Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Spotlight on Stress
April is National Stress Awareness Month, which aims to highlight the negative health impact stress can have on us.
Proactively managing our stress levels by scheduling in self-care practices is an important part of staying healthy. Specifically relating to heart health, those with higher levels of stress tend to make less healthy lifestyle choices such as not exercising and not eating a balanced diet.
If we are chronically stressed we may also use less healthy coping mechanisms such as drinking more alcohol or eating too much sugar.
Stress is an inevitable part of life, but we can take positive steps to limit its impact on our health.
Take time to recharge
Scheduling in time to recharge throughout your day is a great way to mitigate stress. This could be something as simple as getting outdoors and going for a walk or stepping away from work and listening to some calming music for 10 minutes.
More and more people are turning to meditation to recharge and reduce stress, there are some great free apps available.
Prioritise food and sleep
If we are well-rested and well-nourished, we are more able to handle stressful events. Prioritising your daily seven to nine hours of sleep will ensure you are full of energy and ready to tackle the day, whatever it may bring.
Put steps in place to ensure you keep up with healthy eating even when you are feeling stressed. Prepping your food in advance can help as it makes you less likely to reach for a less healthy option when you may be feeling stressed at the end of the day.
Limit your exposure to the news
While staying on top of worldwide affairs is important for some people, consuming it too often or too much can have a negative impact on our stress levels.
Even if you don’t realise it, these repeated small exposures to negative information (which the news can be) throughout the day will be impacting your stress levels.
Remove the news apps from your phone or turn off the notifications and set aside a specific time every day to get up to date with world events.
Residents and staff at Strachan House care home in Edinburgh enjoyed celebrating the Grand National last week when the released their own Strachan House sprinters, which joined in a fitness session on Friday 14th April.
Sadly despite our residents putting them through their paces our horses never made it to the big one on Saturday!
Residents and staff got together to watch the races, and celebrated in style by having an afternoon of fitness and music which entailed not only two race horses joining us but a good old friend Mr T Rex. Mr T Rex is also a firm favourite with the residents and has made a few guest appearances in the past. As always it was hilarity from start to finish.
Mandy Head of Activities said “we are always finding different fun ways to keep our residents active and engaged and this was certainly a fun way to end the week. Everyone wanted a sneaky dance with Mr Rex not to mention the fun exercise session that our horses demonstrated.
!Sometimes you just have to have some out right fun and laughter and this afternoon certainly had everyone jumping for joy!”
Gordon Philp, General Manager at the home, said: “We’ve had a fantastic time celebrating Aintree’s Ladies Day, it is such a great session and we all had fun cheering on the horses and jockeys as they joined in the getting fit with the residents – although that Mr Rex was eyeing up one of horses as a tasty snack!”
Moira Ingram, a resident at the home, commented: “I love the staff when they dress up, it is such a fantastic spectacle and I’m sure the laughter could been heard in the streets.
“I haven’t got a clue about horse racing, but it certainly was comical to watch!”
The varied life enrichment programme at Strachan House keeps residents active and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.
Strachan House is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high-quality care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides nursing care, residential care, respite care.
Breast cancer charity Walk the Walk has granted £50,000 to help reduce the waiting list for Scottish cancer patients, and their families, who are in desperate need of emotional and wellbeing support.
The funds will allow Cancer Support Scotland, based in the grounds of Glasgow’s Gartnavel Hospital, to provide 174 people with wellbeing support at the time when they need it most. The charity has seen a dramatic increase in referrals recently and is being contacted by up to a dozen new patients from across Scotland every single day.
The current waiting list for appointments is up to 12 weeks. Walk the Walk’s grant will allow people to get vital assistance much sooner, either online or at Cancer Support Scotland’s centre.
· Counselling – providing patients with the tools to deal with their diagnosis
· Complimentary therapy – in person sessions, designed with relaxation in mind
· Befriending – informal wellbeing calls to help reduce isolation, fear and anxiety
Entries are now open for The MoonWalk Scotland 2023, organised by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk.
On Saturday 9th September, thousands of women and men wearing decorated bras will set off from Holyrood Park in Edinburgh to walk an overnight half or full marathon through the streets of the capital.
