SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Go Red For Women, the American Heart Association’s campaign to make women aware that heart disease is their No. 1 killer and inspire them to take action, turns five this year! Join us in celebrating this five-year anniversary by spreading the word. Invite five of your closest friends and have a Take Five Go Red party:
Step 1 — Go Red
Since the Go Red For Women movement began, the American Heart Association has:
1. Adopted the red dress icon as a symbol of women and heart disease and distributed roughly 10 million red dress lapel pins nationwide.
2. More than 3 billion people have visited the website at www.GoRedForWomen.org where more than 500,000 women officially signed up to join the Go Red movement and another 628,000 to the Go Red Heart CheckUp.
3. Raised over $114 million to fund research grants for projects related to women’s cardiovascular issues and a research initiative. This was achieved in partnership with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to evaluate gender differences in quality of care related to cardiovascular disease.
4. Produced and distributed nearly 38,000 Go Red Physicians’ Toolkits to help healthcare providers implement the AHA’s women’s cardiovascular guidelines. Distributed more than 88,000 copies of the AHA guidelines to healthcare providers and made accessible online an electronic version, viewed by more than 80,000 visitors.
5. More than 15,000 companies have participated in National Wear Red Day, distributing more than 34 million educational materials to the public.
Step 2 — Shop Red
♥ Macy’s and Cub Foods Support the Cause
Shop at local Macy’s department stores on February 1, National Wear Red Day, and look for special Go Red promotions. In addition, visit your local Cub Foods grocery stores during the week of February 3-9 to find all of your Go Red party needs, as well as exclusive Go Red in-store promotions and giveaways.
♥ Go Red PARTY Shopping List:
– Plan Fun Party Makeovers
Offer red nail polishes and lipsticks for friends to try.
– Pick Up Party Supplies
Red napkins, plates, and cups. Red “gift†bags, so your guests can bring home all the healthy information they learn at the party.
– Serve a Heart-Healthy Menu
Healthy snacks or ingredients for a light lunch, such as Rustic Italian Go Red Tomato Soup (recipe on page 11).
– Create a Five-a-day Fresh Fruit Platter
Red fruits like apples, strawberries, cherries, pomegranates, raspberries, and more add color and nutritious snack options to the party.
Step 3 — Learn Red
♥ Know Your Numbers
Get a free health screening at HealthEast Care Systems. Then you and your friends can take the American Heart Association’s Go Red Heart CheckUp to receive a free heart health risk assessment. The chart below shows healthy ranges for your numbers:
FACTOR RECOMMENDED
♥ Know the heart Attack Warning Signs for Women
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, but most of them start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often the people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are some of the signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:
Step 4: Love Red
♥ Make Easy Lifestyle Changes
– Celebrate with a checkup
Let each birthday remind you that it’s time for your yearly visit to the doctor.
– Get off the couch
Move 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.
– Cut the smoking habit
Can’t quit cold turkey? Cut the number of cigarettes you smoke each day in half, then cut it again and again until you reach zero.
– Drop a pound or two
Cut 500 calories through diet or exercise
– Become a salt detective
Read the nutritional facts on packaged foods and aim for total sodium intake of no more than 2,300 milligrams (about a teaspoon of salt) per day.
♥ Tips for Women at Work
– Take 10-minute walks between meetings
– Use the stairs instead of the elevator
– Bring healthy snacks; don’t skip lunch
♥ Tips for Moms on the Go
– Plan meals in advance — visit americanheart.org for heart-healthy recipes and use the online grocery list builder
– Walk when doing errands and park farther from your destination
– Take your kids to the park and identify play-time activities that help keep you fit
– Exercise while watching your favorite TV show
♥ Relaxation Tips
– Keep a journal
– Read a book
– Celebrate your successes with healthy rewards like a massage or facial or fun activity
Step 5 — Spread Red
♥ Wear Red Day — February 1, 2008
Go Red in your own fashion by spreading the Go Red For Women message — love your heart — to your friends, families and colleagues.
Go Red any way you want… eat red bell peppers, tomatoes, beets; leave red kisses on someone’s cheek; laugh so hard your face turns red; and on Friday, February 1, join us for National Wear Red Day. n
