Chamber’s Women on Fire luncheon Feb. 15

By Loretta Cozart

Cleveland County

Chamber announces their inaugural Women’s Professional Luncheon event

“Women on Fire” at Cleveland Country Club on February 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“The Chamber is proud to be hosting the first annual Professional Women’ Luncheon sponsored by Greenbrook Design and venue sponsor Cleveland Country Club. This event was created for women to hear inspirational stories from phenomenal women on managing it all – work, family, and health,” Chamber Executive Director Christine Crib shared with the Herald.

The chamber has three phenomenal women speakers for this event: Stacey Walker, self-described mother, business owner, and interior designer with Greenbrook Design, and Jennifer Thomas with Truist, who describes herself as a wife and mother, business leader, community servant, and fitness instructor who will be telling their inspiring stories. Lori Keaton, of Lori Keaton Law is the Keynote Speaker. Lori is an award-winning attorney who has been named one of the Lop 50 female lawyers in North Carolina, one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Mecklenburg County and a “Leader in the Law’’ by the Meck-

Time to tune-in to heart health

Only half of individuals experience warning signs before a catastrophic event such as a heart attack or stroke. Preventing heart disease should be the goal. Behavior change – things like eating a heart-healthy diet, getting enough physical activity, keeping an eye on your weight, managing stress, not smoking, and taking medicines, if needed – are key to prevention.

Heart disease affects millions of Americans. In fact, it remains the leading cause of death for both men and women.

“Unfortunately, only half of these individuals experience warning signs before a catastrophic event such as a heart attack or stroke,” said Michael Shapiro, DO, who is a preventive cardiologist at Atrium Health Wake For- est Baptist. “Thankfully, we have better diagnostic tools to help identify and uncover underlying heart disease before someone has a major event.”

Of course, an even earlier and important goal is to prevent heart disease in the first place. Doing so largely centers around behavior change – things like knowing how to eat a heart healthy diet, getting enough physical activity, keeping an eye on your weight, managing stress, not smoking, and taking medicines, if needed. The trick is that not everyone knows where to start or how to make these changes in a way that fits their life so they will stick with them.

That’s the focus of the preventive cardiology program at Atrium Health. Dr. Shapiro and his team are helping people who have a high likelihood of developing heart and blood vessel diseases focus on what they can do to avoid it in the first place. As part of the program, individuals meet with a team of experts, which also often includes a health educator/ lifestyle counselor, dietician, and pharmacist, who become their cheerleaders in a sense.

“We try to meet patients where they are with a team approach and tailor a plan that helps them stay heart healthy,” Dr. Shapiro said.

7 steps you can take to stay heart healthy

1. Know what makes heart disease more likely in the first place. Talk with your doctor or on-site health clinic provider about your personal risk of heart disease. It’s never too early to think about how to keep your heart healthy.

You have a greater chance of heart disease if you:

• Have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes – make sure you know and write down your numbers

• Smoke

• Are overweight

• Don’t get enough physical activity, or have a job that keeps you sitting most of the day

• Don’t eat a heart healthy, well-balanced diet

• Feel overly stressed all the time. If this is the case, chances are you’re also not getting enough sleep, making healthy food choices or taking care of yourself

• Have a family history of heart disease. For example, if a parent, brother or sister has had a procedure to open blocked arteries in the heart or legs, a heart attack or stroke, especially at a young age (before age 55 for males and age 65 for females).

2. Get your heart pumping. Aim to get 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Pick an activity you enjoy – and one that will get your heart rate up.

Exercise strengthens your heart, and it can also help lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. You’ll also find you have more energy and that you’ll be more inclined to make healthier choices. Research shows that sitting for too long is bad for your health – no matter how much exercise you get. If you have a desk job, drive a vehicle, or find yourself sitting for extended periods of time, See HEALTH, Page 8A lenburg County Times. She left big law to open her own practice in February 2017, and has never looked back. Lori Keeton Law was created to advocate for all types of municipal employees with a particular focus on serving and protecting those who serve and protect.

Though she has faced numerous battles in the courtroom in her twenty plus years as a lawyer, Lori’s toughest- and most rewarding- victory to date has been overcoming cancer. She will share how God showed up and showed out throughout her illness and recovery. Her testimony will leave your faith strengthened and your heart full.

All professional women of the community are invited to register on the Cleveland County Chamber website. The event cost is $35.

Cleveland County Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting for Painting Class, LLC at 211 S Battleground Ave. on Thursday, February 9, at 11:30 a.m. It had been scheduled for November 11 but was postponed due to inclement weather. Owner Melody Griffin said, “We have a variety of classes, including one family event per month and a date night.” Waco Fire Department has begun accepting orders for their Easter BBQ. The price is $45 for a smoked Boston Butt, a pint of homemade sauce, and your choice of a pint of red or white slaw. Pickup will be from 9am to 1pm on April 8. They ask that people pre-order because they are limited to 300 butts for this event.

To pre-order, you can see a firefighter, go online, or call 704-435-3212. Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted.