Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Gardening for Good Health
Gardens and greenspaces have been hugely important to many people during the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many people finding their refuge through gardening.
Here we explore some of the health and mental wellbeing benefits of gardening:
Stress relief
Gardening is a fantastic stress reliever and can cultivate feelings of empowerment, connection, and calm. Being in touch with nature and the great outdoors can help you feel more removed from the daily stressors of life.
Work out
Gardening is exercise and working in a garden can use every major muscle group in the body. While activities such as raking and cutting the grass may be light exercise, shovelling and digging can be counted as vigorous exercise.
Grow your own
There is nothing quite like eating your own fresh home grown produce! Not only are many fruits and vegetables very easy to grow, but they are also more nutrient-dense, free of pesticides and tasty. By growing your own, you are also helping to preserve the environment.
Get the kids involved
It can sometimes be a challenge to get children to eat healthy foods and enjoy them. Growing vegetables not only teaches children valuable lessons about the work that it takes to grow them, but it can also help them to gain a keen interest in eating them too.
Work with what you have
Whether your patch is large or small, a raised bed, a community garden or window box – make the most of it by researching the best plants for your space and sunlight exposure. You can grow a range of things with very little space and maintenance, whilst still reaping the benefits.
To celebrate 5 years of Invisible Cities, the team areinvitingall supporters, friends, partners and customers to take part in a virtualmile-coveringchallenge, whilstraising vital funds for their social enterprise
Invisible Cities, the social enterprise operating in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and York, trains people who have previously experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city.
The social enterprise is now inviting supporters, friends, customers and partners to take part in a virtual mile-covering challenge, to celebrate Invisible Cities turning 5.
From April – July there are 4 legs (one per month) that collectively make-up 500 miles as participants virtually move between Invisible Cities locations. Participants are invited to sign up for one leg, or all 4 and the challenge is to complete the number of miles required for that leg, within the month.
Each leg varies in distance, so there’s something for everyone, from absolute beginners to fitness enthusiasts alike. The challenge can also be enjoyed as individual or in teams of up to 6, to reach the target miles. People can also choose between walking, running, cycling and swimming when it comes to how they decide to cover the mile target.
The purpose of Invisible Cities’ virtual fundraiser is to connect individuals with other like-minded people all over the UK to raise money for those affected by homelessness.
Zakia Moulaoui Guery, Founder & CEO of Invisible Cities said: “After a full year of being stuck indoors, getting outside to exercise is more important for our mental health than ever before.
“As COVID-19 has had a huge impact on homelessness, we thought we’d combine the benefits of outdoor activity with the effort to help support those experiencing homelessness through the pandemic. We really don’t think we could have found a better way to celebrate our 5th birthday!”
To be part of the latest Invisible Cities initiative participants simply need to fill the form which can be found on the social enterprise’s official website, pay the £10 entry (100% of which will support their work to help combat homelessness) and all details for the challenge will then be emailed directly to them.
As part of the initiative, Invisible Cities will also set up a personal Go Fund Me account for all ‘challengers’ to share and collect sponsorship and much-needed encouragement from friends and family, and the team will share fun updates about history and homelessness organisations depending on the point reached on the virtual journey.
They will also receive access to the official Invisible Cities Strava group to track miles and become part of their community as well as receiving virtual updates showing where they are on their journey.
For more information and to register for the virtual miles-covering challenge visit:
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
IMPROVING SLEEP QUALITY
March is National Bed Month and therefore there has never been a more relevant time to start thinking about our sleep.
Many people across the UK can find it difficult to get the quality and quantity of sleep that they need. Lack of good quality sleep can affect how our body works, such as by changing the levels of hunger and stress hormones in our body during the day, which can increase our blood pressure and affect our heart and circulatory system.
For adults it is recommended to try and get around 8 hours of sleep per night, but sometimes it can be the quality of our sleep which keeps us from topping up our energy levels.
With this in mind, here are some tips for getting the shut-eye we need:
Exercise
Exercising can strengthen our heart and arteries but can also improve the quality of our sleep. Whilst any kind of exercise can be of benefit, ensure that any exercise conducted 1-2 hours before going to bed is at a low to moderate intensity to prevent an increase in stress hormone release before going to bed. This may include a short walk or activities such as yoga.
