Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Healthier Picnics
Picnics are always a winner in the summer months (when the weather allows!). They are the perfect way to socialise with friends and family while spending more time outdoors, which is good for us all. July marks National Picnic Month and here we share some top tips for creating heathier picnics this summer – goodbye squashed sandwiches and crushed crisps!
Get a Cool Bag
A healthy, nutrition packed picnic must be kept cool for optimal enjoyment. If there was ever a time to invest in a cool bag/box it is now. When you don’t have to worry about what will stay fresh in the warm weather, the sky really is the limit in terms of what you can pack. Think fresh salads, juicy fruits & protein packed yoghurts.
Prep in Advance
Homemade is always best and taking some time the day before your scheduled picnic to whip up something yummy can take your picnic to the next level. We love easy to grab things like these heart healthy cheese and courgette muffins which go down well with both adults and children.
Pop it on a Skewer
Skewers make everything more picnic friendly and just about any meal can be adapted to fit on a skewer. Try adding cooked meats, halloumi or feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and olives or making a rainbow fruit skewer using lots of different colour fruits.
Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland in partnership with Edinburgh Leisure will be running a weekly club, supporting older adults to stay active, connected within their local community, and build amazing friendships through their common love of sport.
Starting on Tuesday, 16th August 2022, the weekly, free drop-in sessions will take place every Tuesday, from 10.30am to 12.00 at the Royal Commonwealth Pool. The sessions are the perfect forum to reminisce about local sporting heroes, share stories about past playing days and show off your knowledge over a quiz or fun game. Everyone is welcome and a cuppa will be available too.
Donna Mackey, Partnership Manager, SMFS, “We are really excited to launch our newest Sporting Memories partnership at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, a venue at the real heart of Edinburgh’s sporting heritage.
“We believe there are lots of older adults in the area who have a passion for talking about sport and who will benefit from attending a weekly group with like-minded people. The clubs are a great opportunity to build new friendships and become more active by taking part in some of our indoor games. We can’t wait to get started.”
Sam Scott, Health Development Officer (Dementia) at Edinburgh Leisure said: “These sessions were originally due to start in April 2020 but for obvious reasons, they had to be put on hold.
“However, Edinburgh Leisure’s partnership with Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland makes perfect sense, as does hosting these clubs at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, a building steeped in its own sporting history. These clubs will support the work we are already doing working with people living with dementia through our Movement for Memories programme.
“Using the rich history and heritage of sport, the Sporting Memories clubs are open to older adults who enjoy reminiscing about their experiences of watching or playing it. We just want anyone, with a love of sport, to come along and refreshments are provided.”
The clubs are run by trained by Sporting Memories volunteers who use a wide range of Sporting Memories reminiscence resources developed specifically to help prompt conversation and discussion. There is always great fun and laughter, friendships are forged, and some remarkable sporting stories often emerge.
Sporting Memories has developed an innovative and engaging approach to tackling the challenges of our ageing society. Their work focuses on: reducing loneliness and isolation; getting older people physically active; and helping people to live well with dementia.
Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities team launched Movement for Memories in September 2018. This programme supports people living with dementia and their carers to become or remain physically active in Edinburgh.
This work is supported with funding from the Life Changes Trust. The Trust is funded by the Big Lottery.
Environmental campaigners say bold action to limit polluting traffic is needed as a new report showing the links between air pollution and dementia is released.
The report, published yesterday (25 July 2022) by COMEAP, the UK Government’s Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, suggests the most likely way that pollution impacts cognitive impairment is through circulation. Air pollutants, particularly small particles, can affect the heart and blood vessels, including the brain.
Environmental campaigners say that the Scottish Government and local councils are not taking enough action to reduce pollution from transport and other sources. Earlier this year, research by Friends of the Earth Scotland showed that Scotland breached air quality limits in 2021 after a historic low in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s transport campaigner Gavin Thomson said: “Today’s report from the UK Government is further evidence that air pollution is devastating for human health, and it’s really worrying to see the links with dementia being strengthened.
“We have known for a long time that traffic fumes cause asthma and heart conditions, and evidence has been growing about the risk that tiny particles – from exhaust fumes, tyres and brakes – pose to our cognitive health. It is particularly dangerous for young children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing health conditions.
