Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
A small quantity of fat is an important part of a healthy diet, but not all fats are the same. Saturated and trans fats can raise ‘bad’ cholesterol in your blood, increasing your risk of heart disease.
Here are some tips to help you manage the amount and type of fat in your diet:
Choose products with a lower total fat content
All fats are high in energy and too much can lead to weight gain. By reading the fat content on food labels you can choose products that are lower in fat. For example, you could switch from cheddar cheese (34g fat per 100g) to low-fat cheese spread (11g fat per 100g) or cottage cheese (5g per 100g).
Switch from saturated and trans fats to unsaturated fat
Foods high in saturated fat include fatty meats, hard cheeses, coconut oil, palm oil, butter, ghee, lard and cream. Trans fat is present in hard margarine, fried food, biscuits, cakes and pastries.
Saturated and trans fats can increase the ‘bad’ cholesterol in your body, increasing your risk of heart disease. Look after your heart by switching to unsaturated fats, such as oily fish such (e.g. salmon, mackerel and sardines), rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, unsalted nuts, seeds and avocados.
Find healthier cooking methods
If you fry your food, why not try baking, grilling, boiling or steaming instead? Rather than roasting potatoes in fat, switch to boiled new potatoes or a baked potato. Cut away visible fat from fatty meats, such as bacon and lamb. Use a small amount of unsaturated oil for cooking, such as rapeseed oil, rather than butter, ghee, lard or goose fat.
By cutting down on the amount of fat in your diet and switching from saturated or trans fats to unsaturated fats, you will take an important step towards reducing your risk of heart disease.
Of 25,000 beds taken out of active service across the UK since 2010, 4,227 have been lost in Scotland
A new report by The Royal College of Emergency Medicine ‘Beds in the NHS’ shows that 13,000 staffed beds are required in the NHS across the UK to drive meaningful change and improvement.
Meaningful change and improvement would constitute a significant improvement in A&E waiting times, ambulance response times, ambulance handover delays, and a return to safe bed occupancy levels.
The report details that since 2010/2011 the NHS has lost almost 25,000 beds across the United Kingdom, and since then the health service and its staff have faced accumulating pressures resulting in a sharp increase in long-waiting times, ambulance handover delays, delayed ambulance response times, cancelled elective care operations, and unsafe bed occupancy levels. This has also had severe consequences on mental health care provision.
The College has stated that the current crisis is both a patient safety crisis and a workforce crisis. The fall in bed numbers and deteriorating metrics have a real terms impact on patient care. The health service is not functioning as it should, the challenging circumstances mean that staff are unable to provide the quick and effective high-quality care they are trained to provide. Patients are distressed by long-waiting times, as are staff who face increasing levels of burnout, exhaustion, and moral injury.
Dr Adrian Boyle, Vice President of The Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said:
“The Urgent and Emergency Care system is in crisis. The situation is dire and demands meaningful action. Ultimately, there are widespread staffing shortages leading to a shortage of staffed beds in the system. Our latest report “Beds in the NHS” shows that 13,000 staffed beds are required in the NHS across the UK to drive actual change and meaningful improvement.
“Since 2010/11 the NHS has lost 25,000 beds across the UK, as a result bed occupancy has risen, ambulance response times have risen, A&E waiting times have increased, cancelled elective care operations have increased. All evidenced by the fall in four-hour performance, the increase in 12 hour waits, the increase in delayed ambulance response times and rise in ambulance handover delays.
“In April 2022 in England, 24,000 patients were delayed by 12 hours or more (from decision to admit to admission), in April in Scotland, 4,000 patients faced a 12 hour wait (from time of arrival), in Wales, 11,000 patients faced a 12 hour wait (from time of arrival), and in March 2022 in Northern Ireland, 8,581 patients faced a 12 hour wait (from time of arrival).
“These numbers are grim; they should shock all health and political leaders. These numbers translate to real patient harm and a serious patient safety crisis. The health service is not functioning as it should and the UK government must take the steps to prevent further deterioration in performance and drive meaningful improvement, especially ahead of next winter.”