Be Consistent
Having a consistent bedtime routine can help us to wind down during the evening. Simple steps such as taking a hot bath or changing into pajamas can help to prepare both our body and our mind for sleep.
Regulate Light Exposure
Light exposure helps us to regulate our body clock. When it gets dark, our body secretes a hormone called ‘melatonin’ which helps us to sleep. By getting exposure to natural light in the day and limiting our exposure to screens and bright lights late at night, we can help to improve our overall sleep quality.
Avoid Late-Night Coffees
It is recommended to avoid caffeine past 2pm. This is because caffeine, a stimulant found mainly in coffee and tea, has a half-life of around five hours. This means that if you drink a cup of coffee at 5pm, half of it will still be left in your bloodstream at 10pm and this can affect your sleep quality.
Avoid Alcohol
Although some people may find it easier to get to sleep after having a glass of wine, alcohol is known to stop us from being able to enter the deepest stage of sleep and therefore can leave us feeling tired the next day. Excess alcohol consumption can also lead to weight gain which can place strain on our heart.
A pioneering, inter-agency partnership, led by NHS Lothian, NHS Fife, NHS Borders and the six local authorities in the region, is working together to reduce type 2 diabetes across the East of Scotland.
Type 2 diabetes has been on the rise across the country for the past decade, having a significant impact on the lives of individuals and health of Scotland’s population as a whole.
Over 62,000 people are living with type 2 diabetes in the East of Scotland – around 5% of the total population – and there are over 3,700 new cases in the region each year.
Recognising that diet and excess weight is driven by a range of environmental, societal and individual factors, regional health and social care providers have joined forces with stakeholders from the public, third and private sectors to advance sustainable change.
Growing evidence of the link between obesity and an increased risk of complications from COVID-19 has reinforced the importance of this shared vision, compounded by the measures recently revealed as part of the UK government’s new obesity strategy.
With national investment of £1.46 million in the East of Scotland programme this year, regional director Nicky Waters said: “Our programme is a priority initiative – reflecting the need for urgent action to reduce the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Scotland and support people to lead healthy lifestyles.
“By adopting a Whole Systems Approach and bringing a wide range of partners together, our programme is centred on tackling structural, systemic root causes – such as poverty, inequality and childhood trauma – and the part that we all need to play in addressing them.”
Four core intervention programmes – Get Moving with Counterweight, Type 2 Diabetes Remission through Counterweight Plus, Gestational Diabetes education and Let’s Prevent Diabetes – are being rolled out across the region, with partners taking advantage of technology to support people throughout the pandemic.
Over 1900 adults have been referred to Get Moving with Counterweight and the remission programme since October 2019, with 60 patients currently taking part in Counterweight Plus.
Counterweight Plus, a free two-year programme being delivered by specialist NHS dietitians, is based on ground-breaking evidence from the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT).
A combination of intensive, long-term support and Total Diet Replacement (TDR) of nutritional shakes and soups, is key to the intervention’s success.
Jenny*, a patient going through Counterweight Plus in Lothian, has overcome various hurdles to continue on the programme at home throughout the pandemic – receiving virtual support whilst juggling family and working life under lockdown.
Despite the challenges, Jenny’s blood glucose results, weight loss and largely positive experience to date, all indicate that she’s heading in the right direction. She said: “The programme hasn’t been easy but the consistent emotional support and awareness of the long-term health benefits has really spurred me on. I’ve lost twenty kilos since I was first diagnosed and feel great because of it.”
Jonathan Hayes, the dietitian supporting Jenny, reflected: “It’s brilliant to see that, despite this unprecedented situation, there are people out there like Jenny who have turned things around for the positive. And who stand a very good chance of coming out of the pandemic, having put their type 2 diabetes into remission. That is an incredible outcome.”
Regional health and social care providers are further committed to improving the working environment for their 84,000 employees and local areas are rolling out community based pilot projects to test a Whole Systems Approach (WSA) to diet and healthy weight.
