Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Keeping Healthy After Easter
The Easter weekend marks the end of Lent, along with the exchange of chocolate eggs with family and friends. It is therefore easy to see why it may be hard to maintain good habits both during and following the Easter weekend, as many of us tuck into the chocolate we have received and begin to once again enjoy what we gave up over Lent.
Yet research indicates that it can take around 66 days to develop a long-term habit and therefore the 40 day Lent period offers a great base for developing a positive life-long habit.
With this in mind, here are some tips for doing just that:
Allow Yourself Occasional Indulgences
It’s easy to feel disheartened when we relapse from a positive habit but creating a positive relationship with food is all about moderation and therefore the occasional indulgences shouldn’t be seen as a problem
Return to Your Habit As Soon as Possible
The longer we maintain a habit, the more ‘ingrained’ it becomes. If we are able to return to our habit straight away, we are more likely to continue it going forwards
Consider What Worked for You
Everyone is different and therefore the method used for creating a long-term habit will be different for everyone. Think about what led to your success over Lent, perhaps it was planning and preparation, changing your environment or taking on the challenge with a frend
Use Up Spare Chocolate
Perhaps you would like to continue to eat healthily following the Easter Break, but you just have too much chocolate left over! Visit our website for ideas on how you can use up that spare chocolate, or perhaps consider giving it away
Think Rationally
Sometimes, our thinking patterns can work against us and we can start to think things like ‘I’ve ruined it now’ or ‘there’s no point carrying on’. Consider if these kinds of thoughts are helpful or rational and challenge them, as sometimes this can be the difference between maintaining and relapsing.
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
With April Fool’s day upon us, sometimes it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction, so here are some common myth-busting tips surrounding heart health:
I need to avoid eating fat to be healthy
This is not true as fat provides the body with essential nutrients. Unsaturated fats slow down the build-up of plaque within the arteries and therefore reduce blood pressure. Examples of unsaturated fats are olives, avocados, salmon and nuts. Of course, eating too much of any fat would be unhealthy, therefore aim to consume fats in moderation.
Doing lots of cardio is the best way to lose weight
This is also false as weight loss is occurs when you burn more calories than you consume.
Having more lean muscle mass helps your body burn more calories at rest. Therefore, in addition to a smart nutrition plan, a combination of both high-intensity cardio and strength-training is the best method to lose weight.
UK physical activity guidelines suggest five 30-minute exercise sessions per week, with two of these focusing on resistance training (body weight exercises/lifting weights).
Drinking red wine will reduce my risk of heart disease
It is true that red wine contains some antioxidants that can help reduce blood pressure, simply because red wine is made from red grapes.
There is no evidence that drinking red wine directly reduces your blood pressure, whereas there is lots of evidence directly linking alcohol consumption with increased blood pressure.
My stress is not serious enough to get help with
Stress symptoms can move quickly from acute to chronic if they are not managed. Stress hormones will affect how well a person functions in everyday life.
They are shown to effect multiple physiological systems (the immune system, the cardiovascular system, the endocrine system, the gastrointestinal system). No stress symptom is too small to ask for help with.
My smoking won’t affect those around me
This is false, and even if you think you are being careful second-hand smoke is a real danger. Non-smokers that are exposed to smoke over a long period of time have a 25% – 30% increased risk of coronary heart disease.
A Kilwinning man is taking on a marathon task – running a 10k, every day for 47 days in memory of his mother, a well-known community figure, who passed away suddenly after a heart attack.
Craig Potter, 37, has set himself the challenge to raise money for Heart Research UK’s Heart of Scotland appeal, and to raise awareness of the dangers of undiagnosed heart conditions.
Craig’s mum, Theresa, passed away suddenly after suffering a heart attack at home in July.
“She never displayed what we perceived were normal symptoms of a heart attack,” said Craig.
“She never mentioned about a tight chest or about pains in her arm. She had woken up the night before and said she felt anxious, which was unlike her. The next day, she had been mildly nauseous and had a dry mouth, but was still working from home and was planning to meet up with a friend.
“My dad went downstairs to make himself a quick lunch. When he came back upstairs, 3 minutes later she was dead, it was that sudden.
“It was devastating, we are a small, close family. A huge part of our life was gone.”
With the family grieving, Craig began looking for a charity and a challenge to take on in her memory.
