Club Red Changed My Life

Contest winners tell us how they’re maximizing their heart smarts

During National Heart Month, we asked you to weigh in on how Club Red has impacted your life for the better. In exchange, we offered a chance to win a $100 spa gift certificate.

The submissions were full of stories sure to inspire you: about motivating friends and family; making lasting lifestyle changes – not to mention a few well-received food and fitness discoveries.

We picked the top entries and spoke to the winners to share their commitment to heart health.

Tracy Olivas, 38

Elementary School Physical Education Teacher

Aha! Moment
Teachers used to come to Olivas for healthy snack ideas, exercises to work different muscles and other tips. “I realized just how uninformed people are so I wanted to find new information that they wouldn’t necessarily find on their own,” she says.

Club Red to Real Life
Olivas began doing a “Move of the Day” email for colleagues that had exercise tips, and was always looking for good information to share. Now she gets tips from Club Red and other sources. Then compiles it all in a single email so others can read it easily. The emails go out to more than 75 teachers and many pass it on to their contacts, extending the information bridge even further.

Plus, Olivas shares her health smarts with students. “We are involved in Jump Rope for Heart so that event gives me an opportunity to bring these issues to light,” she says. “I also applied for a grant that provided our school with great videos for kids that focus on health and safety, which they weren’t learning about in class.

Best Practices
“Heart problems run in my family so my son and I got checked for a hereditary heart condition,” says Olivas. “The test was negative but we still watch our cholesterol and watch what we eat. “

Dawn Johnson, 49

Executive Assistant

Aha! Moment
After seeing her grandmother’s health deteriorate due to complications from diabetes, Johnson was determined to take a different path. Just prior to her grandmother’s death in 2007, Johnson, her mom and four sisters decided it was time to take control of their health. “We are a very close-knit family. During our girls’ days out we talk about what we can do to live better,” she says. “Between us, our weight fluctuates between 180 and 300 pounds and on this day in 2006 we were having lunch and we look around the table and that’s when we really realized that we needed to make a change.”

Club Red to Real Life
Johnson joined Club Red when it first started and, with these health tips and tools at her disposal, she continued on a quest to educate and inform others in her community. ”I share the emails with 100-200 women from my church and in my community,” she says. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there and there’s a lot we can do to help ourselves.” With that goal in mind, Johnson also arranged to bring the Club Red Clinic staff to her church to do a presentation about women’s heart health and she’s been an active part of the Live Red event during Heart Month.

Best Practices
I’m more conscious of what I eat. I have decreased fried foods and eat more vegetables. And I watch sodium levels.

Rhetta Bearden, 68

Retired School Teacher

Aha! Moment
Bearden had always tried to live a healthy lifestyle so Club Red was mainly a good reminder. The surprises came in the kitchen. “My neighbor and I attended Club Red cooking classes and we discovered new ingredients and recipes that are good for you,” she says. “One of the best parts is the exchange of ideas among those taking the class.”

Club Red to Real Life
By experimenting with new healthy ingredients – quinoa, figs, fresh herbs – Bearden has expanded her list of go-to dishes. “The classes made me aware of the importance of using fresh ingredients,” she says.

Best Practices
Bearden and her neighbor continue to walk regularly and now join each other for meals where they try out a new healthy dish and discuss discovered ingredients.

Leta Richardson, 45

Food Tech

Aha! Moment
Her own diagnosis of diabetes and then the loss of her father from a major heart attack a year later left Richardson with no other option – she had to take control of her health.

Club Red to Real Life
“I went to a Club Red event during Heart Month and learned about heart disease in women,” says Richardson. When she noticed that her heart was fluttering, Richardson was aware that her family history put her at a higher risk for something serious. So she brought it to the attention of her doctor and, thankfully, there was no cause for alarm.

Best Practices
“I have changed up my exercise routine instead of doing the same thing all of the time,” says Richardson. “I really watch my carbs, fat and calories at all meals.” Rather than eat ground beef, she uses ground turkey and instead of regular noodles she’s switched to high-fiber ones. Plus, her milk is 1 percent rather than 2. “It’s not just for me, it’s for my whole family,” she says.

Connie Falcone, 57

Registered Nurse

Aha! Moment
After reaching menopause, Falcone realized she was going to have to work harder to maintain her weight. “I gained 10 pounds overnight so in order to keep my weight down I had to increase my exercise,” she says.

Club Red to Real Life
Upping her exercise regimen meant finding new activities to keep her motivated. “I am always looking for things I enjoy,” says Falcone. Zumba turned out to be one of those things she could do regularly and have fun doing it. “I had no idea that I would enjoy Zumba but it turned out to be one of the most fun classes I’ve ever taken,” she adds. Now when Zumba is offered through a Club Red event, Falcone is quick to sign up.

Best Practices
“While in my office, I bring in elastic bands and do exercises several times a day. It all adds up,” says Falcone. Plus, when it comes to diet, Falcone says she’s more mindful now of everything she puts in her mouth, paying attention to what she’s eating rather than watching TV or reading during meals.

Congratulations “Club Red Changed My Life” Contest Winners!

Tracy Olivas
Dawn Johnson
Rhetta Bearden
Leta Richardson
Connie Falcone

Do you have a story or tips to share with fellow Club Red members?  Visit the Club Red facebook site!