Why? #ClevelandGoesRed!

January 12, 2017 By Jen @ Why CLE?

As February approaches, the American Heart Association is gearing up for Go Red for Women, a month of raising awareness of heart disease in women. Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year, killing approximately one woman every 80 seconds.

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This is a cause that’s been dear to me for awhile. In 2007, my mom was diagnosed with Prinzmetal’s angina. She has been under the care of a cardiologist and her symptoms are controlled. But her diagnosis served as a wake-up call of both the prevalence of heart disease in women and the need to do what we can to keep our hearts healthy.

The American Heart Association offers a lot of healthy living tips, from physical activity to stress management to healthy eating. The “6 Simple Steps for Your Whole Family to be Heart Healthy” has become an easy touchstone for me to make sure we’re staying on track.

I think we do a great job at making time for physical activity, both as a family and individually. Jeffrey is a really active kid and it’s easy to find ways from SkyZone to Playground World that he can get in plenty of exercise (and we can sneak some in too).

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Matthew is a member of the YMCA of Greater Cleveland and I practice yoga daily, either at a studio or at home (or on East 4th Street), which helps with stress management too.

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We also do a good job with cooking healthy. We’ve been a member of Fresh Fork Market for five years now, which provides us with fresh vegetables and fruits to incorporate into our meals. Their weekly emails with what you’re getting in your bag make meal planning easy, too!

We could definitely use some work on simplifying our schedule, though! Which is why I like the “take baby steps, not giant leaps” reminder in the 6 steps.

I try to involve not just Matthew and Jeffrey, but my parents in these simple steps too. My mom and I met up last week to cook an easy, healthy lunch together from the Go Red for Women cookbook.

We made Chinese Flank Steak and it was really delicious! Packed with veggies and lean meat, this was a great choice and a nice reminder that eating healthy can be tasty too.

Plus, I’m pretty sure cooking and having lunch with my mom accomplishes the stress management goal too! That lady is good for my heart!

So, how can you get involved with Go Red for Women? Well, first of all, wear red on Friday, February 3, which is National Wear Red Day. This easy and stylish choice helps raise awareness of heart disease and the efforts to fight against heart attacks and strokes in women.

You can also attend the 2017 Go Red for Women Health Expo & Luncheon on Friday, February 10 at the Cleveland Convention Center.

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At the luncheon, you’ll have the opportunity to browse the informative expo, with information and give-aways; participate in health screenings; bid on silent auction items; and enjoy a healthy lunch along with inspirational stories about how heart disease has impacted real women.

Tickets for the luncheon are $250 and proceeds benefit local projects focused on research, education, and advocacy. You can purchase tickets online. Or you can enter to win two tickets to the Go Red for Women Health Expo & Luncheon right here!

Here’s how to enter (you can do one, two, three, four, or all five entries, just leave a separate comment here for each):

1.Leave a comment here telling me which of the 6 Simple Steps for Your Whole Family to be Heart Healthy you most want to focus on in 2017.

2. Visit the Cleveland American Heart Association and Why CLE? on Facebook and leave a comment here letting me know you visited both pages.

3. Follow @clevelandaha and @whycle on Instagram and leave a comment here letting me know you’re following both.

4. Follow @ClevelandAHA and @WhyCLE on Twitter and leave a comment here letting me know you’re following both.

5. Tweet the following phrase and leave a comment here letting me know you tweeted:

I want to be there when #ClevelandGoesRed! Thanks to @ClevelandAHA and @WhyCLE: https://whycle.com/2017/01/12/why-clevelandgoesred #giveaway

You can tweet once per day for additional entries, just leave a separate comment here each time you tweet.

The giveaway will close on Friday, January 27 at 11:59pm and the winner will be notified the following day. Good luck!

Want Even More Red?! Read the articles from other local bloggers below!

Learn about Protecting Your Heart with Shibani from She In The Cle

Add hints of red hues to your interior design with Danielle Harper DeBoe

Show some love for heart healthy tacos with Reena Goodwin

Strike a yoga pose with Alicia Hansen

***Disclosure: I was asked by the Cleveland American Heart Association to help promote Go Red for Women. In exchange, I received a swag bag and one complimentary ticket to the Go Red for Women Expo and Luncheon for myself, as well as two tickets to the Expo & Luncheon to give away. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

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