Michael MacLennan, Interim CEO of Cancer Support Scotland, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a £50,000 grant from Walk the Walk.
“We understand these are challenging times for everyone and these incredible funds will allow us to continue supporting those that need us, when they need us most.
“Each year we continue to see a rapid rise in demand for our services, and thanks to the generosity of Walk the Walk we’ll be able to provide 174 people with 6 vital wellbeing appointments.”
Susan(52) from Glasgowreceived counselling from Cancer Support Scotland, following her cancer diagnosis. She said: “My mood was very low and I was often feeling anxious. I was also spending a lot of time in my flat, not going out much and felt as if sometimes people didn’t understand why I wasn’t feeling great, as my treatment had ended.
“I didn’t understand that myself if I’m honest. I still struggle at times but I’ve received so much non-judgemental support, motivation, encouragement, and laughter (which is so important) through these sessions.”
Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of breast cancer charity Walk the Walksaid: “I was deeply upset to hear about the unacceptable length of time people are having to wait for wellbeing support, following their cancer diagnosis.
“Whilst 12 weeks might not seem very long in some people’s worlds, if you’ve just found out you have cancer, it’s a lifetime!
“In 2023, Walk the Walk is releasing £1 million to help fund innovative support like that provided by Cancer Support Scotland. It’s a tough time for cancer patients across Scotland, so I’m delighted that Walk the Walk has been able help so many people.”
Young adults (aged 18-24) are struggling with their mental health with 95 per cent feeling anxious in the last 12 months, and a fifth (21 per cent) experiencing these feelings all the time
● Generation dislocation – 70 per cent of young adults feel lonely even when around peers, friends, classmates, work colleagues
● 65% of young adults say musicians who have been open about their own emotional struggles are helping to destigmatise mental health – Billie Eilish, Lewis Capaldi and Selena Gomez are the most inspirational
A NEW survey shows a staggering 95 per cent of young people are struggling with their mental health.
The UK faces a mental health catastrophe as only 10 per cent of young adults love themselves completely, reveals blistering new research from Direct Line Insurance and mental health charity Mind.
Young adults are struggling with their mental health with 95 per cent feeling anxious in the last 12 months and over a fifth (21 per cent) experiencing these feelings all the time.
Almost half of young adults (46 per cent) have felt low often or all the time over this time period. Despite support services being readily available, more than one in twenty young people said that they feel uncomfortable discussing their mental health with anyone, 10 per cent of 18-year-olds not willing to speak about the topic at all.
Young people are experiencing a sense of dislocation, with almost three quarters (70 per cent) of young adults feeling lonely even when around peers, friends, classmates, work colleagues. They also have less energy than they did previously, 83 per cent saying this is true in the last 12 months.
When they do need a mental lift, 59 per cent of young adults turn to music to improve their mood and for a quarter (25 per cent) of this generation it makes them feel less lonely. Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of young adults say musicians are a force for good in opening discussions about mental health, with Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi seen as inspirations. Music can be a vital outlet, as half (50 per cent) of young people experiencing poor mental health find it difficult discussing this with others.
The survey was carried out by Opinium across 2,000 18-24 year olds.
To highlight the link between music and a positive uplift in mood, Direct Line and Mind have worked with mental health advocate and London-based rapper Marc Jones, who has over five million music streams, to produce a new track, Day by Day, which encourages young people to be open about their mental health. It is free to download across all major streaming platforms for the month of April.
The track, developed by Marc Jones, 30, is an inspirational track to encourage young people to love themselves and to highlight there are support networks when they are struggling. The track is produced by London-based producer, RP9, whose notable collaborations include Ed Sheeran and Big Narstie.
Sam Taylor, Marketing Director, at Direct Line said:“The mental health of young adults is incredibly important and many are struggling to navigate these complex times.
“Understanding the issues faced by a generation of young adults we partnered with Marc Jones an inspirational musician to develop a track encouraging young people to open up about their mental health, whether that’s in the car when the song plays on the radio or at home, with friends streaming the track.”
Stephen Buckley, Head of Information at Mind said: “We are deeply concerned by the findings of this research – the fact that only 10% of young adults love themselves highlights the urgent need for support and resources to help this young generation navigate the complex challenges they face.
