Sweet potatoes make a tasty alternative to white potatoes and they are very versatile. Unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes count towards your 5 a day and they are packed with vitamins and fibre to keep you healthy.
Sweet potatoes can be mashed, baked, roasted and boiled in the same way as white potatoes.
We provide some tips to help you include sweet potatoes in your meals:
For a healthy lunch, why not swap your regular baked potato for a baked sweet potato (without butter). Choose a healthy filling, such as vegetarian chilli, tuna, baked beans or cottage cheese and serve with a healthy salad.
Try switching from regular mashed potato to mashed sweet potato. Alternatively, you could make your mash with 50% white potatoes and 50% sweet potatoes. Instead of adding cream, butter or salt, try adding a splash of milk or low-fat crème fraiche and a pinch of nutmeg before mashing. Mashed sweet potato makes a great topping for shepherd’s pie or fish pie, or you can serve it alongside a roast dinner.
Ditch your deep-fat fryer and switch from chips to sweet potato wedges, baked in the oven. Cut your sweet potatoes into wedges (keep the skins on for extra fibre), toss them in a small amount of oil and add some dried herbs and/or spices, such as Cajun spice mix, cumin or paprika. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve with a dollop of reduced calorie crème fraiche.
As the days get shorter, you may feel less motivated to go outdoors for regular exercise.
Spending time outdoors can help to improve both your physical and mental health.
What’s more, if you do something that gets your heart beating faster, warms you up and leaves you feeling slightly out of breath, it will benefit your heart too.
We have some tips to help you make the most of the great outdoors to help keep your mind, body and heart in sound health:
They say there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing! When you go outdoors, make sure you wear suitable clothing to stay warm and dry. Feeling cold and wet is a miserable experience and it may deter you from going out regularly.
Start each day by wrapping up warm and heading out for a stroll around the garden, neighbourhood or local park. You could take a hot drink to help you to stay warm.
Getting out on your bike can be more challenging in the cold, dark winter months. Why not blow away the cobwebs as you discover local cycle routes on your bike. Don’t forget to take your bicycle lights with you so you don’t get caught out as the days get shorter.
Look out for opportunities in your daily schedule to get up and go outdoors, even if it is just for ten minutes. Try to plan activities in your diary to make you get outdoors every day.
With more people staying at home during the working day, due to COVID-19, the temptation to reach into the snack cupboard and graze on less healthy food, such as crisps, biscuits, chocolate, sweets and cake, may be high. Regularly snacking on foods that are high in energy (calories), fat, sugar and salt can increase your risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Here’s some simple tips for making healthier snacking choices at home:
Read the labels
When buying packaged snack foods, check the nutrition label on the pack and aim to choose foods that have:
6g or more of fibre per 100g
5g or less of total sugars per 100g
3g or less of fat per 100g
1.5g or less of saturated fat (saturates) per 100g
0.35g or less of salt per 100g
As the weather gets cooler, you could start your day with a comforting bowl of warm porridge. Rather than adding sugar, honey, jam or syrup to your porridge, you could try adding fruit, such as berries, chopped apple or sliced banana and a sprinkling of chopped nuts, seeds or cinnamon.
The Do’s of Snacking
Remove the temptation to snack on foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt by keeping them out of your home. Empty your cupboards of chocolate, crisps, biscuits, cakes and sugary drinks and replace them with healthier options
Include a variety of different snack foods in your diet. Choose a range of healthy foods to snack on, such as portions of fruit, raw vegetable sticks, low-fat dips and spreads, wholemeal toast, unsalted nuts, low-fat yoghurts, 30g portions of reduced fat cheese and wholegrain crackers or oatcakes
Choose snacks that contain at least one of your 5 a day. Fill your fruit bowl with your favourite fruits and keep plenty of veg in the fridge
Choose a portion of fresh fruit to snack on, such as an apple, banana, orange or a handful of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or grapes
Choose vegetable sticks, such as carrot, celery, peppers, cucumber or sugar snap peas with low-fat dips, such as hummous
Limit fruit juices to no more than 150ml a day as they can be high in sugar
Choose snacks that are high in fibre. Wholegrain foods, such as wholemeal toast and crackers, as well as fruit and vegetables, are high in fibre, which is good for keeping your heart healthy. Choose packaged snack foods that contain at least 6g of fibre per 100g
Make your own popcorn at home, without adding salt or sugary toppings. This can be a healthier snack for all the family and a fun one to involve the kids with.
