Tag: Heart Research UK

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip: Get Moving

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Get moving

Over the past year, it is fair to say that plenty of us have become more sedentary due to the effects of COVID-19. All those extra hours spent watching Netflix, with reduced travel time to work, and no gyms or sports facilities available, has meant that we haven’t always been paying attention to our hearts.

Heart Research UK have some tips to break the cycle and get us moving anyway we can:

Tracking your step count

The majority of us nowadays have technology that calculates our step count, heart rate, sleep time, stress levels and more. Using your phone/watch to count your daily steps has been shown to increase how likely we are to meet daily physical activity guidelines, and lead to more successful weight-loss.

Most of us don’t realise how few steps we are taking per day, or the significant impact we can have on our step count with just a short walk. Setting yourself a daily step goal can be a great first step towards improving your heart health.

It is recommended to try aiming for 6000 steps per day to start with. You don’t need to achieve this all-in-one go, and it is possible to meet this goal through taking regular breaks and walking around your house.

Going to the supermarket tends to be one of the only times many of us leave the house nowadays. Have you considered taking a backpack and walking to the shop to do your shopping?

This will increase your step count and be a great way to fit in some physical activity which involves walking with additional weight.

If the supermarket is too far, why not drive part of the way there and walk the rest, or even park the furthest you can in the supermarket car park from the entrance. Every step counts!

Avoid the ‘All or Nothing Attitude’

Have you ever thought “I will do the washing today” and then time becomes a problem so you end up thinking “I will leave it all to tomorrow then”; This is an all or nothing attitude. Plenty of us have this approach to many things. A way to avoid this is to break jobs up into parts. You may not have had time to do all of the washing, but you could have done some of it.

This can also relate to exercise and being physically active. One of the biggest barriers against physical activity is time, in general we tend to think if we can’t do a whole 30 minutes or 1 hour straight of exercise then there’s no point doing it at all.

However, this isn’t true! The recommended amount of physical activity per week in the UK is 150 minutes. This can be made up however you like as long as your heart and breathing rate increase! It is suggested that we aim for 30 minutes 5 times per week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t break up that 30 minutes into 3 x 10 minutes or even 6 x 5 minutes.

The key is to aim for little and often rather than all or nothing.

For example, why not try doing some calf raises whilst brushing your teeth, or some mini lunges whilst waiting for the kettle to boil? Most of us spend a lot of time sitting, whether that be watching TV, playing video games or working from home.

Set yourself a number of times per day that you need to stand up out of your chair. Before you walk away from the chair you could do 10 sit-to-stand exercises in a row, essentially this would be like doing 10 squats every time before you get out of your chair if you did this 5 times a day you would have achieved 50 squats!

For more ways to reduce sitting time follow https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/why-sitting-too-much-is-bad-for-us/?tabname=exercise-tips.

Healthy Heart Tips: Move more when staying at home

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Move more when staying at home

Getting motivated to exercise outdoors during the cold, dark winter months can be challenging. Keeping physically active this winter, while the gyms and sports facilities are closed due to COVID-19, presents us with a unique challenge.

Regular physical activity is strongly associated with a reduced risk of chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as improving mental health. Even small increases in physical activity can positively impact on health. Heart Research UK have some tips to help you keep active when staying at home. 

Exercises you can do inside your home

Find exercises that you can do at home in short bursts of ten minutes or more, at regular intervals throughout the day. For example, you could try some gentle weight-lifting, using cans of baked beans. The NHS provide tips for exercising without gym equipment: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/gym-free-workouts/

Replace your daily commute with physical activity

If you are working, or studying from home, you may be saving time that would normally be spent on your daily commute. Why not put this time to good use by scheduling in some physical activity. For example, you could go for a brisk walk, jog or cycle outdoors or walk briskly around the house, including going up and down flights of stairs.  

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: https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Documents/sofa-workout.jpg

Reduce screen time for kids

It is common for children and young people to spend too much time sitting in front of a screen. Why not talk to your children about the importance of staying active and agree on a set amount of screen time each day/week and schedule in some time for getting active?