“We are excited to be part of the efforts of Direct Line and Marc Jones in producing the track ‘Day by Day’ to encourage young people to open up about their mental health and seek the support when needed.”
Niamh O’Connor, 23, from Worcester, said:“From a young age music has always been a part of my life so when I was diagnosed with anorexia over six years ago and was hospitalised for the first time, I found a lot of comfort in music.
“Whenever I felt upset or anxious, I would sit down at the piano in the hospital and play. Music became the only thing that helped take my mind off everything that was going on in my life.
“I was never one to talk openly about my feelings, but my therapist helped me to open up by asking me to play a piece of music that reflected my inner thoughts.
“Now I am able to use my experiences to create conversations with friends and we discuss how song melodies and lyrics resonate with us. This gives us the opportunity to talk openly about our mental health and support one another through music.”
Marc Jones added: “The purpose of my music has always been to lift spirits and encourage young people. This new track I released with Mind and Direct Line does just this.
“I personally have always turned to music when I am feeling low, it really helps and so does having charities like Mind, for expert support.”
The track Day By Day is available to stream on all major streaming platforms. Please find it on Spotify here.
Table One: Top ten inspirational artists for young people
Rank
Music Artist
1
Billie Eilish
2
Lewis Capaldi
3
Selena Gomez
4
Eminem
5
Ed Sheeran
6
Taylor Swift
7
Adele
8
Juice World
9
Dave
10
Demi Lovato
About Direct Line
Starting in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover directly to customers by phone or online.
Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Direct Line and U K Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.
Mind, the mental health charity, provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. They won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect. mind.org.uk
Mind has a confidential information and support line, Mind Infoline, available on 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am – 6pm, Monday – Friday)
Mind’s online mental health community Side by Side is a safe space where anyone aged 18 and over with experience of a mental health problem can share their story, connect with others, access Mind’s wider information and resources, and give support in return. Find out more at www.sidebyside.mind.org.uk
With April being IBS awareness month, Google searches for ‘What is irritable bowel syndrome?’ have increased by over 300% in the past 30 days, and ‘What does IBS feel like?’ has also seen an increase of 250%.
I’m a doctor and here are the symptoms, triggers, and cures for your IBS
The exact cause of IBS is unknown, but some causes include family history and infection
The exact cause of IBS isn’t known, although potential risk factors have been identified such as stress and family history. Differences in the bacteria that live in the gut of those who have IBS could also have other conditions. IBS can also occur after an abdominal infection (gastroenteritis), which subsequently changes the gut microbiome.
IBS is also caused by contractions that are too weak, which can slow down the movement of food through the gut leading to constipation. At the same time, contractions that are too strong or too long can lead to diarrhoea, bloating and flatulence.
Symptoms include problematic urination, backaches and nauseousness, as well as the usual stomach pain
IBS symptoms are often triggered or worsened by eating or drinking. Common symptoms include stomach pain and cramps, abdominal bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. You may also experience backache, feel tired and nauseous, pass more wind (flatulence), pass whitish mucus on your stools, and have problems controlling your urge to urinate and open your bowels.
Food triggers are different for everyone, but some of the main culprits are cabbage, broccoli and apples
Food and drink triggers for those with IBS vary from one individual to the next, which is why it is helpful to keep a food diary where you can track what you’ve eaten and drank alongside your symptoms.
Drinks that can trigger IBS include caffeinated drinks (e.g. tea, coffee, and certain energy drinks), and fizzy drinks. Foods that may trigger IBS include cabbage, cruciferous vegetables (e.g. broccoli, Brussel sprouts), high-fructose fruits (apples, mangoes, pears), fatty/fried foods (chips, crisps, cheese), highly processed foods and pulses.
Chewing gum might also be a trigger of your IBS
The primary triggers for IBS outside of food and drink are anxiety, stress and certain medications e.g. antibiotics, certain antidepressants and medication containing sorbitol (e.g. cough syrup). Eating too quickly and chewing gum can also trigger IBS symptoms.