Scotland continues to “set the pace” when it comes to students from deprived areas getting into university, the Commissioner for Fair Access has said.
The Commissioner’s latest annual report said the Scottish Government’s approach has been an “unambiguous success” and that “all the fair access indicators are flashing green”, despite the impact of COVID-19. It marks Sir Peter Scott’s last report as Commissioner for Fair Access before stepping down.
A record 16.7% of students from Scotland’s most deprived 20% of communities were entrants on full-time first-year degree courses in 2020/21, an increase of 545 students compared with the previous year. This represents an increase of around 1,550 entrants (39%), during Sir Peter’s time as Commissioner.
Higher Education minister Jamie Hepburn said: “The Commissioner for Fair Access makes it clear that Scotland continues to set the pace in the UK in terms of fair access to higher education, with a record number of Scottish students from deprived areas enrolling in university for the first time.
“I would like to thank Sir Peter Scott for his contribution as Scotland’s first Fair Access Commissioner and pay tribute to the lasting legacy he will leave. We will consider the recommendations of the report carefully.
“While excellent progress has been made by our institutions, we cannot let up on the momentum in the face of the challenges that lie ahead.
“We believe every young person should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, no matter their circumstances.”
Scottish Community Development Centre and the Poverty Alliance would like to invite you to attend an online shared learning and celebratory event with community groups supported by the Knowledge is Power programme to design and carry out their own community-led action research – where the community decides on the issue to be researched, designs and carries out the research, and makes use of the results.
The session should be relevant to anyone interested in this approach, including community and voluntary organisations, funders, academics and public sector organisations.
The event will be held using Zoom on Thursday 16th June from 1.30-3.30pm.
Knowledge is Power is a programme from Scottish Community Development Centre and The Poverty Alliance to support community-led action research.
It has been jointly funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and the Scottish Government with additional contributions from the Corra Foundation and Inspiring Scotland.
The two-year programme has supported community organisations across Scotland to develop their own evidence to influence change in their communities – and to take forward actions for improvement.
As Knowledge is Power website has also been developed, featuring a toolkit for groups wanting to carry out their own research as well as examples of where groups have been supported to do this.
Participants at this informal event will hear from community groups who have carried out their own research over the past 2 years. There are some important messages to share, including the benefits community-led action research brings to individuals, groups and services as well as the challenges faced, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A NEW release of apartments has been launched at a modern riverside development in Musselburgh.
Dundas Estates has brought to market a range of high-spec one to three bedroom apartments at The Wireworks, the long-anticipated £35 million reimagining of the former Brunton Wireworks site on the tree-lined banks of the River Esk.
Offering a choice of sleek high-spec apartments and penthouses the project, designed by Michael Laird Architects, has seen early buyer interest from a broad range of backgrounds, including downsizers and first time buyers.
Private parking provision is available as well as lift-access to all floors. Most apartments offer balcony space or ground floor private garden areas, with open plan interiors providing the flexibility and space to work, relax and entertain from home.
The current availability ranges in price from £186,995 to £339,995 with apartments from 517sqf to 1,055sqf in size.
The developer acquired the land through a partnership with Tesco, East Lothian Council and NHS Lothian, after receiving planning permission to regenerate the former site and neighbouring land in 2008.
Craig Fairfoull, Head of Sales and Marketing at Dundas Estates, said: “Given how close we are to the town centre, we’re aware that this development is quite unlike anything ever built here before.
“Early interest is predominantly local, so it’s great to be able to meet a demand that has been unmet for a while. Ultimately, we want to build homes that make people feel great.”
To ensure it builds a welcoming integrated community, Dundas Estates has recently launched a Musselburgh community fund which will offer five businesses, charities and community initiatives in the local area funding.
This is part of their pledge to deliver lasting benefits to the local area, and is separate to its Section 75 contributions of £400,000 towards local schooling and infrastructure.
Of the available properties, plot 34 is a one-bedroom home featuring open plan living, with a Juliette balcony on the market for £186,995. Plot 26, a three bedroom apartment covers 1055sqf with a large open plan living area, en suite and family bathroom and balcony accessed from the living area.