“Four cities in Scotland will soon have small clean air zones limiting polluting vehicles from the city centre. This is the first action we’ve seen to tackle air pollution but it’s nowhere near enough. To improve air quality in our communities and neighbourhoods, we need significant investment in public transport so that everyone can access it, while providing more space for walking, wheeling and cycling.”
The Scottish Families’ Family Reference Group which supported the national Drug Deaths Taskforce has today published its own companion report alongside the office Taskforce report, called ‘What about Families?!’
Families hope that the Taskforce and the Scottish Government will consider their reflections and recommendations to inform future developments, including the need for meaningful involvement of families, and ensuring their views are respected and drive real change.
Scottish Families’ Family Reference Group is made up of family members across Scotland who are affected by a loved one’s drug use.
This includes those whose loved ones are in recovery, are still actively using substances, and those who have been bereaved. The Group is chaired by Colin Hutcheon who was the sole family member representative on the Drug Deaths Taskforce.
Justina Murray, CEO of Scottish Families, comments: “There is much to welcome in today’s final report by the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce. Indeed many of the recommendations mirror the changes and improvements which families have been campaigning for over many years.
“The Taskforce has helpfully brought together new partnerships and additional resources, along with a level of political expectation and a willingness to test out new approaches. Families and others with lived experience have been involved from the start, which is good practice.
“There have been times where we have felt frustrated at the pace of change or questioned if there was more lived experience involvement than influence, however the final report makes a number of powerful recommendations which have the potential to reduce drug-related harm and risk to families and their loved ones.
“There have been some notable successes over the lifespan of the Taskforce, such as the national naloxone roll-out and the drafting of national standards for Medication Assisted Treatment. The commitments to expanding support for families in their own right, and to mandatory workforce training in family inclusive practice are particularly welcome.
“Families are frequently judged, stigmatised and excluded by services, and only reach family support at a time of crisis, after many years of coping alone. We also welcome the significant expansion in access to life-saving naloxone treatment, including the ongoing commitment to a national Click and Deliver naloxone service. This follows the successful establishment of Scottish Families’ service during the pandemic, proving that many family members and members of the public want to carry naloxone, so they can save a life.
“Families want to see a firm focus now on implementation and accountability, so that these written words become tangible actions, and families can see and feel real change in their own lives and in their local communities.”
A new report ‘Coping with Covid in Prisons’ launched today (21 July) has found Covid-response measures led to periods of prolonged solitary confinement across the prison population, resulting in dramatically increased levels of anxiety and depression.
The study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, was a partnership between the ex-offender led charity User Voice and social scientists at Queen’s University Belfast.
One of the most comprehensive studies of life in prison during the pandemic, and completed internationally, the project drew on an innovative peer-led methodology, developed by User Voice.
Nearly 100 serving prisoners were trained in research methods to survey their peers. Over the 18-month project, these volunteers completed over 1,400 surveys with fellow prisoners across 11 prisons.
The peer-led study found that prolonged isolation and the simultaneous reduction in support services resulted in widespread deterioration of mental health and the erosion of the rehabilitative function of imprisonment.
Key findings:
· 85% of prisoners surveyed were confined to cells for 23 hours for the majority of the lockdown period.
· 59% of prisoners surveyed had not had a single visit with family during the Covid lockdown.
· Standard screening tools suggest depression and anxiety scores are almost five times higher than the standard for the general population.
· More than one out of three prisoners were scoring at the level of “severe anxiety disorder” indicating high levels of post-traumatic stress.
· Two thirds of survey respondents said that access to mental health support had worsened, instead of improving, during the lockdown.
· One out of five respondents thought that violence had reduced in the prisons because of the lockdown.
User Voice’s Founder and CEO Mark Johnson MBE said: “When almost no one was able to get into prisons, we were able to conduct one of the largest studies of prisoner experiences.
“This research has been led by prisoners, using our innovative approach developed over the past 15 years and now validated by academics.
