Getting serious about your health by going "RED"

One of the things we've been talking about for the New Year is self discipline, right? So many people are trying to apply that discipline to do better with diet and exercise. But it's not all for vanity's sake, it's for health. And if I may speak to the ladies for a moment, Heart Disease, the #1 killer of women in this country can be greatly reduced by our diet and exercise. That's the message from the American Heart Association with their "Go Red for Women" campaign! The first week of February marks an entire week of awareness of women's health and heart...and celebrations! Check out this list for the Detroit Area:

• Monday, Feb. 1,

6 pm
Go Red Pamper Party & Jewel Kade Showcase
Gjeto's Salon & Day Spa

• Wednesday, Feb. 3, 7 pm

Zumba for Heart
Body Language, 1567 Union Lake Rd

• Thursday, Feb. 4, 5:30 pm 

Celebrity Guest Griller Event
BD's Mongolian Grill, Canton location

• Friday, Feb. 5, 11 am 

Heart Health Luncheon & Fashion Show
U of M Dearborn

• Friday, Feb. 5, 6:30 pm 

Go Red Girlfriend's Cooking Class
Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital

AND, on Saturday February 6, join me and my girlfriends Melissa, Alicia and other great ladies from the American Heart Association as we try to get into the Guinness Book of World Records by making the world's largest red dress at Macy's in the Oakland Mall. Check out last year's event in the picture below...now that's a big dress!

Plus, it's a casting call and YOU could be the next spokesperson for the AHA!, Here's the deal:
Go Red For Women is looking for women to share their heart stories and the choices they make to live a heart-healthy lifestyle, empowering others by example. Women who share their stories have the chance to become a spokesperson for the cause - representing Go Red For Women in marketing materials, at events, on GoRedForWomen.org and possibly in a national television special about women and heart disease.Will it be you? Can't wait to see you at Oakland Mall in Troy on Saturday, February 6 from 1-3pm!

Oh yea...and here's something everyone can do whether or not you want to participate in any of the events--and no matter where you live: on Friday, February 5 -- just wear red...and pass the word on to your girlfriends! It's National Wear Red Day and we're going to raise awareness and empower women to fight for healthier lifestyles for themselves and their families! You may want to make it a group or workplace affair so if your company or group is interested in participating in 2010 Wear Red Day, please contact alicia.hoge@heart.org. Don't forget too that you can get lots of information, inspiring stories and practical tips on getting healthy (and keeping those resolutions!) at   www.goredforwomen.org ! You'll also be able to find listings for events going on all over the country!  So let's Go Red, get healthy and beat Heart Disease!

Online Inspiration: What's your story?

Have you ever had a great idea that you never got around to? I have. I'm glad Toni Reece, one of founders of  the "Get Inspired Project", acted on hers. "The Project just came about because there’s so many people — as we have been finding out every day with the people we’re talking to — there are many, many people out there that are doing some amazing things and that are inspiring people with the grandest of gestures to the smallest of gestures," she said. Of course, it also came about because of Toni and her colleagues' hard work and dedication.  I had the honor of talking to her and being included on the website:  Day 101: Sandy Kovach


Toni is a personal and business coach in addition to putting together this website with stories of some very interesting people: cancer survivors, authors, business leaders, moms and on and on. She's on the look out for great stories...maybe yours...maybe someone you know.  I encourage you to check out the site--and thanks Toni and the "Get Inspired Project" for all you're doing to inspire us!

Oh yes you can!

“People become really quite remarkable when they start
thinking that they can do things. When they believe in
themselves, they have the first secret of success."
— Norman Vincent Peale

Happy New Year! How are those resolutions? Last blog I talked about the one thing you need to keep them -- self discipline. Self discipline: a cringe-worthy term indeed! But why is it we so often have trouble with that? For many of us, it may be that we fail before we even start! How? By not believing that we can actually accomplish what we set out to achieve. Check out this popular and funny New Year's Quote by Mark Twain: "New Year's Day… now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual."  Twain, playing on the saying about the road there is paved with good intentions, kind of sums up what usually happens to our resolutions. But maybe that's because we go into it assuming yet another failure.

To accomplish anything we must first believe we can. Does it guarantee success? Not necessarily, the belief that we can do something usually needs to be followed by real action steps and sometimes even painful choices. However, not to fully believe we can accomplish a goal—or a New Year’s resolution—will pretty much guarantee a failure. And here’s the thing: while others can definitely encourage us, it comes down to an absolute resolve in our own minds and a decision that what we seek to accomplish MUST happen. We have to look at our obstacles “straight in the eye”—and realize that often they are bigger in our own heads than they are in reality.

Finally, get prayed up.  I once heard Bishop TD Jakes say, "don't tell God how big your problem is, tell your problem how big your God its." 

This IS your year and you CAN do it!