I don’t have to tell you all the reasons that as women we don’t always take care of ourselves the way we should. I think we all know to well that we’re usually so busy taking care of everyone else, that our own health can take a back seat. 

But it does beg the question of “if not now, when?” Why are we waiting to take proactive action with exercise, eating, stress reduction and understanding the signs of heart attack?  A little education and awareness goes a long way to creating the life we really want to have. 

In celebration of today, you’re truly, The Clean Eating Coach, is all about not only wearing red but eating healthy and delicious red foods.  Here are three easy ideas to eat red today in a heart healthy way!

1. Red bell peppers- These delicious gems are bursting with Vitamins A & C, natural antioxidants, plus helpful doses of folic acid and Vitamin B which help lower high homocystine levels (which is linked to heart disease).  And you know what else, they are so easy to prepare and enjoy! Cut them up and eat them raw or roast them and add to your favorite soup.  This weekend, I’ll be making roasted red pepper and sweet potato soup. Yum!

2. Tomatoes- Can you say lycopene? Juicy red tomatoes (or canned organic tomatoes this time of year when store bought tomatoes are nothing short of dreadful) are chock full of lycopene which has been shown to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.  This natural antioxidant helps protect cells from free radical damage.  Plus they taste so good. What about veggie chili with organic tomatoes or tomato bruschetta on whole grain crusty bread?

3. Beets - This deep red root vegetable is a natural detoxifier and anti-inflammatory.  Naturally linked to cancer prevention, did you know that beets will also help keep your heart healthy? Beets contain the B-vitamin choline which helps regulate inflammation in the cardiovascular system.  So think about juicing some beets, roasting them to sweet perfection, adding to a salad or even making borscht, yummy beet soup.

What will get you inspired to eat red and wear red on this important day? Isn’t your heart health worth a little extra effort?

The reality is that heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women, yet it’s highly preventable through simple lifestyle changes – more exercise, a healthier diet and stress reduction to name a few.  And when it comes to heart attack prevention, when we’re more in tune with our body, we can pick up on signs that something isn’t right much more readily and take action.

I heard an interesting interview on NPR’s, All Things Considered yesterday with a cardiologist discussing how to detect and prevent heart attacks. One of the things he mentioned was that some people, prior to having a heart attack, have a sense of something not being right, feeling a bit off. It’s often when we get that feeling, that we need to act, even if it seems irrational or doesn’t make sense. It’s all about trusting your gut. Take a listen and let me know what you think.

The real question is, do you have a heart healthy lifestyle and what are you doing to prevent a heart attack?

By the way, if you haven’t done so already, sign up for the Take Your Health To Heart Challenge and start learning about simple tools to keep your heart in optimal health.