The author of the best selling diet book “The South Beach Diet” will give a presentation on how to prevent heart attacks at the upcoming annual Live and Learn Red Dress Luncheon.
Dr. Arthur Agatston, medical director of wellness and prevention at Baptist Health South Florida, will speak at the luncheon, which will be held following the Women’s Heart Care Extravaganza Expo at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, on Friday, 15 March, so mark your diaries.
This is the fourth year the event is being held. These luncheons and expos, attended each year by women – and even a few men – who are mostly sporting some fabulous red outfits, provide an opportunity to learn about how to keep hearts healthy and how to live life in such a way as to avoid heart disease.
The event is hosted by the Cayman Heart Fund and Baptist Health International to help combat cardiovascular disease, which is the number one health threat to women and the leading cause of death of the Cayman Islands.
“We encourage women of all ages to take the first step in caring for their hearts by educating themselves and taking responsibility for their personal risk factors,” said Dr. Sook Yin, Heart Truth Champion and medical director of Cayman Heart Fund. “We thank local businesses and our overseas partners for their support and for helping us spread the message of The Heart Truth.”
The Cayman Islands Heart Truth Champions are an active group of local women raising awareness for The Heart Truth Campaign, which is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes for Health.
The campaign is paired with an arresting visual, The Red Dress, which is the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness. The Red Dress serves as a red alert to convey the message that “Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What You Wear – It’s the No. 1 Killer of Women.”
This is the second year the Champions group has partnered with Cayman Heart Fund to host the Women’s Heart Care Extravaganza.
One of the myths Cayman Heart Fund and the Heart Health Champions are trying to overcome is that heart disease and heart attacks are more common among men than among women, leading many women to fail to connect the risk factors of high blood pressure, being overweight, diabetes, smoking and/or high cholesterol with their personal risk of developing heart disease.
Especially for women in midlife, taking action is particularly important. When a woman reaches menopause, her risk of heart disease and heart attack jump dramatically, something the Cayman Heart Fund and the Cayman Islands Heart Truth Champions are trying to raise awareness about, so that women can take ownership and action against what is largely a preventable disease.
The expo opens to luncheon guests at 10.30am, featuring a welcome drink sponsored by Health Diagnostic Lab and exclusive access to local and overseas exhibitors, including Baptist Health International, Health Diagnostic Lab, Mobile Fitness Solutions, Bliss Yoga, Life Extension, Body Works, Beyond Basics, A Touch of Thai, Island Naturals, East End Garden and Gifts, Tea Time in Cayman, Chocolate Creations, Kara’s Glass Garden, Beach Bubbles, FAB Cayman, Audi, Silver Rain Spa, and Le Visage.
Stunning red dresses will be displayed courtesy of Funky Monkey, Silver Rain Retail Store, Reba Dilbert and Cayman Islands Fashion Week.
Free heart health information, risk factor screening and nutritional guidance will also be available. To soothe nervous hearts undergoing the checks, Kate Allenger will provide live violin music during the expo.
The luncheon itself, which begins at 12.30pm, will naturally include a heart healthy lunch created by the master chefs in the Ritz-Carlton kitchens.
Before Dr. Agatston takes to the stage, the colourful Bollywood dance group will provide entertainment.
Dr. Agatston’s presentation is titled “Heart attacks are absolutely preventable”.
The doctor is a clinical cardiologist and medical director of Wellness and Prevention at Baptist Health South Florida, who authored “The South Beach Diet”. He initially devised the diet to help his cardiac patients lose weight.
The luncheon will conclude with a raffle for gifts donated by expo exhibitors and features a sparkling heart shaped pendant necklace courtesy of Kirk Freeport. One lucky guest from each table will also have a chance to take home a floral arrangement sponsored by Audi.
Tickets are available now for $55 per person or corporate tables of 10 for $500. Contact [email protected] or call 516-7323.
Related Videos