The 140 home development will have the capacity to store 140 bicycles in internal and external bikes stores. Electric car charging facilities will be available throughout the development.
Dundas Estates has a mission to create homes that make people feel great. Headquartered in Livingston and proudly Scottish, it has a track record of building well-designed homes that are higher spec than a vast majority of competitor properties.
The developer is focused on building welcoming, integrated communities, and making the journey of buying a home more straightforward, inspiring and fun.
Victorious, punk, and glorious! The world’s most entertaining whisky club have launched a special bottling paired with whisky-flavoured ice cream ‘Bohemian Raspberry’ for the Platinum Jubilee, with alternative Punk Afternoon Tea experiences at Members Rooms throughout June
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) are saluting the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with the launch of a special bottling ‘One Fancies a Sherry’ available to members on Monday, 30th May.
The ever-playful whisky club will be hosting Punk Afternoon Tea experiences in their UK Members Rooms throughout June where the limited-edition whisky-flavoured ice cream ‘Bohemian Raspberry’ will be available for only £10.
‘One fancies a Sherry’ Cask No 108.58 is bottled specifically for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend. ‘One fancies a Sherry’ falls under the Society flavour profile Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits, available to members at £72.90 at: smws.com.
SMWS are hosting Platinum Punk Pairings at UK Members Rooms through June, including events at Edinburgh’s Kaleidoscope Bar which won Global Whisky Bar of the Year 2022 at the recent Whisky Magazine awards.
Commenting on the celebration Helen Stewart, Head of Membership said: “The Society is all about having fun, and this felt like the perfect opportunity to show the world our playful side.
“The release emphasises what we stand for at the Society – unconventional, playful experiences for people who really love whisky. We wish The Queen the very best on her Platinum Jubilee and hope she can relax with a wee dram over the weekend.”
Begin a discovery of flavour with the Society now at smws.com.
*FULLL TASTING NOTES
Cask No 108.58 ‘One Fancies a Sherry’
Age: 13 Years
ABV: 55.0%
Distilled Date: 4 August 2008
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Speyside
Tasting notes:
On the nose we discovered “two sides of a coin”. One being dark chocolate cherry liqueurs while, flipping it over, there was a funky scent of roasted beetroot and goat cheese tart.
Massive on the palate, a creamy spicy jalapeno jam next to toasted, flaked almonds and a coffee bitterness in the finish. Diluted, an apple and cinnamon turnover, prune juice and on the other side, mushroom pie and tar.
While to taste, hoisin sauce, ginger cake and glace cherries.
After 11 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a first fill barrique from a privately owned small bodegas, now in its 9th generation, that focuses exclusively on the Pedro Ximenez grape.
To mark Volunteers Week this week [June 1-7], Richard Asher from Leith has spoken about being a volunteer for sight loss charity RNIB Scotland.
Richard (29) is part of the Edinburgh-based charity’s Technology for Life team, advising blind and partially sighted people on the accessibility features now built-in to new technology that can help maximise their independence.
Such features include software that reads text as speech, enlarges the size of fonts, and adjusts background colour contrast.
“In my volunteering role, I help customers with technical devices like iPads or mobiles,” explains Richard, who studied IT at Edinburgh College. “They bring these into RNIB Scotland and can either have issues with them and need something looked into, such as their settings, or I can teach them how to first use their devices.
“I volunteer because I want to make a difference in people’s lives. It is vital to make that difference, just seeing someone happy at the end of it and seeing that they are confidently using their devices. A person can get the most out of their time with me in learning. Or, if they come up with a problem, that problem is sorted for them.
“Some people have been born without sight, and they might have an older device or might not have had a device before. I train them with the accessibility features and how they can use the phone.
“Other people may have lost their sight in later life, having known how to use a phone. And now they’re saying, ‘Oh my goodness, what will I do? I depend on this phone; I use this every day.’ So, we focus on training them to use their phone differently.
“I’m a firm believer that anyone can use a phone. It’s just about finding the right way. There is sight loss in my own family, so this volunteer role is important to me, and that’s what we focus on here – making them independent in using these devices.
“The important thing for me is someone’s walking out, feeling they have gained from it, and they’re happy.”
Players of the People’s Postcode Lottery support the running of the RNIB Connect groups, which provide a supportive online space where people with sight loss can use technology to connect and share experiences.
The Lothian Health & Care System is refreshing its strategic direction, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Lothian Strategic Development Framework (LSDF) describes what we are trying to achieve, our current situation, the challenges we face and the direction of travel we propose to take.
The summary document is the core of the LSDF and gives an overview of our Framework. You can access it here.
An easy read version of this summary can be found by clicking the picture
We are keen to ensure the LSDF has captured all of the elements required to provide a credible strategy, and would like to hear your views. You can share your thoughts on the LSDF by emailing us at loth.lsdf@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
In particular, we would like to hear your responses to the following questions:
·Do you feel the LSDF addresses the issues that are most important? If not, why not?
· Have we missed anything really significant in the LSDF? If so, what?
· What, if any, or the proposals set out in the LSDF worry or concern you?
· What would you suggest that the Lothian Health & Care System could do to alleviate your concerns?
· Is there anything else you would like to tell us before we finalise our strategy?
You can also join us at one of the public sessions we are holding over the next few weeks. Your inputs from these sessions will help shape the new Framework.
To see dates and to register for one of these sessions, go straight to Meeting Dates.
A suite of supporting documents provides more detail on the concepts and initiatives explored in the summary document. All of these documents can be accessed below in the full version of the Framework:
Low Emission Zones (LEZs) to protect public health and improve air quality have now been formally introduced across Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen.
Plans have been agreed at the local authority level and have now also been approved by Scottish Ministers, as required in legislation through the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.
With the shape and scope of LEZs now agreed across the four cities through this introduction, local grace periods until enforcement commences have now begun.
In Glasgow, the LEZ already applies to buses. For other vehicle types, enforcement commences on 1 June 2023 (1 June 2024 for residents within the zone)
Edinburgh will commence enforcement TODAY 1 June 2024
Dundee will commence enforcement on 30 May 2024
Aberdeen will commence enforcement on 1 June 2024
LEZs set an emissions limit for certain road spaces, restricting access for the most polluting vehicles to improve air quality. This helps protect public health within our towns and cities, making them more attractive places in which to live, work and to visit. LEZs also encourage people to think about leaving the car at home and to consider public transport or active travel – supporting climate action by helping to meet Scotland’s world leading commitment to reduce car kilometres travelled by 20% by 2030.
Vehicles that do not meet the emission standards set for a Low Emission Zone will not be able to drive within the zone. A penalty charge will be payable by the registered keeper of a vehicle when a non-compliant vehicle enters the LEZ.
The minimum emission standards for vehicles permitted within the four LEZs are:
Euro 4 for petrol cars and vans (generally vehicles registered from January 2006)
Euro 6 for diesel cars and vans (generally vehicles registered from September 2015)
A number of vehicles are exempt from LEZ requirements, including any vehicle driven by a blue badge holder. Funding remains available to help people and businesses that need it most to comply with Low Emission Zones. Full information is available at www.lowemissionzones.scot
The introduction of Scotland’s LEZs marks the completion of the Scottish Government’s landmark Programme for Government commitment.
Welcoming the introduction, Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth said: “The introduction of Low Emission Zones is a truly significant public health moment for Scotland. Our air quality is generally good – but for too long air pollution has exceeded legal limits for health in our city centres as a consequence of unrestricted vehicle emissions.
“We have a moral responsibility to act. Air pollution often disproportionally impacts those with the least in our society. It causes the most damage to the youngest, the oldest and those with pre-existing medical conditions.
“LEZs are the biggest change we’ve ever seen in how vehicles will access our cities – and they need to be, in order to best protect public health and improve air quality.
“With a year to go until the earliest point of enforcement in Glasgow and two years to go until enforcement in Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen, I encourage everyone to visit www.lowemissionzones.scot to find out more about the schemes, including the Scottish Government funding on offer.”
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, the City of Edinburgh Council said:“By introducing an LEZ, Edinburgh is joining cities right across the UK in working towards a healthier environment and a better quality of life for everyone. We all have the right to breathe clean air and it’s our responsibility to tackle air pollution to protect the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable members of society.