The Don’ts of Snacking
Avoid grazing
When you are distracted with work or the TV, or when you are feeling bored, it can be tempting to graze in the absence of hunger. If you regularly graze, try setting specific times when you will allow yourself to eat a healthy snack. For example, you could set an alarm for 10:00am and 3:00pm to enjoy a healthy snack in between your meals.
Try to avoid overdoing it
Less healthy snacks, such as crisps, chocolate bars, sweets, biscuits, and cakes. Avoid cheap supermarket offers on less healthy food options, as they can tempt you into buying (and eating) more than you need.
Occasional treats
For an occasional treat, choose foods that are individually wrapped, such as a small chocolate bar or a small packet of crisps, rather than larger sharing packs.
Limit less healthy snacks
Try no more than two or three portions each week. Portion (serving) size is often given at the back of packaging and this information can help you to limit the amount you are eating.
National charity Heart Research UK has raised £53,000 with their ‘anonymous heART project’, auctioning unique anonymous artworks by a host of internationally acclaimed artists and celebrities.
Almost 500 pieces of original A5 artwork, created by huge names including Robert Smith (The Cure), Ralph Steadman, Pejac, Joe Lycett and Ashley Jackson were auctioned on eBay between the 6th – 15th November.
All of the pieces were sold anonymously, and though a full list of contributors was available, the artist of each piece has been kept a secret, only being revealed to winning bidders now the auction is over.
When the virtual hammer came down, all 497 of the pieces found new homes, raising tens of thousands of pounds for Heart Research UK’s life-saving work.
The bestselling piece (pictured, top) was an original painting by Robert Smith, iconic rock star and frontman of The Cure, which commanded a stunning £5,100 in the online auction.
The piece, entitled “I will kiss you forever…” featured the lyrics “on nights like this”, taken from The Cure’s hit song ‘The same deep water as you.’
The second highest seller was by internationally-acclaimed Spanish painter Pejac. The piece, titled ‘Bottomless pit’ (above) fetched a whopping £1,793.
Now in its third year, the anonymous heART project has seen over 1,300 artworks sold, raising over £110,000 for Heart Research UK’s pioneering research in to the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.
Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive of Heart Research UK, said:“The dust has finally started to settle from 2020’s anonymous heART project, and what a journey it has been. Every year, we are blown away by the generosity of the artists and the people bidding.
“We’ve smashed our fundraising target, so we would all like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated their time and efforts to the campaign.
“At Heart Research UK, we’re always looking for fun and interesting ways to raise money. The anonymous heART project allows people to support ground-breaking medical research but also get a little something back, owning their own mini-masterpieces.
“What makes this project so special is that everyone has the chance to own a piece of iconic art. It really is making high class art available to all, and we’re thrilled all 497 pieces have found a new home!”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Cut down on sugar in your drinks
TODAY 14th November is World Diabetes Day. Consuming too much sugar in your diet can lead to weight-gain as well as increasing your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Over a quarter of the added sugar in our diets is believed to come from the drinks we consume. The focus of this week’s tip is on reducing the amount of sugar in your drinks.
Choose sugar-free or reduced-sugar drinks
When you feel thirsty, water is always the best option. Try swapping your sugary soft drink for a glass of water or a sugar-free or reduced-sugar drink. If you are not keen on the taste of water, you could try adding a slice of lemon and/or some mint leaves.
Save sugary drinks for an occasional treat
If you don’t want to stop drinking your favourite sugary drink permanently, try limiting the amount you drink by consuming it less frequently and in smaller quantities. Unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies also contain sugar, so try to limit your intake to no more than 150ml a day.
Avoid adding sugar, syrups and honey to hot drinks
If you usually add sugar, syrups or honey to hot drinks, why not gradually reduce the amount you add, until you can cut it out altogether. Alternatively, you could use an artificial sweetener, however this will not help you to adjust your taste preference for sweet drinks.
