It's American Heart Month, Show Your Heart Some Love!

February is a time to not only celebrate Valentine’s Day, but it is also about raising awareness and support for women’s heart health.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States, killing about 1 in 5 women each year. It has been written that cardiovascular disease kills more women then ALL forms of cancer combined. How can this be true? 

The reality is that heart disease and stroke can affect a woman at any age, making it a priority for all women to understand their own personal risk factors and complete family medical history. Most research shows that stress may and can impact health, which is why women need to understand the mind-body connection and how to focus on improving their mental well-being and physical health.

The life of a meeting planner may look glamourous from the outside, but it has its “pitfalls” as with any high demanding profession. Long work hours, stressful travel, enjoying elegant meals and not maintaining health sleep habits, can affect you and your overall job performance.

Patty Stern, a valued MPI family member, is living proof of surviving a heart attack back in August 2018. Patty has been in the meetings industry for over 25 years. Throughout her career, working extra hours, not eating well (sometimes not eating at all), not getting enough sleep, not exercising regularly, and making herself available to her clients 7 days a week was her standard way of “operating”. Patty’s heart attack was a huge wake-up call to look at how she was living and working for years. This lifestyle does not happen overnight and changing your habits does not either.

Patty flipped the script and made wellness and self-care her priorities in life. She was able to change not only how she worked but when she worked.

There are several things you can do to make lifestyle changes that can prevent heart disease:

Diet:

Consuming a diet that is low in saturated fats and trans fats

Reduce your sodium intake

Eliminate processed foods and eat clean

Introduce more fruits, vegetables, and nuts in your diet

Smoking Cessation:

If you are smoking, quit completely. 

• There are many smoking cessation programs and products to help you on your way to being smoke free
• You can always talk to your healthcare provider if you are not sure where to start

Exercise/Physical Activity:

"Any movement is better than no movement.” Small steps matter!

• Engage in regular aerobic exercise such as walking, biking, or swimming
• Look into incorporating a little strength training along the way
• Set a goal to exercise 4-5 times a week totaling (150) minutes
• Research and hire a personal trainer to assist in keeping you accountable

Stress Management:

Stress will affect your circulation, heart, and whole nervous system. Explore ways to decrease your stress throughout and/or after your workday.

• Relaxation techniques through Yoga, mediation techniques, deep breathing exercise and counting to ten, taking breaks - especially from what may be causing you stress. 
• Make sure you are getting enough sleep and make sure to set a time to "retire" each evening and get on a schedule. 
• Medical Monitoring with yearly physicals, checking your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If something does not feel right, call your doctor! You know your body better than anyone. Listen to it when something feels off.

Resources to learn about heart disease and how you can change your lifestyle: 

• American Heart Association: www.heart.org o Go Red for Women: www.goredforwomen.org o WomenHeart: www.womenheart.org
• Alpha Phi Foundation: www.alphaphifoundation.org

Patty’s results from changing her lifestyle has resulted in weight loss, respecting food as fuel, exercising regularly, aiming for (7) hours a sleep per evening, not going into the office on weekends (except for deadline-driven work) and trained herself, on a daily basis, to push away from her desk during the day to make sure she eats, exercises and takes a much needed mental health break.

Your overall health, including heart health, is important and you need to be your own advocate.

Encourage others to make smart choices and make overall improvements towards their heart health.

Your stories, experiences and struggles could save a life.

“Live Healthy and Stay Young at Heart!