Mother's Day: It's time for women to take charge of their hearts

(NC)-Mother's Day celebrates the often overlooked contributions that women make to their families and communities. This year, as families gather on May 11th, women should take a moment to think about something else that's often taken for granted - their hearts. The reality is that heart disease and stroke is the leading cause of death among Canadian women, according to Statistics Canada. This Mother's Day, women can start to make small, yet important changes to daily routines and talk to one another to spread the truth about heart disease and stroke.

Did you know?
Heart disease is an issue that many women don't contemplate until it's too late. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, women often say they are too busy focusing on their families to think about heart health - until they have a heart attack. Fortunately, making simple lifestyle changes can have a huge impact on heart health- reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

On Mother's Day, all women - friends, sisters, mothers and daughters - should take the time to have a heartfelt discussion about the risks and realities of heart disease and stroke.

Take action: Reduce your risk.
Making simple lifestyle changes can reduce the risk by 80 per cent. This Mother's Day, commit to taking steps to reduce the risk of heart disease with these easy tips: 

- Be smoke free: You can cut your risk of heart disease in half just one year after you quit. 
-  Be physically active: 30 to 60 minutes of activity most days of the week reduces your risk. 
-  Eating right: At least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day each day gets you on the right track. 
-  Reduce saturated fats: Saturated fats can raise your level of blood cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease.