Why I'm Wearing Red This Month

I grew up in a small town in rural Virginia. I lived in the same community alongside much of my extended family, including my grandparents on both sides of the family. I loved all of my grandparents, but I probably spent the most time with my maternal grandmother, or as I called her, “Nanny.” 

Nanny was a sweet and gentle spirit. Soft-spoken, loving, hardworking. She would always be in bed by nine every evening and wake up before dawn. She loved tending to her garden and making meals for her family. She never forgot a birthday. Two of her favorite TV shows were Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. She faithfully attended church every week. She was a significant presence in my life and upbringing.

I was an undergraduate at college when I received the call that Nanny had sustained a severe heart attack. She had various risk factors, including those that were lifestyle-related. Thankfully, she survived the heart attack and lived for many years afterward, though it did affect her quality of life. 

February is American Heart Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease and how we can reduce our risk for it. The sobering reality is that heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. The good news is that many of the risk factors are rooted in lifestyle and are therefore within our control to change. Lifestyle-related risk factors for heart disease include:

– high blood pressure

– smoking

– high cholesterol

– obesity

– diabetes

– unhealthy diet

– physical inactivity

– excessive alcohol use

One excellent way to take charge of your health is to work with a health coach. National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coaches are specially trained in the psychology of positive habit formation and sustained behavior change. We guide and support you as you make sustainable changes in accordance with your values, interests, and strengths. We can provide credible, evidence-based information about healthy living practices and help you develop healthy habits. 

February 3rd is National Wear Red Day®, an initiative of the American Heart Association to increase awareness of the prevalence of heart disease in women and to improve women’s heart health . I will be joining many other women across the country to support this initiative. In part I want to honor the memory of my grandmother, but I also want to help as many people as possible avoid heart disease and its risk factors. 

I invite you to reach out today to take an important step toward heart-healthy living.