Cut down on sugar from alcoholic drinks
Alcoholic drinks can be high in sugar. A pint of cider contains around five teaspoons of sugar. Try to reduce your sugar intake by consuming alcoholic drinks less frequently, in smaller measures and by combining alcoholic drinks with sugar-free or reduced-sugar mixers, such as sugar-free tonic water.
Heart Research UK launch art inspired fundraising campaign where YOU can bag a piece of original world-class art
National charity Heart Research UK have launched the ‘anonymous heART project’ 2020.The online fundraising campaign will see hundreds of anonymous one-of-a-kind masterpieces created by huge names from the worlds of art and entertainment, go under eBay’s virtual hammer to raise money for life-saving research.
Robert Smith (The Cure), Ralph Steadman, Joe Lycett, and Ashley Jacksonare just a few of the hundreds of international stars and artists who have created stunning original A5 pieces.
Their pieces will be auctioned alongside over 450 others, created by a host celebrities and international artists on eBay from the 6th – 15th November 2020.
The twist? Though the list of artists will be available to all bidders, the artist of each individual piece will be kept anonymous, only being revealed once the auction is over. Could you bag yourself an original masterpiece for a bargain price?
All the money raised will fund Heart Research UK’s vital medical research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.
Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive of Heart Research UK, said: “The anonymous heART project is one of the most exciting projects Heart Research UK has ever run. The quantity and quality of the artwork that we have received from artists, designers and celebrities all over the world has been astounding.
“At Heart Research UK, we’re always looking for fun and interesting ways to raise money. The anonymous heART project allows people to support ground-breaking medical research but also get a little something back, owning their own mini-masterpiece created by an artist or celeb.
“What makes this project so special is that everyone has the chance to own a piece of iconic art; it really is making high class art available to all.
“All of the money we raise will help us continue our pioneering medical research, helping us benefit patients as soon as possible.”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Halloween is approaching fast and the shops are filling up with spooky costumes, decorations, pumpkins and sugary treats. It can be difficult to avoid overindulging on sweets and chocolate at Halloween, but there are some healthy swaps you can make.
Before you head out to buy bags of sugary and fatty Halloween treats, why not consider celebrating Halloween in a healthier way.
Here’s some ideas to help you enjoy a healthier Halloween:
• Whizz up some ‘vampire blood’ smoothies by blending strawberries, raspberries and blueberries that are packed full of antioxidants to keep your heart and arteries healthy.
• Pumpkin is high in fibre, vitamins and minerals and low in calories. When hollowing out your pumpkin lantern, save the flesh to make tasty pumpkin soup and call it ‘witches’ brew’. You can find many more healthy pumpkin recipes here
• Swap some of the sweets for ‘bat droppings’ of dried fruit and unsalted nuts and give your little monsters a boost of vitamins, minerals and fibre, as well as plenty of energy to run around in their scary costumes.
• Buy Halloween-themed toys, puzzles, magazines or stationery to give the kids, instead of sweets and chocolate.
This month is Sober October, when lots of people around the UK stop drinking alcohol for the month. If you have not yet joined in, it is not too late!
Research has found that alcohol consumption has increased in one fifth of people due to the coronavirus pandemic. As many as two fifths of people who have been furloughed are thought to be drinking more alcohol. Drinking in excess can increase your blood pressure and lead to weight gain, which is bad news for your heart.
If you have stopped drinking for October, we have some tips to keep you on track:
We hope these tips will help you if you are thinking about stopping drinking, but haven’t yet taken the plunge:
Avoid temptation by not having alcohol in the house
Tell other people you have stopped drinking. By telling other people about it, you are more likely to stick to your goal
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.
Regularly remind yourself of the health and financial benefits of not drinking. You could use the money you save to buy yourself a reward.
If you go back to drinking after October, keep a drink diary to record your weekly alcohol intake. If you are consuming more than 14 units a week, take steps to address it.
Unless you are a wheelchair user, there is evidence to show that prolonged periods of sitting can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Modern technology has changed how we spend our work and leisure time. It is not uncommon for people to spend several hours every day sitting behind a desk, watching TV, playing computer games or sitting at the wheel of a car.
We have some tips to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting.