“The report reveals one of the darkest and most hidden results of the pandemic, the true effects of extreme lockdown and confinement on prisoners and ultimately, on the public. It shows that we need to talk about criminal justice. Are prisons just for punishment or are they failing prisoners and the public if they don’t offer the support which leads to rehabilitation?”
Professor Shadd Maruna, Professor of Criminology at Queen’s University Belfast, explains: “Prisons were in crisis before the pandemic, and remarkably some voices have claimed that life in prison has actually improved because of the Covid lockdown.
“Our research definitively demonstrates that the social climate in prison has become dramatically worse after the lockdown, and a great deal of work is going to be needed to restore a sense of trust and legitimacy among the incarcerated.
“Peer-led models, like the kind that drove this research project, have the potential to do just that if implemented correctly.”
Two neurosurgeons from Glasgow are swapping their scrubs for the small screen to tell you all about neuroscience.
Aditaya ‘Adi’ Kumar and Mohammed ‘Mo’ Draz host The Neurosurgeons on YouTube, the only place where you will find two neurosurgeons exploring everything about the brain and spine.
Adi and Mo, who are Trainees within the Department of Neurosurgery, at the Institute of Neurological Sciences (INS) at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, let viewers take a fascinating look into a surgical specialty that most have heard of, but few know much about.
They share insights into the workings of our bodies, tell stories of the work they do and the people they care for, and give advice on how you can take care of yourself.
While you may associate neurosurgeons with brain surgery, they do much more. Neurosurgeons diagnose and treat conditions that affect your nervous system, including your skull, blood vessels, and soft tissues.
The Neurosurgeons began when Adi and Mo discovered there was a lack of information available online for members of the public about neurosurgery. Mo, who is originally from Egypt, said: “We found that patients prefer using social media to navigating websites. We started with a video about the common causes of back pain.
“YouTube is competitive, and you need to create up to 100 videos to make an impression. So far, we have had excellent feedback.
“I recently explained a procedure to a nurse at work. They told me it sounded far simpler on The Neurosurgeons!”
Both men conquered any “stage fright” and enjoy being in front of a camera. Adi, originally from Yorkshire, said: “At first, it is hard to talk to a camera without being able to see yourself, let alone doing it with someone you work with, in an unfamiliar setting.
“As time goes by, videos which are less “scripted” convey our personalities, and quirks, best.”
Adi and Mo discovered content ideas came from their experiences in surgery theatres and in talking to families and patients. Families are anxious about their loved ones, whose recovery from surgery can take time.
So far, The Neurosurgeons have brought their camera into the surgical theatre and examined the instruments every neurosurgeon uses during brain and spine surgery. Those include the Mayfield clamp, which pins a patient’s head in place, and the Watson Cheyne Dissector, which dissects around the tissue.
The duo explored how an MRI works, the impact of COVID-19 on your brain, and the causes of, and best medications to treat, back pain.
One of the videos, a critique of hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, has been particularly popular for highlighting what would happen in real life, versus a medical drama.
While Adi and Mo are keeping much of their future content under wraps, they will soon show you inside more of their hospital. The Neurosurgeons celebrate the entire neurosurgery team, which includes nurses, porters, and physiotherapists.
The last two years have been hard for everyone working in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Adi, a husband and dad, recently beat COVID-19. He and Mo recognise the challenges currently facing the NHS.
Adi said: “Day to day life can be difficult and the NHS is very busy. The Neurosurgeons has helped us focus our energy, and any frustrations, into creation.
“Your health is the most important thing you have. The Neurosurgeon explore the most common health challenges you may face.”
The duo’s top tips for tip top neurological health are:
Keep fit and exercise regularly.
Eat healthy food, provide your brain and spine with the supply it needs.
Sleep well, give your brain a chance to relax.
Connect, keep yourself surrounded with people you love.
Watch your back, your spine is your central support.
Craig Broadfoot, General Manager for Neurosciences and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS), said: “The Neurosurgeons is a valuable educational tool for everyone interested in neuroscience and put a human face on what can be a complicated subject.
“We want you subscribe to The Neurosurgeons. Adi and Mo explore common health challenges you may face in an entertaining way, exploring neuroscience with knowledge and humour.”
