Ladies lunch for a healthy heart

(CNS): As part of Heart Smart Week, the Cayman Heart Fund (CHF) will host the 2nd Annual "Learn & Live Red Dress Luncheon" at the Grand Old House on Friday 4 March to promote the awareness of cardiovascular disease amongst women. The event is geared towards women’s risks and prevention through the power of knowledge, action, and awareness. Sponsored by Baptist International, guests will include Cayman’s strongest supporters of heart health such as Marie-Beatrice Taylor, Kerry Bush, Chair of the Cayman Heart Fund Suzy Soto, Chief Officer of the Ministry of Health Jennifer Ahearn, and Health Services Authority CEO Lizzette Yearwood.

The heart healthy lunch will accompany a presentation by guest speaker, Dr Nancy Eklund, founder of Miami Centre for Holistic Healing who will discuss "Stress, Hormones & Heart Disease in Women", which will summarize how these elements affect the heart. Dr Eklund is a board certified family physician who practices a combination of traditional medicine with herbal remedies, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, hypnosis, and mind-body therapy.

An active speaker in the community, Dr Eklund, focuses on topics such as menopause, stress, women’s health, sexuality, and patient-doctor communications. She is co-author of multi-media education programs used to educate health care providers about domestic violence, and is often invited to comment on health issues in the media. Following Dr Eklund’s oration, Registered Dietician Kristin Tobin of Seven Mile Clinic will provide nutritional tips for a heart healthy diet.

"CHF is committed to support ‘The Heart Truth Campaign’; a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease. By conducting educational lunches specially dedicated to raising awareness we hope to reach out to more ladies and provide them with knowledge and tools to help identify and prevent CVD. Women, generally being caregivers always ignore or deny their own symptoms as they are always too busy looking after everyone else. Dr Eklund will empower our attendees with her presentation and get this message across. We anticipate this year’s luncheon will sell out as it did last year,” said Dr Yin, Medical Director of the Cayman Heart Fund and organizer of Heart Smart Week.

All attendees are encouraged to wear red and can purchase a raffle ticket that will be drawn at the event to win pieces by Princess W Jewelers designed specially to support this cause. Every Bloomin’ Thing has donated floral centerpieces; one lucky guest from each table will win the bouquet at the end of event.

For those unable to attend the event, the CHF invites businesses and schools to participate in Red Dress Down Day. On Friday 4 March, staff and students are encouraged to dress in red and make a donation to the CHF. “The Red Dress is the national symbol to bring awareness that CVD is the No.1 killer in women. I hope our community will show its support by battling CVD together.”

The Learn & Live Red Dress Luncheon will be hosted at the Grand Old House from 12:00pm until 2:00pm. Tickets cost $50.00 and include a three course lunch and beverage; tables of ten are also available for $450.00. For tickets to the Luncheon and information on Red Dress Down Day, please contact Charmaine Moss at 516-7323, alternatively email cmoss@dci.gov.ky.

The Cayman Heart Fund is a non-profit, non-government organization dedicated to the reduction of heart and circulatory disease in the Cayman Islands. Heart and circulatory disease, known as cardiovascular disease (CVD), is the biggest health problem in the Cayman Islands.