Whenever you are going to be sitting for prolonged periods of time, set an alarm to remind yourself to get up and move around regularly. If you are sitting watching TV, why not use the advert breaks to prompt you to get moving. You could use this time to run up and down the stairs, dance around the living room or do some star jumps.
Step away from your desk
The government has recently advised us to work from home over the winter if we can. As a result of this, many people are missing out on their active commute to work, such as walking or cycling.
If you are working from home without moving much, you could set a timer to remind yourself to get up and move at regular intervals. Why not set yourself a 5 to 10 minute chore to complete once an hour that will get you moving, such as hanging laundry, hoovering or cleaning windows.
Active phone calls
Avoid staying seated during phone calls. Use the opportunity to walk around or do some squats and lunges.
If you own exercise equipment, such as a stationary bike or treadmill, you could hop on for the duration of your phone call. Be careful not to get too out of breath during your phone call. You could pump up the pace for a few minutes after the call ends.
Choose hobbies that will get you moving
If your hobbies involve lots of time sitting, such as needlework, computer games, board games, reading or painting, try to get up and move around at regular intervals.
You could set a timer to remind yourself to move more often. You could also look for new hobbies that will get you moving more, such as gardening, walking and DIY. If you enjoy reading, why not listen to an audio book through headphones while you take a walk or read while you pedal on a stationary bike.
Is online shopping keeping you in your seat?
Unless you are shielding or self-isolating due to COVID-19, you could switch from sitting in front of a screen to do online food shopping and start walking or cycling to the shops instead.
Not only will this increase your physical activity, but it will also free up supermarket delivery slots for vulnerable people who need them the most.
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Reduce red and processed meat
Meat and fish are excellent sources of protein as well as some vitamins and minerals. However, many red and processed meats are high in saturated fat. Too much saturated fat in the diet can raise the amount of LDL cholesterol (also known as bad cholesterol) in your blood.
High LDL (bad) cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease. The NHS recommends a daily meat intake of no more than 70 grams. Reducing your intake of red and processed meats will not only benefit your health, but it is also good for the environment.
We have some tips to help you reduce your red and processed meat consumption:
What are red, white and processed meats?
Red meat includes beef, lamb and pork and it tends to be higher in saturated fat. White meat, such as chicken and turkey are lower in total fat and saturated fat. Processed meat includes smoked, cured and preserved meats, such as bacon, salami, sausages and ham.
What are the pros and cons of eating meat?
You do not have to eat meat in order to get all the nutrients you need to stay healthy. The table below highlights some of the positive and negatives of meat consumption.
Positives
Meat is high in protein, which is essential for growth and repair. Protein provides the body with energy and it can keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Animal products contain vitamin B12 and red meat is also a good source of iron.
Vitamin B12 and iron are important in the production of red blood cells and for transporting oxygen around the body.
Negatives
Red and processed meat can be high in saturated fat, which increases the likelihood of having raised LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood. This can lead to a blockage in the coronary arteries, the vessels which supply your heart with blood.
High red and processed meat consumption is also associated with increased rates of bowel cancer.
Eating a lot of meat has a negative impact on the environment.
Take a break from red and processed meat once a week
Don’t feel pressured to cut out all meat from your diet. If you tend to eat red and/or processed meat most days, why not challenge yourself to one meat-free day every week? Try searching online or in cookbooks for meat-free recipes.
If you eat a lot of red and processed meat, try switching to chicken, turkey or fish instead. This will help to reduce your saturated fat intake. Aim to eat two portions of fish every week, one of which should be an oily fish. Oily fish, such as salmon, sardines and mackerel, contain omega-3 fatty acids which help to keep your heart healthy.
Try some vegetarian alternatives
Meat substitutes, such as vegetarian sausages, mince and burgers are lower in saturated fat compared to equivalent meat products. Explore different meat substitutes and find out which you like, you might surprise yourself!
Keep an eye on the food labels as some meat substitutes are high in calories and salt.
If you’re not a fan of ‘fake meat’ you could try products made with beans, pulses and nuts as these are all good sources of protein. If you do not eat oily fish, you can get omega-3 fatty acids from nuts and seeds, such as walnuts and pumpkin seeds.