You can find some fun indoor activities for kids on the Change 4 Life website: Indoor Activities for Kids | Kids’ Activities | Change4Life (www.nhs.uk)

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.

Healthy Heart Tip: Make a plan to stop smoking

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion and Education at Heart Research UK

Make a plan to stop smoking

Although rates of smoking have decreased in the UK in recent years, approximately 6.9 million people over the age of 18 are smokers. Smoking harms almost all organs in the body and it is a leading cause of preventable death.

Smoking can damage your heart and blood vessels, which increases your risk of having a heart attack. Quitting smoking can be difficult, but it is an important step for reducing your risk of heart disease. We provide some tips to help you stop smoking. 

List the reasons to stop smoking

If you want to stop smoking, an effective and simple thing you can do to stay on track is to write a list of the reasons why you wish to quit smoking. Whenever you feel the urge to smoke, you can read this list and it should inspire you to keep going.

Decide when to stop

As soon as you stop smoking, your risk of heart disease will reduce. The sooner you decide to quit the better. Choose a date within the next two weeks. If you leave it too long, you will give yourself time to change your mind.

Make a plan

Make a plan to quit smoking and ask your friends, family and co-workers for their support. Identify triggers that make you want to smoke and work out how you will overcome them in advance. For example, if you usually smoke during your break at work, plan to go for a walk instead.

Manage your cravings

Cigarette cravings are intense urges to smoke and they can last for 5 minutes. Quitting smoking requires a huge amount of willpower. When you get a craving, try to distract yourself for 5-10 minutes until it passes. You could try planning a healthy dinner or plan a route for a cycle ride or a walk. Once the craving has passed, you can give yourself a pat on the back.

Get support

Getting support to stop smoking can increase your chances of success. You could try contacting your local Stop Smoking Services or chatting to your GP. You could also seek advice from a friend or family member who has successfully stopped smoking or someone who is also trying to quit. You could also consider using a stop smoking aid, such as nicotine patches, gums, lozenges or nazal sprays to help stop the cravings.

You can get further support with stopping smoking from the NHS: 

https://www.nhs.uk/smokefree.

Heart Research UK Healthy Tips

Take a leaf out of Veganuary

The number of people following a vegan diet has risen in recent years and this month, many people are challenging themselves with ‘Veganuary’. A vegan diet contains only plant-based foods, such as grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. It is generally accepted that a vegan diet can offer benefits for the environment, animal welfare and your health.

The benefits of the vegan diet for your heart depends on which foods you choose and what else you do with your lifestyle. People who cut animal foods out of their diets tend to benefit from more fruit, veg and fibre and less saturated fat, with favourable blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Why not try out some of our Vegan inspired Healthy Heart Tips:

Try a new recipe

You can find lots of tasty vegan recipes online, such as on the BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/vegan.

Oil up

Rapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, walnuts, green leafy vegetables and soya products contain omega-3 fat which, when swapped for foods high in saturated fat, like fatty meats and cheese, could help to protect your heart and arteries. To cut down on animal fats, why not try swapping minced beef in your recipes for lentils, beans or chickpeas.

Look for reinforcements

To make sure your body isn’t missing out on essential nutrients, a vegan diet needs to be well-planned and you might need to top up on some vitamins. This time of year when sunlight exposure is limited, everyone in the UK should consider taking a vitamin D supplement.

This is especially important if you’re cutting out animal products. You’ll also need to supplement on vitamin B12 as you can’t get this from plant-based foods. Check food labels for the word ‘fortified’- most vegan spreads, breakfast cereals and soya products have vitamin D, calcium and B12 added to them.

The Vegan Society provides information about good nutrition for people following a vegan diet. Take a look at: https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/nutrients

The vegan diet isn’t the be all and end all to good health, but taking a leaf out of the vegan way could set you off in the right direction when it comes to heart health.

So why not give it a go, start with one meal a day or one day a week and see how you like it.