Laurie Eyles, one of the newly appointed professional advisers for diet and healthy weight at the Scottish Government, who prior to this had been supporting partners as the programme’s clinical lead, said: “From delivering targeted interventions, to addressing the widespread issue of weight stigma and tackling the health inequalities which exist across the region – partners are committed to making lasting improvements to the environment in which we live.
“It is this that will allow us to build an East of Scotland where we eat well, have a healthy weight and are physically active – reducing our risk of developing type 2 diabetes for the long-term.”
For weight management and type 2 diabetes support during this time, please visit:
UK’s leading health and fitness group invites locals to shape the new state of the art club
The public will have the chance to view and shape the details of an exciting new health and fitness club at Shawfair Park, Midlothian.
Undertaken by the UK’s leading health, fitness and racquets group David Lloyd Leisure, the plans for the site between Edinburgh and Dalkeith propose to bring a comprehensive range of premium family-focused health and leisure facilities to the area.
A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) was submitted with Midlothian Council in September, highlighting the intent of the developer to lodge a planning application this year.
The proposed facilities at Shawfair include a health and fitness club with three badminton-court sports hall, a large state of the art gym with several group-exercise studios for various uses such as group cycling, HIIT training and mind and body exercise. Both a permanent and a seasonal tennis court are also envisioned in the proposals, as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools, terrace and luxury indoor spa with spa garden.
The plans also include a Clubroom with a wide appeal for families, couples and individual users. The proposed scheme also features an adults only business hub for flexible working, and a soft play and activity space for children. The plans include nearly 250 dedicated car parking spaces with EV charging points as well as covered cycle spaces and various landscaping features.
David Lloyd Leisure is now organising a digital community consultation to provide residents with further information on the emerging proposals.
Through this consultation process, the team is seeking input and ideas on the proposed scheme from the public, which will assist in informing the planning application.
With the temporary suspension of public events for major planning applications by the Scottish Government due to COVID-19, the consultation has moved online with a dedicated website highlighting the development proposals.
The website can be accessed at https://davidlloydclubs-shawfair.scot/ which will go live at 9am on Thursday 29th October, and a digital consultation event will take place that same day from 4pm to 8pm.
Consultants will be available to answer any questions through a live and dedicated two-way chat system during these times. Visitors can type questions to members of the team and converse about the project in real-time. Feedback can also be submitted via the website.
Any representations or suggestions for changes to the proposals shared during the online event will be included in a Pre-Application Consultation report to accompany future applications.
The deadline for submitting feedback will be Thursday November 19th.
Commenting on the proposed consultation event, Brendan Mitchell, Group Acquisitions Manager, David Lloyd Clubs said:“We are delighted to be providing the local community with the opportunity to shape our proposals for this exciting new health, leisure and fitness club in Midlothian.
“Clearly these are difficult times, and we’re pleased to offer an exciting vision to help people maintain physical and mental fitness. More than ever this seems a pressing need in communities across the country.
“During our consultation event, all residents will have the opportunity to enquire further about the proposals and give their feedback, which will be thoroughly considered ahead of submitting the planning application.
“We would urge all those that can to participate in this consultation process and have their views heard.”
Sandy Smith, Development Director at Buccleuch Property, owners of Shawfair Park commented:“As a long-term investor in Shawfair and Midlothian we are very pleased to be working with David Lloyd Leisure in bringing these proposals forward.
“David Lloyd Leisure’s family-focused offering will be a fantastic addition to Shawfair Park and a valuable amenity to local residents and businesses who will be able to play tennis, swim and lead a healthy life-style with-in easy reach of their front doors.
“We look forward to engaging with the community to help shape the next phase of Shawfair Park”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
National Cholesterol Month: The benefits of eating oats
October is National Cholesterol Month. Cholesterol is a fatty substance which is needed in the cells of your body. Too much cholesterol in your blood can lead to a build-up in your arteries, which increases your risk of having a heart attack.
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet that is low in saturated fat and high in fibre is a good way to keep your cholesterol healthy. Oats contain a type of soluble fibre known as beta-glucan, which can help to lower your cholesterol. In this healthy heart tip, we provide some ideas for increasing your consumption of oats.
