Loving your family means loving your heart

Vicki Wade is a proud Aboriginal woman, mum of four and grandma of three, passionate about Aboriginal art and culture.  Like many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, Vicki has a long family history of heart disease.  Concerned about the high prevalence of heart disease risk factors amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and having a strong family history of heart disease herself, Vicki signed up for the Heart Foundation’s inaugural Healthy Heart Challenge in 2011.

“I wanted to let other women know how important their heart health is and I wanted to lead by example,” Vicki said.

The Healthy Heart Challenge was launched in 2011 as part of the Heart Foundation’s Go Red for Women Campaign to raise awareness about women and heart disease.  The free Challenge provides participants with tips, tools and motivation to make small changes to improve their heart health and reduce their risk of heart disease.

Vicki chose the ‘be active every day’ goal and set about making exercise a priority in her daily routine, regularly walking at home on her treadmill.

“As a woman in my 50’s I thought it would be difficult to reach my goal, but with the encouragement and advice from the Go Red for Women team, I was able to set achievable targets that fit into my lifestyle and stay motivated. Each day exercising got a little easier and after a few weeks I was losing weight, feeling great and was proud of myself. Knowing I was doing my best to keep my heart healthy meant I was doing my best to ensure I’d be there to care and support my family for years to come”.

The Healthy Heart Challenge gave Vicki the kick-start she needed to take control of her heart health and now she is hoping that her story will help other women to do the same. 

“The time has come that we, as women, need to take control of our heart health so we can continue to perform the important role of supporting our families and communities.  My advice to women, especially fellow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, is to stop procrastinating and give it a try – you’ll love it. Getting involved is easy, grab your mother, sister, aunt, friend or colleague and do it together”.

So, what are you waiting for?  Register now for the 2012 Healthy Heart Challenge and you’ll soon be on your way to a healthier heart.

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Do you know the heart attack warning signs?

Recent research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association[1] shows that women are more likely to have a heart attack without chest pain than men. The study involved more than a million heart attack patients and found that 40% of women arrived at the Emergency Department without chest pain compared to 30% of men.

While chest pain is the most common heart attack warning sign, Heart Foundation research[2] shows that awareness for other important, but less typical symptoms is low.  Only 12% of women recognise jaw pain as a heart attack warning sign and even fewer recognise neck pain (6%) and back pain (5%).  For more information about the different warning signs of a heart attack go to www.heartattackfacts.org.au.

References
[1] Abstract at http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/307/8/813.short
[2] Heart Foundation survey of 8,268 women aged 30-65, conducted in 2011

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Hop to a Healthier Easter

Here are the Heart Foundation’s top tips for a healthier Easter: 1. Buy smaller, good quality Easter eggs and skip the crème eggs 2. Stick to the plain traditional hot cross buns 3. Give healthier alternatives to chocolate

4. Get outside and be active over the Easter break
5. Eat dyed and decorated boiled eggs
6. Serve lots of fresh seasonal salads and lean meats at your Easter lunch
7. Relax and enjoy!

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“I didn’t know I was having a heart attack”

In May 2008, at 42 years old, Dreena had a heart attack.  She did not realise she was having a heart attack. Shortly after going to bed early, Dreena experienced a terrible pain in her left arm.  She assumed it was indigestion, took some Panadol and went back to bed. “Within two minutes I jumped out of bed; I felt like I was on fire and I wanted to be sick but couldn't, and I was dizzy".

"I knew it wasn’t normal, as I was sweating profusely like I had just gotten out of the shower, and I don't normally sweat. Yet my skin was cool to touch”.

Not wanting to be a bother but being very scared, she rang her Mum and asked her to come over.  By the time her mum arrived, Dreena was sitting in a chair, very cold and wet from sweat and having trouble breathing.

“I couldn't move, I had no energy, and was in and out of consciousness”.

Dreena’s mum called Triple Zero and within 10 minutes two ambulances arrived and told her she was having a heart attack.  They took her straight to hospital where she had an angioplasty and a stent inserted into an artery that was fully blocked.

“I started to feel alive again; I began to feel warm, and I could breathe normally.  I was wheeled into my hospital room and my parents were waiting for me. I was overcome with emotion on seeing my parents because, during the stent process, I remember thinking that if I was going to die I wanted to see my Mum, Dad, my partner Russell, and my daughter Rijana”.

Dreena survived her heart attack and knows she has been given a second chance.  She began to eat properly, exercise and reduce the stress in her life.

“I didn't know I was having a heart attack, and yet I had all of the symptoms at the time. Everyone needs to learn about heart disease and recognise the symptoms. I always thought a heart attack happened to elderly people, and people having one would fall to the ground clutching their chest. I was so wrong. Women, in particular, need to realise they have a greater risk of heart disease than most of us think. For me, this was a spiritual journey, and one that I needed to have – now, four years on, I talk about it and, hopefully, my story can help others”.

Would you recognise a heart attack? Learn the warning signs and get your action plan.

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Commit to your new “heart healthy” life this Easter

You could be forgiven for thinking that Easter is all about chocolate eggs and bunnies, with yummy Easter goodies hitting our supermarket shelves as early as January this year. But did you know ...? Easter originated in the Northern Hemisphere back in the 13th Century as a pagan festival celebrating the beginning of the spring, a time of new growth and renewal.

The word Easter originates from “Eostre” who was the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility, to whom the month of April was dedicated.  Eostre’s symbol was the rabbit, due to its rapid reproduction habits!  Legend has it that the goddess Eostre would entertain children by turning her favourite bird into a hare that would lay colourful eggs. 

During their spring celebrations, it was common for the pagans to share eggs as a symbol of creation, new life and the resurrection of nature after a long cold winter.  It was only with the growing dominance of Christianity in the 15th Century that the Easter egg became a religious symbol, symbolising of the resurrection of Christ.

The decorating and colouring of eggs for Easter became customary in England in the Middle Ages and then, in the 17th and 18th centuries, egg-shaped toys were manufactured and given to children at Easter.  Finally, in the 19th century, the first chocolate eggs that we have all come to love were made in Europe.  Around this time the Easter bunny became a commonly used symbol in Germany and it was the German immigrants who introduced the idea of an egg-laying bunny to the U.S. where the custom of giving children gifts of coloured eggs in nests they made at Easter began.

Regardless of the origins of Easter, people around the world now celebrate with eggs at Easter time.  However, instead of tucking into chocolate eggs this Easter, why not consider the real thing?  Eggs make a highly nutritious snack or meal, containing good quality protein and omega-3, plus 10 vitamins and minerals.  The Heart Foundation recommends that all Australians who follow a healthy balanced diet low in saturated fat can eat up to six eggs each week.  To find some healthy recipes using eggs, visit the Heart Foundation recipe finder.

So this Easter, why not take some time to reflect on the symbol of new life and renewal and make a commitment to start your new “heart healthy” life. 

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New Year’s Resolutions – Are you on track?

Here are the Heart Foundation’s top five tips for keeping your New Year’s resolutions: 1. Pick one - you’ll have more chance of success by concentrating on one goal. 2. Break it down - set small milestones on the way to your overall goal. 3. Seal the deal - tell people about your resolution, it’ll help you stick to it.

4. Don’t do it alone - get a friend/relative/colleague to join you.
5. Keep lapses in perspective - a weak moment is exactly that and doesn’t undo all your weeks of commitment. Don’t punish yourself - accept the lapse for what it is and get back with the program. 

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