“Two things my mum was really proud of – she was a proud woman, and a proud Scot. When we came across the Heart of Scotland appeal, some of the stats shocked us. The fact that you are more than 50% more likely to die from heart disease in Scotland than in South East England is just unpalatable,” said Craig.
“Since my mum died, people have come to us with their own tragic stories, other mums, wives, sisters, and daughters suddenly dying from heart conditions, and yet somehow it is still not perceived as a women’s health issue. We want to change that.
Another stat the family found form the Heart of Scotland appeal was that currently, 47 people a day die in Scotland from cardiovascular disease.
“We were in the grieving process, and we knew we wanted to do something. Something that would raise money, but crucially, raise awareness. Should we have known these signs? Should people be aware? We weren’t, and certainly other people aren’t.
“This is where the idea came from, to run every day for 47 days, with different groups of people to really spread the word. 47 days means we’re talking about it for longer, more people will hear the message and will hear the stats.”
Craig’s challenge begins on the 24th March 2021, with the final day of his run falling on his mum’s birthday, the 9th of May.
He will be joined each day by different friends, family members and well-wishers across the UK, all keen to pay their respects and help spread the message around heart health in women and Scotland.
A number of Heart Research UK staff will also be joining Craig throughout his challenge
Following Theresa’s passing, the family was overwhelmed with the amount of messages they received from people that had been impacted by Theresa, who had dedicated her life to supporting and developing those in the community.
Theresa had spent many years working in communities, focusing on education, health, campaigns against poverty and, most recently, response to the COVID pandemic.
“The impact was overwhelming, we had hundreds of messages from all over the world,” said Dougie Potter, Theresa’s husband.
“More people than we could ever know that Theresa had developed in a positive way. I knew she had an impact on people’s life, but the scope and range of people that sent us messages was breath-taking.
“High level politicians, saying that Theresa had influenced their lives, to young people, community groups, activists and colleagues saying that Theresa was just so impactful in their lives forever. That range took our breath away.”
As well as raising money for research across Scotland, both Craig and Dougie are passionate about raising awareness of heart conditions and their symptoms, especially in women.
“The research we have read seems to show that if women have problems, we often think of other things that could be causing their symptoms. With men, we tend to get to the idea of heart problems quicker and therefore get treatment or medical intervention quicker.” said Craig.
“The reality is, this is killing 2600 women a year in Scotland. That shocked us a family.
“That’s what this is all about, getting people talking, reinforcing these messages. Mum was the last person you’d expect this to happen to. She was upbeat, strong, energetic and lived a healthy life.
Dougie finished by saying “Us talking openly about Theresa has already saved lives, with women asking for treatment where in the past they may have not.
“But we’re not talking about this enough, and it’s affecting so many people. My hope is that by sharing Theresa’s story it creates more conversations, more awareness and we can begin to save lives.”
Many of us are spending more time at home due to COVID-19 and this can mean reaching for the comfort foods when we feel bored, stressed or need cheering up.
On busy days, it is easy to pop to the kitchen and grab a quick lunch without thinking too much about whether it is good for you.
We have some tips for planning and preparing healthier lunches at home:
Include plenty of fruit and veg
Fruit and vegetables are packed with nutrients and fibre to help keep your heart healthy. Find healthy salad or vegetable soup recipes online or in recipe books to include in your lunch plan. Finish off your lunches with a portion of fruit and a low-calorie yoghurt.
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. Try to regularly include a portion of wholegrain food in your lunches, such as brown bread, wholemeal pita, wholemeal pasta or brown rice.
Include lean sources of protein in your lunches
Foods that are high in protein can help you to feel full for longer and this can prevent you from snacking on less healthy foods during the day. Lean sources of protein include grilled skinless chicken or turkey, canned tuna, soybeans, tofu and low-fat dairy products.
Plan your lunches in advance
Planning your lunches in advance will allow you to put a little more thought into what you are eating as well as saving you time and money. Try creating a weekly lunch plan before the start of the week and shop for ingredients in advance.
Prepare your lunches the night before to save time during busy days or try cooking large quantities of home-made soups and store single portions in the freezer.
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.
The Heart of Scotland appeal, launched by national charity Heart Research UK, has partnered with Scottish Women in Sport (SWIS) in a bid to increase the activity levels of women across Scotland.