Start your day with a warm bowl of porridge
As the weather gets cooler, you could start your day with a comforting bowl of warm porridge. Rather than adding sugar, honey, jam or syrup to your porridge, you could try adding fruit, such as berries, chopped apple or sliced banana and a sprinkling of chopped nuts, seeds or cinnamon.
Save time in the mornings by preparing an oaty breakfast the night before
If warm porridge is not your thing, you could try starting your day with Bircher. Bircher is made by soaking oatmeal overnight in yogurt and adding fruit, nuts and/or seeds. Why not try out some of these Bircher recipes from BBC Good Food: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/bircher-recipes
Add oatmeal or oatbran to soups and casseroles
You can get more oats in your diet by adding oatmeal or oatbran to soups and casseroles. This will increase the amount of fibre as well as helping to thicken your soups and casseroles.
Swap wheat crackers for oatcakes
If you tend to choose wheat crackers with your cheese, why not switch to oatcakes instead. You could also reduce your saturated fat intake by having a low fat cheese spread on your oatcakes, rather than a hard cheese, such as cheddar. Hard cheeses tend to be high in saturated fat, which can raise your cholesterol.
Designed for people managing long term health conditions but also useful for those have gotten out of the way of being active, find activity challenging or have trouble getting started, this resource from the ‘We Are Undefeatable’ campaign is excellent.
The attached ‘Five in Five’ booklet presents a simple template: choose 5 exercises from the activity library and do each one for 1 minute, adding up to a 5 minute mini-workout.
Have a look and please share it with anyone you think might be interested.
Supporting people to move towards and maintain a healthier weight may reduce the serious effects of COVID-19 on the population, a new Public Health England report finds.
The report summarises findings from evidence published during the pandemic on the effects of excess weight and obesity on COVID-19. UK and international evidence suggests that being severely overweight puts people at greater risk of hospitalisation, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and death from COVID-19, with risk growing substantially as body mass index (BMI) increases.
The current evidence does not suggest that having excess weight increases people’s chances of contracting COVID-19. However, the data does show that obese people are significantly more likely to become seriously ill and be admitted to intensive care with COVID-19 compared to those with a healthy BMI.
One study found that for people with a BMI of 35 to 40, risk of death from COVID-19 increases by 40% and with a BMI over 40 by 90%, compared to those not living with obesity. Other data found that in intensive care units, 7.9% of critically ill patients with COVID-19 had a BMI over 40 compared with 2.9% of the general population.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of adults in England are overweight or obese, with people aged 55 to 74, those living in deprived areas and certain black, Asian and minority ethnic groups more severely affected.
Excess fat can affect the respiratory system and is likely to affect inflammatory and immune function. This can impact people’s response to infection and increase vulnerability to severe symptoms of COVID-19. Obese people may be less likely to access healthcare and support, and it is also thought that COVID-19 affects other diseases associated with obesity.
The report highlights that supporting people to achieve and maintain a healthy weight may reduce the severe effects of COVID-19 on the population, especially among vulnerable groups that are most affected by obesity.
Dr Alison Tedstone, Chief Nutritionist at Public Health England, said: “The current evidence is clear that being overweight or obese puts you at greater risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19, as well as from many other life-threatening diseases.
“It can be hard to lose weight and even harder to sustain it, which is why people cannot easily do it on their own. Losing weight can bring huge benefits for health – and may also help protect against the health risks of COVID-19. The case for action on obesity has never been stronger.”
The report notes some limitations on evidence to date and highlights the need for more evidence, including research to establish the effect that weight management might have for groups at greater risk of the severe effects of COVID-19.
The report also summarises evidence regarding the nation’s eating and exercise habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. While some data suggests that more people have exercised during lockdown, evidence indicates that the nation’s exercise levels have not increased overall since before the pandemic. Meanwhile, snack food and alcohol sales in high street shops have increased.
The UK Government is expected to announce details of a new campaign to tackle obesity tomorrow.
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written and read by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Heart healthy diet
Over seven million people in the UK are living with heart or circulatory disease. By eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of physical activity, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, you can reduce your risk of heart disease.
A healthy diet can improve your blood pressure and cholesterol as well as helping you to manage your weight. Heart Research UK have some tips to help you reduce your risk of heart disease by improving your diet.