Non-caffeinated drinks and probiotics can help ease symptoms of IBS
Drinking non-caffeinated tea (e.g. peppermint, chamomile or fennel tea) may help to reduce stomach cramps.
Taking probiotics can also be helpful. Probiotics contain live bacteria that support your gut microbiome and can be taken as tablets or found in certain foods (e.g. yoghurts with live bacteria, kefir, kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh) and drinks (e.g. kombucha).
In general, cooking food at home using fresh ingredients can help you better manage IBS as you can control exactly what goes into your food to avoid triggers.
There is no cure for IBS. However, it can get better on its own and its symptoms can be managed through dietary changes, regular exercise and stress relief.
IBS vs bowel cancer: bloody stools, thin stools and unexplained weight loss should cause concern
Both cause stomach pain, cramps, bloating and changes in your bowel habits. IBS can also cause whitish mucus on your stools but this doesn’t usually occur in bowel cancer. Unlike IBS, bowel cancer can cause bloody stools, thin stools, unexplained weight loss and general weakness. If you’re experiencing persistent bowel symptoms, seeing your GP to rule out more serious conditions, such as bowel cancer is important.
IBS vs diverticulitis – IBS can cause pain anywhere, whereas diverticulitis causes pain on the lower left side
Both IBS and diverticulitis cause stomach pain. However, in diverticulitis, this is usually focused on the lower left side of the abdomen and is constant. In IBS, pain can occur anywhere across your abdomen and usually eases after opening your bowels.
Diverticulitis changes occur in the lining of the gut, with the formation of small pockets that become inflamed and/or infected. In IBS, no changes occur to the gut lining.
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Eggs & Heart Health
Eggs & cholesterol
Egg yolk is rich in cholesterol and therefore there has been some debate about whether people with raised cholesterol levels should eat them or whether they’ll considerably increase blood cholesterol levels.
However, experts agree that dietary cholesterol, such as that found in eggs, has much less of an effect on the level of cholesterol in your blood compared to the amount of saturated fat you are consuming.
How you eat your eggs matters
How people cook eggs varies widely and what people use to cook eggs in can differ too. We recommend poaching, boiling or baking your eggs to limit your use of oils and fats when cooking.
What we eat eggs with matters too, for example, consuming poached eggs with wholegrain bread and some vegetables is much more healthful than consuming them as part of a greasy fry up which lacks fibre.
The takeaway points
Eggs are an affordable source of protein and are rich in vitamins and minerals. It’s therefore perfectly healthy to include them as part of a balanced diet.
As with many diet recommendations, the key is moderation and not consuming one thing in excess. Specifically in relation to cholesterol, we should focus more on reducing our consumption of saturated fat rather than worrying about the cholesterol in eggs.
Scotland’s Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) face considerable financial challenges and immense pressures on their workforce, says public spending watchdog Audit Scotland.
IJBs have reached the point where significant transformation will be needed to ensure the long-term capacity, financial sustainability and quality of services individuals receive.
IJBs plan and commission many community-based health and care services. Demand for these services is increasing, in part due to demographic change and support for people with increasingly complex care needs.
The number of care hours for those aged over 65 reached nearly 25 million in 2021/22. The proportion of care services reporting vacancies increased by 11 per cent to 47 per cent, with a 30 per cent turnover of staff each year.
Most IJBs underspent on providing services in 2021/22. This was largely because of difficulties in recruiting staff, which led to unplanned vacancies, and pandemic-related reductions in service provision. The reductions in service provision were likely to have contributed to an increase in unmet health and social care needs.
In 2021/22 IJBs returned significant surpluses, with reserves doubling to over £1.3 billion. This was mainly due to additional funding received late in the year for specific policy commitments, including Covid-19. The Scottish Government are currently exploring options to recover around two-thirds of the unspent Covid-19 money held in reserves.
Across Scotland, IJBs have a combined projected funding gap of £124 million for 2022/23.
To be financially sustainable in the longer-term, IJBs must reduce their reliance on reserves. All IJBs must put in place detailed plans that clearly show how they will achieve the needed ongoing savings on a recurring basis and support urgently needed service transformation.
William Moyes, Chair of the Accounts Commission said: “Change is needed now – it cannot wait for a National Care Service. Action is needed to tackle funding pressures, which are under increasing stress from rising demand and cost pressures.