Healthy Heart Tips: Maintaining Healthy Habits

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion and Education at Heart Research UK

Maintaining Healthy Habits

New Year’s resolutions can be a good starting point for making longer term health and lifestyle improvements, but most people who set New Year’s resolutions do not stick to them.

Reasons for quitting include a lack of time, a lack of support from other people and feeling daunted by unrealistic targets. This tip is aimed at helping you to succeed in maintaining your healthy goals in 2021:

Setting achievable goals

The first thing to consider is whether your New Year’s resolutions is achievable and realistic. Often, goals are unachievable because they are too difficult, or they do not allow enough time for you to make gradual changes.  There is nothing wrong with aiming high and being ambitious, but it is important that your goal is not too difficult or time-consuming as this could leave you feeling daunted.

When setting a goal, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is the goal too ambitious?
  • Is the timeframe for the goal realistic?
  • What specific changes do I need to make to achieve my goal?
  • Can I fit my new healthy behaviour around my other commitments?

Break down your goal

Breaking large goals down into smaller goals can make them feel more achievable and less daunting. For example, if you are aiming to lose weight, the NHS recommends that you aim to lose around 1 to 2lbs (0.5 to 1kg) a week. You should be able to achieve this by cutting down your calorie intake by about 500 to 600 calories each day. It might take you longer than you originally planned to lose the weight, but you are more likely to stick to it and not give up.

Plan for success

Make a plan of how you will achieve your goal and what changes you will make to ensure you stick to it. There are online resources available to help you plan your healthy activities, such as the NHS’ couch to 5km programme or the NHS’ programmes for stopping smoking, cutting down alcohol and losing weight:

Don’t expect immediate results

The effects of your New Year’s resolution may take time to appear. Try to be patient and don’t expect the results from just one or two weeks of dieting to show on the weighing scales, as it may take longer.

Involving other people

A really good way to motivate you to stick to your goal is to involve other people. If you know someone who has a similar goal to yours, try to involve them as a “buddy” to provide mutual support for each other. They may even be able to push you a little bit harder, helping you to achieve your goals and resolutions sooner. You can also look for groups on social media who share your goal.

Do not beat yourself up

If you miss a fitness session, have an alcoholic drink, cigarette or bar of chocolate, try not to feel guilty about it. Think about what might have triggered the deviation from your goal and try to avoid it in future. Forgive yourself and aim to get back to achieving your goal as soon as possible.

Make changes that will last long term

On average, it takes between 21 and 28 days for something to become a long-term habit. Make goals that you want to be able to stick to long term, such as improving your overall fitness, stopping smoking or maintaining your weight.

If you can make it through these first few weeks, you will notice that things will become much easier. drinking you can get support by visiting: 

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/

Heart Research UK

Proud to stand out from the crowd, Heart Research UK is the charity dedicated to your heart. They inspire and invest in pioneering medical research, ground-breaking training and education, and in communities to improve their heart health for themselves. For over 50 years they have driven advancements in the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease to benefit patients as soon as possible.

In the last 10 years, Heart Research UK has funded over £10.2m in medical research in hospitals and universities across the UK, as well as £2.2m on innovative community-based lifestyle projects to improve the heart health of the nation.

They like a personal approach, so if they want to contact you they do it themselves, and certainly don’t pay anyone to do it. They treat people how they would like to be treated themselves.

If you’d like to support Heart Research UK’s vital work into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease, please visit www.heartresearch.org.uk for inspiration on how you could help.

Heathy Heart Tip: Dry January

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion and Education at Heart Research UK

Dry January

This month is Dry January, when lots of people around the UK stop drinking alcohol for the month and try to address the effects of overindulgence during the festive season. If you have not yet joined in, it is not too late!

Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of high blood pressure, some types of cancer, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other long-term conditions. Whether you are taking part in Dry January or not, Heart Research UK wants to help you manage your drinking habits for a healthier you in 2021.