“The LEZ will restrict the most polluting vehicles from entering the boundary, reducing harmful traffic-related nitrogen oxide emissions by a predicted 55% in the zone.
“The LEZ is one of a number of tools to reduce harmful emissions and is being delivered alongside a range of projects to support sustainable travel, including Edinburgh City Centre Transformation, Trams to Newhaven and City Centre West to East Link. Together, these will help achieve our vision of a clean, green and net zero European Capital.”
Joseph Carter, Head of Devolved Nations at Asthma+Lung UK said:“Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to public health. It is causing new lung conditions like lung cancer and worsening existing ones. With 1 in 5 Scots developing a lung conditions like asthma and COPD in their lifetime, for them, it can trigger life-threatening asthma attacks and exacerbations.
“Children’s lungs are also more susceptible to air pollution as they are still growing, and they also breathe faster than adults. As they grow, toxic air can stunt the growth of their lungs, making them less resilient into adulthood and placing them at greater risk of lung disease in the future.
“More than 70,000 children have asthma in Scotland and for them, peaks in toxic air can put them at risk of a potentially life-threatening attack.
“The gradual roll out of Low Emission Zones is going to be a huge step forward to start tackling this major health problem. Starting in Glasgow in 2018 and then extended to our core cities with the Transport Act 2019, LEZs are one of the most effective way of reducing pollution.”
John Bynorth, who leads Scotland’s Clean Air Day for Environmental Protection Scotland said:“We welcome the milestone introduction of LEZs to Scotland’s four main cities as it will lead to vast improvements in air quality in the city centres where the zones operate.
“Outwith the LEZs, we would also expect to see potential benefits to the surrounding areas as people consider their travel options and consider cycling or walking instead of taking the car.
“This will lead to improvements in the health of people who live, work and go to school in these cities and make them cleaner and more sustainable as they strive to achieve net-zero climate change targets in the coming years.”
Neil Leckie, Senior Programme Manager at the Energy Saving Trust said:“The expansion of Low Emission Zones in Scotland’s major cities will play a key role in improving air quality and in the transition to a net zero carbon society.
“The zones will encourage the use of low carbon transport and active travel, and available funding to prepare for the changes will support the individuals and businesses who need it most – including additional support for taxi drivers.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with Transport Scotland to shape the future of low carbon cities and sustainable travel in Scotland as part of our commitment to address climate change.”
Using the powers under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 (and accompanying regulations), local authorities will introduce, operate and enforce their LEZ schemes using Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras. All four cities propose schemes operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Penalty charges are also consistent across the four cities. For non-compliant vehicles found to have been driven within the zone the initial penalty is set at £60, with a subsequent doubling for each contravention, capped at £480 for cars and light good vehicles, and £960 for bus and HGV. The penalty charge is reduced by 50% if paid within 14 days. Where there are no further contraventions detected within the 90 days following a previous contravention, the penalty is reset to £60.
There are a limited number of specific vehicles that are exempt from LEZ regulations as follows:
· Police · Ambulance · Scottish Fire and Rescue · Her Majesty’s Coastguard · Military vehicles · Vehicles for disabled persons (including blue badge holders) · Historic vehicles · Showman’s vehicles
Motorbikes and mopeds are also not within the scope of Scotland’s LEZs.
The Scottish Government is committed to helping those who will have most difficulty preparing for the introduction of LEZs across the four cities.
Our LEZ support fund offers three main packages of funding for households, micro-businesses, and a separate retrofit fund including support for taxi drivers.
Having been fully subscribed in 2021/22, funding is again available in 2022. Information is available on the Energy Saving Trust website.
For bus operators, a fourth round of BEAR funding has awarded £6.2 million to 20 operators to retrofit a further 379 buses and coaches in 2022. Between 2018-2021 the BEAR Phases 1, 2 and 3 awarded funding grants of £12.4 million to Scottish bus and coach operators to upgrade 762 vehicles to the latest Euro VI emission standard to help reduce pollution levels. This is in addition to funding for new zero emission buses.
