My Heart is In It

Today, we had three guests on the radio show, to talk about heart health and the prevention of heart disease.

Christina Crews from the American Heart Association, Dr. Deborah Witt from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and a young woman by the name of Ekeoma Ekeleme-Washington (pronounced AY-KO-MA AY-KA-LAY-MAY).

Ms Crews shared the mission, goals and some of the initiatives of the American Heart Association with us, Go Red for Women, Start!, Alliance for a Healthier Generation and Power to End Stroke.

Heart disease is not just a man's disease. It was interesting to note that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the US. 1 in 3 women die every year, from some form of heart disease. Alarming, isn't it?

Dr. Witt talked with us about the risk factors and warning signs of heart attack and stroke, noting that we need to have detailed knowledge of our family history, and pay close attention to our bodies.

I asked Dr. Witt, what makes women different? Her response was that we are so busy taking care of everyone else, that we ignore our own needs. When we feel discomfort or fatique, we dismiss it and continue to care for everyone else.

I have to admit, I've been guilty of doing this myself. In the past, I've thought to myself, "I'll get to it, sooner or later." Am I the only one? My guess is NO.

Our third guest, Ekeoma, shared the story with us about how her 6 year-old daughter had suffered a stroke, and how the stress surrounding this landed her in the doctor's office with the diagnosis of high blood pressure. Oddly enough, Ekeoma has a family history of heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure.

Ekeoma, then 29 years old and 220 lbs, decided right then and there that she would NOT be another victim. Ekeoma made a conscious decision to start exercising and change her eating habits, all in an effort to lose weight and control her blood pressure. Her motivation: She wants to be around for her children, for a long as she can.

Wow.

I've been reflecting on this conversation for quite a few hours now, and it's my turn! I have a wonderful husband, two beautiful daughters and a grandaughter that I love. And I want to be here for them for as long as I can.  Besides that, I LOVE LIFE!

This means, I have to take better care of my body. I have to stop being so nonchalant about what I eat. There was a time, some years ago, when I deliberately walked two or three miles a day, just so I could get in the exercise. Now, not so much.

So today, I'm planning to change that.  Will you do the same?

The American Heart Association has initiated a program entitled, "Life's Simple 7". It is a list of seven simple steps you can take to start living a healthier lifestyle. It's something you can do RIGHT NOW and it doesn't require a large sum of cash. These are everyday habits that you can adopt to stop heart disease before it starts. All you need is a goal, a plan and the desire to live better.

I've spent the last year and a half, talking about walking in my purpose and working on my vision. Well, I need to BE HERE in order to do that.  And I've heard about heart disease before. But, now I've had an in-depth conversation about it and I am more aware and informed of the dangers of living carelessly with my body.

Now, my heart is in it.

Exceed Magazine with Katrena Patterson airs every Tuesday at 2PM (EST) on WNWR AM 1540.  The show topic for this discussion was, "Heart Health and Heart Disease Prevention". 

Click here to listen to the broadcast in its entirety.

Please visit the American Heart Association website at www.americanheart.org to get more information about what YOU can do to live a heart healthy lifestyle.

Peace and blessings,
Katrena Patterson