Understand alcohol units
Alcohol content varies between different types of drink and different brands of similar drinks. Check the labels so you know exactly how many units are in each serving of your chosen tipple. Go online to find easy-to-use unit calculators to help you track your intake over the week and compare drinks. Alcohol units | Alcohol Change UK 

How much can I safely drink?
For men and women, the maximum recommended alcohol units each week is 14, spread over 3 or more days. If you are pregnant it is recommended that you do not drink alcohol at all. Drinkaware provide assessment tools that you can use to track the amount you are drinking: https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/tools

Stay on track
Try to keep yourself on track by regularly reminding yourself of the health and financial benefits of cutting down on drinking. Avoid temptation by removing alcohol from your home or hiding it away. Even if you are not seeing friends and family in person, you can connect with people online who are also trying to cut down or quit drinking to provide support and motivation. By telling other people about your intention to control your drinking, you are more likely to stick to it.

Manage your drinking during the pandemic
Many people have increased the amount of alcohol they consume at home during lockdown and it may sometimes feel that there is little else to do. Instead of drinking, focus on positive activities, such as setting physical activity goals or learning a new skill.

Alternatives to Alcohol
Develop your taste for alcohol free alternatives, such as reduced calorie soft drinks and squash, herbal teas or water with slices of lemon, lime, mint leaves and ice. Try making your own mocktails or mix things up with some sparkling water or tonic water as an alternative to alcoholic bubbles and garnish with chunks of fresh fruit to add colour.

Reward yourself for your success
Decide on a reward that will motivate you to achieve your goal and keep reminding yourself about it whenever you are tempted to have a drink. Avoid using alcohol as a reward.

Getting help when needed
If you are consuming more than 14 units a week, take steps to address it. You can get support by visiting: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/

Heart Research UK Healthy tip – Get moving this Christmas!

After sitting down to enjoy Christmas dinner, many of us head straight to the sofa to spend the remainder of Christmas Day watching TV, playing board games, snacking or taking a nap.

It is estimated that the average person in the UK consumes two to three times their recommended calorie intake on Christmas day, so why not get off the sofa, get moving and burn off some extra calories this Christmas?

Get on your bike
In 2020, there was an increase in bicycle sales. If you own a bike, why not get out for a Christmas Day cycle and make the most of the roads being quieter than usual. If your kids got bikes for Christmas, why not join them for a cycle around your local area.

Walk the dog
Dog ownership increased in 2020. If you own a dog, try not to miss out on your usual walk on Christmas Day. If you normally do two walks, try to stick to the plan and don’t skip one of them. You could increase the distance of your walk to burn off a few extra calories on Christmas Day. 


Dance the day away
Dance floors may have been out of bounds in 2020, due to COVID-19, but don’t let this stop you from getting your groove on! Why not put on your favourite tunes and dance around the kitchen as you prepare Christmas dinner. You could put your favourite 2020 music videos on and get your household dancing in the living room after dinner.

Heart Research UK Health Tip: Understanding alcohol units

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion and Education at Heart Research UK

Understanding Alcohol Units

For many people in the UK, alcohol plays a big part in their social lives. As Christmas approaches, it can be easy to get carried away with the celebrations. Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of heart disease.

But how much is too much and how do you know how many units of alcohol you are consuming? We provide guidance on understanding alcohol units and keeping track of how much you are drinking this Christmas.

 

  • What are alcohol units and ABV?

Alcohol units represent the quantity of pure alcohol contained within an alcoholic drink (1 unit is 10ml of pure alcohol). The number of units of alcohol in your drink depends on the size and the strength of your drink. ABV means ‘alcohol by volume’ and this is a measure of the amount of alcohol as a percentage of the total volume of a drink.

  • Calculating your units

You can find the ABV on the labels of cans and bottles. To calculate the number of units in a drink, multiply the ABV by the volume (in ml) and divide by 1000.