The benefits of keeping physically fit and healthy are a given when it comes to receiving advice on how to always stay on top of our physical performance. Still, experts have revealed that playing certain games and completing challenges that test our cognitive skills can stimulate our mental fitness, giving us ample ways of improving brain health.
Experts at SolitaireBliss have revealed how playing fun mind games and performing stimulating brain challenges can have huge benefits when trying to remain mentally fit.
Improving memory
One of the most beneficial effects of brain training games is their ability to improve memory, and with neurodegeneration commonly being disregarded as something only to worry about at an old age, many are unaware that deterioration can start as early as their 30s.
There are many ways to improve brain health and keep a sharp memory, and factors such as maintaining a varied diet along with good nutrition, having a healthy sleeping pattern, regular exercise and interacting with people you can keep your cognitive skills tested. These factors are all vital to sustaining a healthy brain but adding brain training games into your day can be a fun way to increase and add to your brain’s daily exercises.
Speeding up reaction time
Another perk of downloading a brain training app is its ability to help increase reaction times which depends on the central nervous system’s speed. High cognitive functioning reaction times can be highly beneficial, especially to those who excel in sports requiring fast hand-eye coordination and medical roles requiring swift and precise reactions.
Overall, higher cognitive functions stem from a healthy nervous system which proves how vital visual awareness and reaction times are, all of which can be exercised and improved with brain training apps.
Improving attention span
Having a short attention span can be a real annoyance when performing day-to-day tasks as it can lead to poor focus at work as well as cause problems in communication similarly, it can also lead to anxiety and stress due to the inability to finish complex tasks.
A major advantage of brain training games which get harder as you level up is that they can improve your attention span by being able to keep the gamer engaged and solely focused on the game at hand; this can be very beneficial to those who suffer easily from distraction and find it difficult to focus on one thing at a time.
Helps to assist those after suffering severe head injuries
There can be many causes for concern when a patient has suffered from brain trauma. Such injuries can lead to an alteration in mental state, whether difficulty concentrating or disorientation, and also fears of focal neurological problems. This could be anything from distorted or loss of vision, weakness in building back muscle and struggles with speech.
Many patients who have suffered severe head injuries will use brain training and memory games to rehabilitate and recover from such traumatic events. By stretching your brain muscles and exercising your cognitive skills, you are actively accelerating all elements of the brain, which can speed up improvement in strength, coordination, and balance.
Cancer Research Horizons, the innovation engine of Cancer Research UK, the world’s largest independent cancer research organisation, is renewing its partnership with the University of Edinburgh’s flagship Venture Builder Incubator which supports the commercialisation of data-driven PhD research.
Cancer Research Horizons, through its Entrepreneurial Programmes, will sponsor ten places for cancer-related research projects from across the UK to take part on this 16-week programme which aims to drive academic entrepreneurship by supporting PhD students and early career researchers to develop their business ideas, build their skills and secure funding.
In 2021, the first year of the Cancer Research Horizons collaboration, eight companies operating in the field of cancer were selected as start-ups for the incubator.
For the second year running, Cancer Research Horizons’ continued support for PhD students and researchers will play an important role in accelerating the commercialisation of ideas aimed at conquering cancer.
Laura Bernal, Venture Builder Incubator Programme Manager, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Cancer Research Horizons again this year.
“Our Incubator programme is designed to help fledgling entrepreneurs across all sectors of business build their skills and take their businesses to the next level and through continuing to build our relationship with the brilliant team at Cancer Research Horizons, we can ensure that we are supporting the commercialisation of vital research across 10 cancer-related projects this year.”
The Venture Builder Incubator, delivered by the Bayes Centre, the University of Edinburgh’s world-leading innovation hub for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, on behalf of the University’s five Data-Driven Innovation Hubs and Edinburgh Innovations, the commercialisation service of the University, will start later this year and builds on the success of the previous cohorts which have seen considerable success, attracting £1.8m in funding in the last 12 months.
