I attended the 2017 Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards to join the fight against heart disease as a guest of CocoaVia® brand. I'm a sponsored CocoaVia® brand influencer, but all opinions are my own*.
What an event! I truly did not expect the evening to be as spectacular as it was—it completely blew me away! Upon entering the Jazz at Lincoln Center atrium right above Columbus Circle, I was enveloped in a soft red glow and a room full of happy people buzzing around.
It was a fantastic sight, with wait staff lined up to hand you a drink. Everyone (with their phones in camera mode) was drawn to the gargantuan heart “centerpiece” pumping good vibes through the room.
I grabbed a drink (red bubbly to match the event’s color theme) and sashayed around during the cocktail hour in my red dress, matching every single woman in attendance. Not only is it so much fun, but it’s truly an honor to attend events like this one.
Empowering women to better health is one of the core values of Mizzfit.com, and that’s exactly what the Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards is about. Every year, this event put on by Woman’s Day, honors those who work hard to improve women’s heart health. These individuals are researchers, doctors and driven advocates of heart health. It’s important to honor them because their work and influence on the greater community is helping to educate, save lives and fight the disease known as the #1 killer of women.
Jane Lynch and Hoda Kotb co-hosted this year’s event. The award show was held in a gorgeous concert room overlooking Columbus Circle and the entrance to Central Park. Here’s what it looked like before the hosts came on stage. The backdrop was a gigantic window looking out onto a quaint New York City night. Talk about incredible.
During the show, we were serenaded by Carly Rose Sonenclar and Melissa Etheridge.
I was completely blown away by Melissa Etheridge’s performance. Her energy and commentary between songs was so inspiring and admirable. She survived cancer and had a lot to say about taking care of yourself and the pride she has in her children. She also mentioned how much she loves yoga. “It will save your life,” she said.
Laila Ali and Joy Bauer also appeared on stage for their own presentations. Joy worked with 5 women who were all high-risk candidates for heart disease. She brought them on stage to show how each had lost weight, improved their health routine and avoided looming health risks by working as a determined group to reach their goals. My eyes welled up listening to one of the women who had previously experienced heart failure. It meant everything to her to have the support of these women and another chance at living a full life.
After Melissa Etheridge finished rocking out to her last set, everyone poured back into the atrium for the after-party. This was a night without competition or ego. Ladies were smiling ear to ear, complimenting each other on their red outfits and posing for pictures in front of the step & repeat. Here I am with Laila Ali!
I was excited to have my agent there with me as my date. He’s such a great guy and a big believer of the work I do in the health & fitness space that it only made sense to have him accompany me.
My dress was also a big part of my night, as a lot of planning went into it. I wore a piece by one of my favorite designers and artists, Cecilia De Bucourt. She makes funky dresses that move with your body, and that I can best describe as a little rebellious. My maxi dress was splattered with black paint all over and completely open in the back. The design was very Grecian inspired. I have to say it was a lot of fun dressing up in red knowing that everybody else was going to be wearing their own version of the color. It forced me to get creative so that my dress would be unique.
Photo courtesy of Travis W. Keyes
Working with the CocoaVia® brand has been a joy. In my experience, I see a lot of supplements on the market that claim to do things they really don’t, or offer you things you don’t really need. What’s worse is that these supplements don’t even taste good added to the foods you love. But when you’re talking about flavanols derived from cocoa, it’s a different story. Especially with all the different flavors CocoaVia® powdered stick packs come in. I like the Sweetened Dark Chocolate flavor mixed in my morning coffee. And, if you aren’t a coffee drinker, you can always try CocoaVia® capsules (3 are a daily serving).
Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that the cocoa flavanols in CocoaVia® supplement promote healthy blood flow from head to toe†. Without bogging you down with too much information, the flavanols do this by working with your body to maintain healthy levels of nitric oxide, which helps maintain the healthy flow of oxygen and nutrients to all parts of your body.
Heart disease can be a silent killer for women because many of the symptoms of heart failure do not present themselves in the same way as with men. Historically, we identify heart disease as a men’s disease, so people tend to be most familiar with how it affects men. In many cases, when heart disease attacks women, it is often too late. This is because women are known to have a high tolerance of pain and are much less likely to speak up when experiencing the signs associated with the disease. This is why it’s so important for me to share this information with you.
As the lead sponsor of the Red Dress Awards, the CocoaVia® brand is making great strides in ensuring that women are more proactive about their health. You can get involved too, by trying CocoaVia® products and devoting yourself to a healthier lifestyle. If you’re already a health & fitness lover, share the lifestyle and health information with someone you care about who needs it. For more information, visit www.CocoaVia.com. Use this promo code*** to get 25% off when you make a purchase: RDA25
*I am participating in a VN campaign. This is a sponsored post by the CocoaVia® brand. The content and opinions expressed below are my own. I am in no way affiliated with the CocoaVia® brand and do not earn a commission or percent of sales.
†This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
***Limit one use per customer on a maximum of three units per item. Excludes cases and expires 2/28/2017.