Happy International Women's Day!

It’s International Women’s Day! Hurray! Womanhood and the accomplishments of women worldwide are acknowledged and celebrated today.

This year’s official theme is ‘Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate For Change.’ The focus of 2019 is on gender equality and the empowerment of women.

iProvèn aims to contribute to this cause. With a focus on health and lifestyle. After all, this is where our passion and expertise lies.

International Women’s Day is the perfect opportunity to increase awareness of women’s heart health. It’s a common and dangerous misconception that heart disease mostly affects men. Statistics of The Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that heart disease is the leading cause of death of women of all ages and ethnicities*.

iProvèn strives to inspire you to take heart disease seriously and make changes in your lifestyle where necessary.

Before you can commit to your healthy habits, it’s vital to learn to recognize the risks and warning signs of heart disease.

Risk factors

Understand that heart disease does not discriminate based on age. Even when you are young, you may still be at risk. The good news is that a healthy lifestyle with enough fruit and veggies and physical activity reduces your risk significantly.

• Risk factors you cannot control: Age, family history, ethnicity, and previous heart attack or stroke
• Risk factors you can control: High blood pressure, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and overweight

Warning signs

Women sometimes have a tendency to brush off serious signs and symptoms as the flu. Lack of awareness can put your life in jeopardy. Make sure to understand the warning signs of heart disease.

Women are more likely than men to experience shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw pain as symptoms of a heart attack. The most common symptom for both men and women is uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.

Commit to your healthy habits

Food

Food is important, because…

• Food high in saturated fat, such as bacon and cheese, may contribute to high cholesterol levels and a buildup of plaques in your arteries.  
• A diet mostly composed of processed foods is high in sugar, fat, and sodium. It may increase your risk of obesity and heart disease.

Take-home message: Eat green!

• Healthy food doesn’t have to be expensive. Try frozen fruit and vegetables instead of fresh; buy dried beans from the bulk store as a protein source, and eat a hearty breakfast of oatmeal.
• Add veggies and fruit to your meals. Instead of taking away, try to add food such as carrots, sugar snaps, bell pepper to diet. Snack on apple slices dipped in peanut butter, for example.
• Learn to read the food nutrition labels. Understanding the labels on your packaged food will help you to avoid food high in (added) fat, sugar, and sodium.

Stress

Stress is important, because…

• Excessive stress may contribute to high blood pressure.
• Stress may indirectly lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as inactivity, overeating, and smoking.

Take-home message: Manage stress!

• Spend time in nature. Or go outside for a walk around the block.
• Do something artistic. Play a musical instrument, draw, color, paint, or write.
• Meet up with a friend or spend time with your family. Having a laugh drives away the stress!

Exercise

Exercise is important, because…

• A sedentary lifestyle may lead to an unhealthy weight. This increases the risk of heart disease.
• Your heart is a muscle and needs regular physical activity to stay strong.

Take-home message: Move around!

• Walk! It’s the easiest way to become active. Research shows that walking 20 to 30 minutes a day already helps to decrease your risk of heart disease.
• For long-term success, find a workout that you enjoy; make it a part of your daily routine; and round up a buddy.
• Stay active at work. Walk to a colleague instead of emailing. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Stand or walk during a meeting instead of sitting down.

Blood pressure

Blood pressure is important, because…

• High blood pressure damages the arteries. It may prevent blood from flowing to the heart.
• If your blood pressure is high for too long, it damages your blood vessels and puts you at a much higher risk for heart disease.

Take-home message: Learn to manage your blood pressure

• Learn your blood pressure and check your numbers regularly. Buy a reliable blood pressure monitor here to check at home.
• Educate yourself on the symptoms and risks of high blood pressure and commit to a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of heart disease.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, iProvèn’s blood pressure monitors are now with 25% off. Use discount code LoveYourHeart when checking out. This code is valid until March 15, 2019.