“The workforce challenges are considerable, with mounting unmet need.
“We need to see services focus on prevention, with appropriate funding in place to transform the way services are delivered and to improve lives. “
Local government organisation COSLA agrees.
COSLA Health & Social Care Spokesperson, Councillor Paul Kelly, said: “Today’s report from Audit Scotland is concerning and highlights the enormous pressure our health and social care infrastructure is under.
“People across Scotland rely on vital health & social care services every day, and it is critical that there is meaningful investment in the system which ensures their long-term capacity.
“We must ensure focus remains on front-line service improvement and sustainability, rather than the bureaucratic structural change presented through the National Care Service Bill.”
Global immersive technology company collaborates with Teapot Trust to create cutting edge VR experience
An exciting collaboration between Edify and Teapot Trust will bring to life the transformative power of art therapy through virtual reality and a fantasy garden.
The partnership between the East Lothian charity and the immersive technology company, with headquarters in both Glasgow and Abu Dhabi, comes as Teapot Trust prepares to host a show garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Teapot Trust is a charity at the forefront of transformative mental health support that provides art therapy to children, young people and their families living with chronic conditions.
The Elsewhere Garden, designed by Scottish Swiss partnership SempleBegg, will showcase at the prestigious gardening event in May this year. The garden represents a child’s imagination as it blossoms in response to the freedom gifted by art therapy and is inspired by Willy Wonka’s factory, Oz and Wonderland.
Edify, a leading-edge tech company that builds innovative immersive technology platforms for learning and teaching is donating its time to the charity to create a virtual reality experience of the garden.
This ground-breaking technology will provide a completely new context for art therapy where children and art therapists can connect, create, and explore in a digital realm. The impact will be far reaching, enabling increased access by overcoming geographical and physical barriers.
By bringing the garden to children (like those in a ward) who cannot physically leave hospital to explore outdoors, it will help them experience the world around them in a new way while introducing vital art therapy themes like increased communication, relaxation techniques, and mental coping mechanisms.
Fergus Bruce, Senior Director at Edifysaid: “Central to Edify’s mission is making the ‘go anywhere, do anything’ superpowers of immersive technology accessible as widely as possible.
“With that in mind, we’re delighted to support the Teapot Trust and the vital work they do by ensuring that the ‘Elsewhere Garden’ can be experienced far beyond RHS Chelsea. We’ll do this by utilising both the Edify platform and the skill of our team to create a virtual experience of the actual garden which keeps its magic accessible and growing long after the event itself.”
Edify and Teapot Trust were introduced through the Scottish Tech Army, a unique volunteer community bringing together tech experts and the third sector for the benefit of people and communities.
Kirsty McIntosh of Scottish Tech Armyadded: “We are delighted to bring the Teapot Trust and Edify together.
“This is a great example of the tech for good ecosystem in action and we are excited to see how this collaboration will support the aims of the charity.”
Sarah Randall, CEO of Teapot Trust said: “The Elsewhere Garden has been created with the most incredible amount of passion, love and nurture so the ability to bring this to life in a virtual reality world to benefit thousands of children and young people who won’t experience the garden in real life is a wonderful opportunity.
“The Edify platform will enable art therapists to join and guide children in a virtual experience while also giving the potential for children within an art therapy group to interact with each other within the digital garden. This is a tremendous asset to have, which is down to the overwhelming generosity and creativity which Edify has brought to the project.”
Art therapy techniques will be incorporated into the experience, with specific plants, views, and sensations being central to art therapy exercises and themes. This safe and controlled experience will help children grow confidence to navigate tech and tech-enabled learning in a fun, playful, and imaginative immersive experience, boosting their confidence and helping them understand that they can overcome barriers in their own lives.
One in four children and young people in the UK live with the pain and stigma of chronic health conditions that cause anxiety and depression. Almost a third of those aged under 21 who take their own lives have a long-term chronic illness.
The charity’s art therapy gives children and young people a release from the burdens of chronic illness allowing them to take some control, to express and process their feelings about their diagnosis, their treatment regime, and the impact of their condition on daily life.