Increase your fibre intake
A diet that is high in fibre can reduce your risk of heart disease. Good sources of fibre include fruit and vegetables, beans and pulses and wholegrain foods, such as granary bread, brown rice and wholemeal pasta. Try choosing a wholegrain breakfast cereal, such as muesli, porridge or bran flakes and add some chopped fruit or berries.
Choose healthier fats and oils
Fats and oils are high in calories and it is important not to consume too much. Different types of fat are present in foods. Saturated and trans fats can increase your cholesterol and your risk of heart disease. It is recommended that saturated and trans fats are swapped for small amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Saturated fats
Eating too much can increase your cholesterol and your risk of heart disease.
Examples include
Fatty meats
Hard cheeses
Butter
Cream
Coconut oil
Polyunsaturated fats
Small amounts are recommended for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels and providing essential fatty acids.
Examples:
Oily fish (e.g. salmon)
Walnuts
Seeds (e.g. flaxseeds and sesame seeds)
Trans fats
Eating too much can increase your cholesterol and your risk of heart disease.
Examples:
Hard margarines
Fried food
Biscuits and cakes
Monounsaturated fats
Small amounts are recommended for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.
Examples:
Rapeseed oil
Olives and olive oil
Nuts
Avocados
If you eat meat, you could swap fatty meats for fish and lean meats, such as chicken (without skin), as well as cutting away visible fat from fatty meats, such as bacon.
Coconut oil is often promoted as a health food, however, it is high in saturated fat and can increase your cholesterol. If you currently cook with coconut oil, you could try switching to rapeseed oil.
Reduce your salt consumption
Too much salt in your diet can increase your blood pressure and your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Try swapping snacks that are high in salt, such as crisps and salted nuts, for healthier snacks, such as fruit, carrot sticks and hummus, popcorn and unsalted nuts and seeds.
Read the food labels to identify snacks that are lower in salt. Try to cut back on the amount of salt used in cooking gradually over time and increase the amount of herbs and spices to add more flavour.
Heart Research UK – Healthy Tip – Activity at home for older adults
Written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Physical activity for older adults (aged 65+) while staying at home
At a time when the population is being asked to stay at home, finding ways to keep active can be challenging. Regular physical activity is strongly associated with a reduction in chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as improving mental health.
For adults aged 65 years and over, it is particularly important to do strengthening activities to maintain physical function and slow down the decline in muscle mass while keeping bones strong. Even small increases in physical activity can positively impact on health. Heart Research UK have some tips to help you meet the recommended amount of physical activity at home.
How much physical activity is recommended?
The Government recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week for adults. This can be broken down into chunks of ten minutes or more. It is recommended that older adults also engage in activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on two days each week. If you are not used to doing this amount of physical activity, you can start small and build up to the recommended amount over time.
Moderate Intensity Activities
(150 minutes weekly)
Your heart will beat faster, you will breathe harder, you will get warmer and you can maintain a conversation
E.g. Brisk Walking, dancing, gardening or cycling
Vigorous Intensity Activities
(75 minutes weekly)
Your heart will beat rapidly, you will breathe much harder, you will get warmer and it will be difficult to have a conversation
E.g. Running, riding a bike fast or on hills, hiking uphill or energetic dancing
Activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility
(to be done on 2 days each week)
E.g. Lifting light weights, push-ups, sit-ups, step-ups, heavy gardening and stretching.
Find hobbies that get you moving
If you tend to engage in hobbies that don’t require you to move very much, look for new hobbies that will get you moving, such as gardening, walking, weight-lifting or dancing.
Avoid long periods of inactivity
Set a timer to go off at specific times throughout the day to prompt you to do ten (or more) minutes of physical activity. Any activity is better than none. You can include a variety of light, moderate and vigorous activities. E.g. a brisk walk, sit-ups, weight-lifting, gardening or housework. You can use tins of baked beans, or similar objects, for weight-lifting.
Don’t be a couch potato
Rather than spending your evenings sitting on the sofa without moving much, why not try a few gentle exercises, such as leg raises, while watching your favourite TV show.
Examples of some exercises you can do from your sofa can be found on the NHS website, and you can find lots more healthy tips, advice and recipes at heartresearch.org.uk
