And if anyone needs me, I’ll be on the treadmill in the basement, power-walking and eating radishes.

I saw my OB earlier this week.  I see a lot of her lately, and well, she sees a lot of me, too. Ahem.

Our weekly meetings over the past 9 months have evolved beyond just quick, routine exams to fun, edifying discussions.  I feel really lucky to have developed this rapport with her – I mean, she’s gonna be there, front and center, at one of the biggest events of my family’s life – so getting along with her and even sharing a few laughs beforehand feels normal and natural. 

She’s been in the health care profession for decades, first as a Registered Nurse and now as an OB/GYN, so I’ve always trusted her and assumed that she’s not only knowledgeable but also passionate about women’s health.  Stands to reason, doesn’t it? 

I’ve mentioned before that I’m really feeling a pull to learn more about what I need to be doing to make sure I stay healthy and vital well into my 60s and 70s, since these two beautiful blessings of mine (my children) have come along a decade or so later than they do for many women. 

The long and short of it is that as the doctor measured and poked and prodded today, I asked her, "What’s the ONE THING women in their thirties/forties should be doing right now to improve the chances they’ll be healthy and vital into their later decades?"

She seemed surprised by the question.  I wonder if many women think to call upon her expertise and obvious passion in this area?

She was ready with an answer much sooner than I thought she’d be — and I loved that! 

"Women in their thirties and forties feel healthy and vital, so we don’t think or worry about the unseen damage we’re causing to our hearts.  The most common killer of women today is cardiovascular disease. We need to be thinking about that NOW, and doing what we can do to keep our hearts healthy."

Interestingly, many of the same contributing factors to cardiovascular disease in females also seem to lead to increased probability of developing breast cancer, another high-risk area for females, those being a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and obesity or significant weight gain.  The doctor referenced statistics from The Nurses’ Health Studies, an ongoing project that’s "among the largest and longest running investigations of factors that influence women’s health. Started in 1976 and expanded in 1989, the information provided by the 238,000 dedicated nurse-participants has led to many new insights on health and disease."  She quoted several findings within these studies to help explain and substantiate the extreme importance of healthy diet and regular exercise as prevention for both of these deadly diseases. 

The doctor mentioned that one recent study in this group revealed that the most damaging and dangerous times for females to gain substantial weight — the times that a significant weight gain leads to health issues like breast cancer and cardiovascular disease — are right after high school (freshman 50, anyone?) and right after menopause.  It’s never a good idea to gain huge amounts of weight, but allowing it to happen at these two times in a woman’s life seem to be the most detrimental to her overall long-term health.

Now I suppose you’d like me to tell you all about the right diet and appropriate levels and types of exercise that’ll keep us all healthy and happy into our 80s?  Just lay you out a plan and be done with it?

Well, I WAS naked from the waist down and I did have a vast portion of my considerable current geography covered in that slimy gel they use for ultra sounds and other obstetric fun and games.  Since I had a pressing desire to remedy both of those unpleasant conditions, I decided to hold further questions for my appointment next week.  Stay tuned.  Unless I’ve delivered a baby by then, I hope to have some further links and information for your perusal NEXT Friday.

Until then I’m going to be asking myself – Based on the information I already have, am I doing everything I should be doing NOW to take good care of my heart so it stays healthy into 60s and 70s?  What do I need to change NOW?

Y’all ask yourselves that along with me, would you?