Previous oncology-related ventures focused on developing early diagnosis tools and less invasive testing to enable improved outcomes for people affected by cancer. They included: OncoAssign, a precision medicine startup integrating AI and onco-diagnostics to deliver accurate treatment prediction; 10zyme, a start-up devising a simple method of detecting cancers through urine or saliva samples; ForceBiology, developers of a versatile, more accurate and cost-effective high throughput drug-screening platform for cancer and Therapevo, a screening platform striving to fill the gap between research and the medical testing of new therapeutic strategies.
Commenting on her experience as a participant in last year’s cohort, Estefania Esposito, Co-founder of Therapevo, said: “Being introduced to a network of Venture Builder cohorts past and present was invaluable.
“They all had different backgrounds, and even when they had similar backgrounds, they all added something: an experience, an idea or an opinion.”
Dr Alessia Errico, Associate Director of Search and Evaluation, and Entrepreneurial Programmes Lead at Cancer Research Horizon said: “We want to inspire the next generation of scientific entrepreneurs in the field of cancer research as well as inspiring cultural change within the industry, so working alongside Edinburgh University and their Data Driven Innovation programme provides us with the perfect platform to do this.
“Supporting entrepreneurs on the journey from an ideation to venture creation is one of the most important things that we can do, so we are excited about what this next year will bring.”
The Venture Builder Incubator is designed to help fledgling entrepreneurs across all sectors build their skills and take their businesses to the next level. Start-ups are chosen after an application process which is open to PhD students, early career researchers and academic staff from the University of Edinburgh or Heriot-Watt University, as well as early career researchers focused on cancer-related projects from across the UK.
Each startup is provided with £2,000 as well as business support through a series of workshops, networking events, mentoring, peer-to-peer learnings and access to the University of Edinburgh’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and its data expertise.
The early bird deadline for applications is Friday 22nd July and those entering before this date are guaranteed application feedback and the chance to resubmit their proposal and an invitation to a Bayes Centre Community Event.
The final deadline for applications is Friday 9 September.
Looking for something fun to do with the wee ones during the school summer holiday?
Why not pop along to a Fun Family Drop-in at the McDonald Library, Edinburgh, on Saturday, July 23, for some arts and crafts, balloon modelling, face painting and loads more.
The event has been organised as part of a campaign that was launched two years ago by the city’s Child Protection Committee and NSPCC Scotland.
All of Us was set up to help people find out where to get support and advice with parenting or other worries about family life and where to turn if they have concerns about a child.
The partnership wants to help parents and carers, who may be struggling, and signpost them to where they can get advice and support before reaching crisis point.
Stalls at the event, which runs from 1pm to 3pm, will include NSPCC Scotland, Home Start, Children’s Health Scotland, Venture Scotland, Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) and The Junction.
There will also be arts and crafts from Polymorphics, a Bookbug session, snacks and drinks, a face painter, balloon animals, and the Institute of Physics, a professional body which strives to make physics accessible to people from all backgrounds.
Gail Sayles, NSPCC Scotland local campaigns manager, said: “Looking after a child can be challenging for all parents and carers at times, and it is so important that people feel they can seek support and know where to turn for help.
“Everyone is welcome to come along to this event to find out what support and activities are available where you live.
“Don’t forget the NSPCC Helpline is also there for anyone who wants advice or knows a family that needs support.”
The campaign has also been raising awareness among communities and professionals about the early signs of child neglect and how to help families who are struggling.
Jackie Irvine, Chair of the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee, said: “Many organisations will be on hand to offer advice and provide practical support to parents and carers at this fun free drop-in at McDonald Road Library.
“This campaign was first launched just weeks before the pandemic struck and highlights the very real issues around child neglect. The past couple of years have really driven home the importance of raising awareness among communities and professionals so they are alert to the signs of child neglect.
“I would encourage as many people as possible to come along to find out more information about what is available.”
The Family Fun Drop-In is being held at the McDonald Library, McDonald Road, Edinburgh, from 1pm to 3pm.
The campaign has also been raising awareness among communities and professionals about the early signs of child neglect and how to help families who are struggling with online workshops and seminars.
For parenting advice and support visit NSPCC helpline or call 0808 800 5000, weekdays 8am to 10pm and weekends 9am to 6pm. People can also contact Social Care Direct on 0131 200 2324, their health visitor, GP or child’s school.
