Until a few years ago, I had no idea heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the U.S. I didn’t know nearly all of us are at risk. I didn’t know my personal risk factors, even though my grandmother died from heart disease.

I know now, thanks to the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a size 4 or 40. You have to take care of your heart. The truth is, by the time many of us realize we have heart disease, the damage is done. The good news? Heart disease is preventable. The keys are eating better, exercising and staying on top of your cholesterol and blood pressure.

Is it easy? No. Here are my diet confessions: I’m a BIG carb eater in the form of pasta and potatoes. I don’t eat nearly enough meat (protein). And who honestly gets all their servings of vegetables? But, I try! That’s the point. It’s something I’m always working on. So, one week I’ll buy carrots or tomatoes and throw that into whatever I’m cooking. I worry about my calcium intake. So, I have yogurt a couple times a week. I drink water instead of soda. I cook with olive oil instead of butter. Those are just some of the small things I do, but every little thing helps.

As far as exercise, I do 30 minutes of cardio three days a week. I actually like it! I started out just walking on the treadmill. (And the first time I did that– I nearly died after 10 minutes). I’d like to workout longer and more days. That part is coming along. But, exercise is something I’ve built into my schedule. And, yes, some days it’s all I can do to put in 20 minutes. The way I figure, it’s better than nothing.

Ladies, we have to get moving! We have to manage our blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. The reason is simple– heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the U.S.

-Kim Murphy, Fox 6 Anchor