    • ABV x volume (ml) ÷ 1000 = units
1 BOTTLE OF WINE1 PINT BEER / LAGER / CIDER1 SINGLE SPIRIT

 750ml (ABV 13.5%) =

10 units
1 pint (568ml) (ABV 5.2%) =

3 units
25ml (ABV 40%) =

1 unit
 

The drinks you pour at home may be larger than the amount measured out in pubs. You could try using a measuring cup when pouring drinks at home so you can keep track of what you are drinking.

  • How much is too much?

For men and women, the maximum recommended alcohol units each week is 14, spread over 3 or more days. If you are pregnant it is recommended that you do not drink alcohol at all.

Try recording how much you are drinking over a week using a diary or alcohol tracker. Drinkaware provide assessment tools that you can use to track the amount you are drinking: https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/tools

  • Support for your drinking

If you are worried about how much you, or someone you know, are drinking you can get support by visiting: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/

Iconic rock frontman Robert Smith becomes Patron of Heart Research UK

Robert Smith, of alternative rock band The Cure, has become a Patron for national charity Heart Research UK.

Robert, who is the only continuous member of the legendary band that he co-founded in 1976, has announced his patronage after supporting the charity’s anonymous heART project for the last two years.

The anonymous heART project sees hundreds of anonymous artworks auctioned on eBay, and Robert’s two pieces have raised over £10,000 for the charity’s pioneering research.

Robert, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year as a member of The Cure, is working with the charity on a number of exciting projects, due to be announced in 2021.

“I am very proud to be a Patron of Heart Research UK. Their determined focus on pioneering investigation into the understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease, and their drive to improve the ‘heart health’ of the UK is inspiring,” said Robert.

“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.”

Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive of Heart Research UK, said: “We are honoured to have Robert joining us here at Heart Research UK. We are all massive fans of his music, and now, his artwork!

“We have been blown away with his energy and generosity in supporting our campaigns, and we are so excited to continue our partnership with him.

“We know research works, but the seven million people living with cardiovascular disease in the UK need it to work faster. We are dedicated to funding the latest research in to the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.”

Heart Research UK Healthy tip – Healthy Christmas

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion and Education at Heart Research UK

TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER CHRISTMAS

Christmas is a time when we can be tempted to overindulge, but it is possible to enjoy the festive period without it impacting on our health and waistline. Wherever you are spending Christmas this year, we can help you make it a healthy and happy one.  

  • Don’t let food become the main focus this Christmas. Instead of spending days in the kitchen baking cakes, biscuits and puddings, why not invest your time in preparing fun games to play on Christmas day, decorating the house, getting in touch with people who are spending Christmas alone or planning a Christmas Day walk.
  • Instead of buying gifts that are high in calories, such as chocolates, jams, sweets, biscuits and alcohol, choose non-edible gifts instead. How about buying the kids things that will get them active, such as a football, skipping rope, skateboard, bike, hula hoop or trampoline.
  • It can be difficult to avoid the consumerism that has taken over Christmas and you can easily buy too much food and drink for the festive season. Having too much can encourage overindulgence and lead to unnecessary waste. Try to be realistic about how much people will eat and drink and avoid overdoing it when you are shopping and cooking. This will also help you to save on your shopping bill!
  • Watch your alcohol consumption at Christmas. It is fine to enjoy a drink, but try not to have too much. Alcoholic drinks can be high in calories, which can lead to weight-gain. During the Christmas period, it can be tempting to start drinking earlier in the day, which can result in you drinking more. Try to plan in advance how much you will drink and try to stay off the alcohol until later in the day. You can get support with your drinking by visiting the Drinkaware website: https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/tools/self-assessment 
  • Try not to spend too long sitting in front of the TV this Christmas. Wrap up warm and head out for a brisk walk to burn off some calories and get your heart rate up. Why not get out in the fresh air with any new outdoor gifts, such as a football, frisbee or bike. 
  • Look after your mental health this Christmas. Christmas can be a time of stress, anxiety and loneliness for many people. This year, people may struggle more with mental health problems due to the pandemic. Mind provides information and support for people experiencing mental health issues https://www.mind.org.uk/