Every year, coronary heart disease, including heart attacks, kills around 2,600 women in Scotland – seven women every day.
The Heart of Scotland appeal was launched in 2019 to raise awareness of the problem of heart health in Scotland, as well as generating vital funds for pioneering research at Universities’ and hospitals across the country.
Coronary heart disease is Scotland’s single biggest killer, with lifestyle factors such as obesity and lack of exercise directly impacting upon a person’s risk.
In an effort to combat the statistic that more than a third of adults in Scotland do not achieve recommended levels of physical activity, the Heart of Scotland appeal has teamed up with SWIS to inspire women across Scotland to get more active.
Today, the Heart of Scotland Appeal and SWIS will be celebrating International Women’s Day by featuring inspirational video interviews with some of Scotland’s leading female athletes, including Hannah Rankin, Katie Archibald MBE, Jasmin Paris, Rebecca Sellar, Samantha Kinghorn and Rachel Corsie.
They will share their experiences of reaching the pinnacle of their respective sports and their advice for any young person wishing to follow in their footsteps.
Heart Research UK have collaborated on this latest campaign, which has been backed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, to highlight the relationship between an active lifestyle and a healthy heart whilst encouraging more women in Scotland to get active.
This is the second collaboration between Heart Research UK and Scottish Women in Sport who together produced a series of video interviews with four of the leading Scottish female researchers, academics and practitioners who have devoted their time and expertise to taking on heart disease for International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
Maureen McGonigle, Founder of Scottish Women in Sport, said:“It is a privilege to work with Heart Research UK, as they are such an established and passionate organisation.
“Together along with some of Scotland’s top sportswomen, we hope to raise awareness of the impact of heart disease on women, and hopefully encourage more women to get active and take on heart disease.”
Dr Helen Flaherty, head of Health Promotion and Education at Heart Research UK, said: “We all know how important it is to be active – it’s one of the best things we can do to improve our heart health.
“However, many people find it difficult to get motivated, or struggle to fit the recommended 150 minutes of exercise into a week.
“Women often find it difficult to engage with physical activity due to a lack of confidence and time. Through this partnership with SWIS, we hope to be able to encourage women all across Scotland to increase their activity levels, and also to encourage the next generation of Scottish sportswomen, as well as helping to reduce the gender gap in physical activity and sport.”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
It’s never too late in the year to think about setting some personal targets. Research indicates that the first key step to making positive changes to our lifestyle is setting a goal.
With this in mind, here are some of the things you may consider when setting a target to improve your heart health:
Be Clear About What You Want to Achieve
Detailed, specific goals that use some sort of framework such as SMART can help us to set correspondingly clear actions on how to achieve our goal. Try and avoid goals which include statements such as ‘do your best’ and rather opt for an objective measure to assess your performance against such as ‘score above 80%’.
Be Like Goldilocks
We know that setting goals that are either too challenging or too easy will reduce your likelihood of success. Goals need to be ‘just right’ by offering a level of challenge whilst also being realistic.
Break It Down
Try to include regular check-ins to assess your progress and adjust your goal if necessary. For example, if you are looking to lose weight, you may schedule a monthly weigh-in.
Write It Down
It can be useful to commit to your goal with a pencil and paper. Interestingly, those who sign a ‘contract’ of commitment to their goal will typically improve their chances of goal achievement; this could be a post-it note on the fridge or a handwritten pledge that you keep on your desk.
Share It
Research also indicates that sharing our goal with someone else can improve accountability, and thus increase our likelihood of success.
For more tips on how to improve your heart health, visit the ‘Healthy Tips’ page on our website.
Robert Smith, of alternative rock band The Cure, is selling off prints of his original artwork to raise money for Heart Research UK.
Robert became a patron of the charity in 2020, following his involvement with the charity’s anonymous heART project over the past 2 years. The project, now in its 4th successful year, sees pieces of art from celebrities and artists auctioned on eBay. The twist? Though a full list of contributors is available, buyers don’t know who produced which piece until they receive it.
The artwork for sale is a piece Robert produced for the 2020 anonymous heART project and is titled ‘I WILL KISS YOU FOREVER…’
It features lyrics from The Cure hit ‘The same deep water as you’ and the original sold for over £5,000 in the initial auction.
