugar Is Healthy For You and Makes You Wanna Dance =-.
Aw, Gina, I’m so glad that I could someway help. It’s hard to think about things like disease and quality of life in the moment when all you can think about is food. I know. I’m glad that reading this helped. Thank you for sharing that.
Thx Mary!!! I have seen this on other blogs & I know about it but so glad you posted it here too. Important to get this message out as so many women do not realize the deaths from heart disease in women!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Cookie Monster; Winter Blues; Pains that May Point to Cancer =-.
No I did not know that, and I wore yellow today. :( actually this yellow shirt looks similar to the cute one you have. Its pretty scary how not heart related the symptoms seem in women…most people ignore those types of symptoms because isnt everyone always getting random colds and things..
.-= merri´s last blog ..view from the 26th floor [Flickr] =-.
Awesome! I love that yellow shirt – it’s my favorite right now.
Yeah, the scariest part is that you could ignore this until it’s too late.
I was on my way to a heart attack before getting fit and healthy. I had extremely high cholesterol readings and now they are low!
.-= AndrewENZ´s last blog ..A great Saturday =-.
You are a great example of how changing your life can save it. I look up to you sir!
How sobering to read those stats.
.-= South Beach Steve´s last blog ..Halfway There! The Perfect 10 – Update Five =-.
thank you for bringing this to my attention. never really thought about it!
good luck with the swinging arms, girly!
however the nurse told me last week I have great blood pressure! don’t no about the cholesterol though…
My blood pressure is fine but for a while I was getting high cholesterol. might want to have yours checked.
I LOVE Mexican food too! Especially those little “flauta” things. I could eat them all day long! :)
I think it’s important that everyone realizes that women in particular are at risk for heart disease. It’s pretty scary. Thanks for the stats.
Mmmm, Mexican food. Heart disease runs in our family so yeah, we’ve gotta be extra careful and watch what we eat.