And Red All Over #goredforwomen

That's the punchline to more than a few jokes. It's also the theme of Go Red for Women.

I admit, I usually intend to participate in this event, and I also usually miss it.

Because I'm usually busy busy busy, ya know? Besides, heart disease is for old people, it's something that affects men, not women, and I don't have to worry if I don't have any symptoms, right?

All myths. Heart disease claims the lives of one in three women, while only one in thirty-one dies of breast cancer in a year.

Would you even recognize the signs of a heart attack? (Hint: they can be very different from the way they're portrayed in the movies, or experienced by men.) Take a couple minutes and watch this clip.

Sure, "we all gotta go sometime," but do you really want to go in a stupid, preventable way? I don't.

Now is the time to find out what your risk is. (I recently had a physical, and while my outlook is great in some areas, there's definitely room for improvement.)
 

The Heart Truth® is a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Red Dress®, introduced by the NHLBI in 2002, is the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness. Visit www.hearttruth.gov for information on women and heart disease. ®, TM The Heart Truth, its logo and The Red Dress are trademarks of HHS. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Take up regular exercise - it doesn't have to be boring, nor hugundously expensive, nor hard on your joints. "The practice of yoga is known to improve many risk factors for heart disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, and stress and inflammation in the body," saith this doctor in this article.  People tried to talk me into yoga for years, and I pooh-poohed it; now it's the one exercise I get in almost every day. I feel so much better when I've done my morning yoga.

Consider donating money, or time, or simply spreading the word. Take a CPR class.

But if you do nothing else, learn the signs of a heart attack in women. It could save your life, or that of someone you love.

Are you wearing red today?
This month for Valentines' Day, show your love to you,
by taking good care of yourself .