In response to a large number of requests from fans to buy prints of his work, Heart Research UK are selling high quality A4 and A3 prints of the artwork, for £25 and £50 respectively. The prints will be on sale from the1-14th March 2021, and will then be printed to order.
All of the money raised will support Heart Research UK’s life-saving work, funding pioneering research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.
Robert Smith said: “More than a quarter of all deaths in the UK are caused by heart and circulatory disease – I have very sadly seen too many friends and family fall victim over the years.
“Continuing support for research into the understanding and treatment of coronary heart disease is absolutely vital – for everyone.
“Before the anonymous heART project, I hadn’t picked up paint with purpose for almost 30 years. My favourite creative medium has always been sound, but making these has inspired me to start drawing again.
“I’m so thrilled to be able to support a charity that means a lot to me, and also share a little bit of myself with The Cure’s passionate and generous fanbase.”
The prints are being sold on eBay until the 14th March 2021. A4 prints cost £25, and A3 prints cost £50.
National charity Heart Research UK have launched their first charity cookbook, featuring 17 recipes from celebs, chefs and some of the web’s biggest food bloggers.
The e-book, which is available to download here for a suggested donation of £5, features a selection of well-balanced recipes from some of the best known faces in food and fitness, including Joe Wicks, The Hairy Bikers, Heart Research UK ambassador Sally Bee, Gennaro Contraldo, Michelin Star Chef Tom Kitchin, Masterchef winner Shelina Permaloo and many more.
Recipes range from light breakfasts and brunches, through to healthy snacks, show-stopping main meals and family favourites, and even a few desserts.
Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion and Education at Heart Research UK, said: “As someone who loves cooking and eating nutritionally balanced dishes, I know that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring or expensive.
“We put together this cookbook to provide everyone, from families and first time cooks to the home-chef extraordinaire, a selection of recipes that are healthy, full of flavour and unpretentious.
“I often advise people on making dietary changes to reduce their risk of heart disease and manage their weight. A healthy, well-balanced diet contains plenty of fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods and not too much fat, sugar or salt. By using this cookbook, we hope you will discover some delicious new recipes that will enable you to keep looking after your heart.”
The cookbook can be downloaded here, for a suggested donation of £5.
All of the money raised will support Heart Research UK’s life-saving work, funding pioneering research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Sticking to a healthy diet can be easier if you cook from scratch. Ready meals, takeaways and pre-packaged foods can be high in fat, sugar and salt. Home-cooked meals are often cheaper, tastier, healthier and better for the environment.
It may also be quicker to rustle up a home-cooked meal, than wait for a takeaway to be delivered.
Here we provide some tips to help you find and cook some healthy recipes:
Finding healthy recipes
There are lots of healthy recipe books and websites available. When looking for healthy recipes, make sure you choose a trusted source.
Our new cookbook includes plenty of delicious and healthy recipes from well-known names, such as Joe Wicks and the Hairy Bikers. The recipes have been carefully selected by our Nutritionist for their use of fresh, healthy ingredients that promote good heart health.
When looking for a healthy recipe, make sure you pay attention to the ingredients list. Avoid recipes that include a lot of fat, salt, sugar or processed meats and cheeses. Healthier recipes include:
Fruit and vegetables
Wholegrain ingredients (e.g. brown rice, brown bread or whole-wheat pasta)
Lean sources of protein (e.g. fish, chicken (without skin), beans, pulses or tofu)
Low-fat dairy products (or alternatives), such as skimmed milk, fat-free yoghurt or soya products
Choose healthy cooking methods
Find recipes that use healthier cooking methods, such as steaming, baking or grilling, rather than frying or deep-frying in oil. Avoid recipes that cook with animal fats (such as lard or butter) and coconut oil as these are high in saturated fats which can increase your risk of heart disease. Choose recipes that use plant-based oils, such as rapeseed, olive, sunflower or vegetable oils.
Adapt your favourite recipes
Eating healthily doesn’t mean giving up on all your favourite foods. Read through some of your favourite recipes and try to identify ways to make them healthier.
This could include adding extra fruit or veg, switching from white to brown rice or pasta, switching from cream to low fat yoghurt, reducing the amount of salt and sugar or switching to a healthier cooking method.
For more tips on how to improve your heart health, visit the ‘Healthy Tips’ page on our website and don’t forget to check out our new Cookbook.
