FAIRBANKS — Fairbanks women embrace healthy hearts this week at the annual Go Red for Women celebration.

They’ll do it in style. In keeping with the theme, participants are encouraged to wear red. But the best part is not the attire: it’s all the great information and resources that are available to help women stay heart healthy. On this one day every year, it is empowering to join girlfriends, community members and neighbors in a united effort to work toward good health.

The program is under the umbrella of the American Heart Association. Everyone is invited to “Rock the Red” on Friday at the Carlson Center. From 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., participants can enjoy a bistro breakfast, then attend health education seminars, visit health expo booths, take advantage of health screening opportunities and shop at the Go Red silent auction gallery.

A special heart healthy lunch and program will feature keynote speaker Chris Johnson, whose presentation is called “Smash Limiting Beliefs — Supercharge Your Life.” He’ll talk about how the demanding pace of modern life, along with a poor food environment, can contribute to a downward spiral in health. He provides practical tools to deal with this and inspires his listeners to reach for higher levels of energy.

“When people feel good, they perform at their best and everything in life just gets better,” Johnson said.

One in three women is touched by heart disease and stroke.

“When I think about the important women in my life, my mother, my co-chair Lisa Herbert, my friends and my co-workers, I wouldn’t want to lose any of them to heart disease or stroke,” said Wendie MacNaughton, who helped organize this event. “That fact alone inspires me to take action for women’s heart health.”

Eighty percent of cardiac events can be prevented, according to Mishelle Norris, of Foundation Health Partners.

The American Heart Association believes it is important that women don’t put health on the back burner. “Take action to learn your family health history. Visit your medical provider to learn your important health numbers, which include blood pressure, LDL and HDL cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index.

“Then, make simple lifestyle changes to maintain your numbers within a healthy range. These steps will reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.”

Proceeds from the Fairbanks Go Red for Women conference and luncheon benefit the American Heart Association to fund research and community programs to fight heart disease and stroke.

For more information or to purchase tickets for the luncheon, go to fairbanksgoredluncheon.heart.org or call 907-374-4446. To purchase a table for the luncheon call 907-388-5133.

The chairpersons for this event are Lisa Herbert, vice-president of public relations for Usibelli Coal Mine and Wendie MacNaughton, external affairs manager for Northern Star Resources.

Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by CVS Health.

Source : http://www.newsminer.com/news/kris_capps/go-red-for-women-this-week/article_afd7c998-2ea2-11e9-aa8a-2b3a4c56e760.html