Tag: Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: National BBQ Week

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: BBQ Week

This week is National BBQ Week, and it is a perfect time to get friends and family together to enjoy some healthy, nutritious food. We all know Covid-19 has impacted on social activities, so BBQ week provides a welcome opportunity to get together, share BBQ tips and recipes and have some fun in the process!

  • Choose the rainbow

See how many different vegetables and fruits you can add to the barbeque to make it extra colourful.

Whether this is on a skewer or as a side, including more fruit and vegetables will increase your fibre intake and reduce your risk of heart disease. Grilled aubergine, courgette, peppers, pineapple and peaches work well.

  • Be creative

Think of a food theme that everyone can enjoy and have fun with. How about having a variety of foods from around the world, trying new recipes, and experimenting with flavours.

You could find foods that are low in fat, such as chicken, fish, or plant-based alternatives. Burgers and sausages are often high in saturated fat, which can contribute to high cholesterol.

  • Dips and sauces

How about creating your own dips and sauces by using fat free yoghurt or low-fat crème fraiche with fresh herbs and spices. A lot of ready-made sauces are high in salt and sugar and they can be high in calories, which can lead to weight-gain and high blood pressure.

By being adventurous and trying out new healthy recipes this BBQ week, you can begin to reduce your risk of heart disease and increase your creativity!

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Healthy Heart Tip: Keep an eye on your waistline

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: Keep an eye on your waistline

Your waist circumference is an indicator of your risk of developing heart disease. If you carry too much fat around your middle, your risk of developing heart disease is higher, however this risk can be reduced by losing weight. We explain how to measure your waistline and tips for maintaining a healthy waistline.

What is a healthy waistline?

A healthy waistline for men is anything below 94cm (37 inches) and anything below 80cm (31.5 inches) for women. You are at a high risk if your waist circumference is 102cm (40 inches) or over for men or 88cm (34.6 inches) or over for women. If you are a man from African Caribbean, South Asian, Chinese or Japanese origin, a healthy waist circumference is anything below 90cm (35.4 inches).

How to measure your waistline

Checking your waist circumference will help you to identify whether you are carrying too much fat around your middle. To measure your waist, you first need to find the bone at the top of your hip and your bottom rib. You need to wrap a tape measure around your middle at the centre of these two points. Relax and breathe out when the measurement is taken. Ensure the tape measure is touching your skin, but not pulled too tightly. You can repeat the measure two more times and take the average.

Maintaining a healthy waistline

If your waist circumference is within the healthy range, this is great news. You should keep an eye on your waist circumference by measuring it from time to time. If your waist circumference is above the healthy range, you should try to lose weight through healthy eating and exercise. You can find lots of ideas for healthy eating and physical activity from the healthy tips and recipe pages on our website.

Sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Why not find out if you’re at risk by measuring your waistline today. There are many steps you can take towards a healthier heart.

Healthy Tip: Ball Game ideas for young children

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Tip: Ball Game Ideas for Young Children: Ball games main

Healthy Heart Tip: Ball Game Ideas for Young Children

Ball games are fun at any age, and a great way to get our hearts pumping! Here we explore some games you can enjoy with the little ones in your life, whether they are babies, toddlers or pre-schoolers.

Don’t forget to praise their efforts and show them that you enjoy the games you play together, too!

Babies

Even babies can enjoy playing with a ball. When a baby can hold up their head while lying on their tummy, encourage them to reach for the ball, by placing it just out of reach. This will encourage them to explore their surroundings, reach and grab.

Toddlers

Encourage your child to throw, kick and roll the ball to you. Make this easier at first by sitting or standing close to each other. Practice makes perfect – don’t expect your little one to catch straight away. You could even use a cardboard box or washing basket as a goal.

Pre-schoolers

Show your child how to use their hand as a bat. Bowl the ball to them and encourage them to hit it! As your little one improves; change the rules so that they must run from one base to another after a hit. The next step is rounders or cricket!

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: 

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Healthy Heart Tip: Happy Healthy Father’s Day

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: Happy Healthy Father’s Day

Whether you’re a father or taking on a fatherly role it’s time to celebrate you all this Sunday the 19th of June. Why not try making this a fun healthy day for all the family to remember? Here are a few of our tips to do just that.

Healthy gifts

Instead of the standard box of chocolates or bottle of beer why not buy your ‘father’ an activity day out, such as paintballing, or a set of cooking classes you can attend together or as a family.

Heart healthy breakfast in bed

Pull out all the stops and earn bonus points by providing a heart healthy breakfast in bed. Instead of a greasy fry-up why not provide a breakfast full of omega-3 for a healthy heart. A poached egg, smoked salmon and avocado on multi-seeded toast is easy to make, healthy and delicious!

Keep their memory alive

If you’re one of the many who have lost their father/father figure why not plan a walking route where you visit a meaningful place to reflect on happy memories. Get out in the fresh air and send that special person your love.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Healthy Heart Tip: Bike Week

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

BikeWeekUK begins on 6th June and is the perfect opportunity to become healthier by bike. Cycling regularly can help to lower our risk of developing heart disease and improve our overall health and wellbeing.

Here are some tips to help you get on your bike this summer:

Cycle to work

Cycling to work can be a time-efficient way to fit exercise into your daily routine. It can even benefit your productivity at work whilst also improving the health of your heart.

Cycle together

Cycling can be a great way to meet up with friends, or make new ones, and be active together. Evidence shows that we are more likely to complete exercise when doing so with a partner or in a group.

Additionally, we work physically harder when surrounded by others than when exercising alone. Look up your local cycle groups to get started!

Starting Slow

If you don’t yet feel confident or fit enough for a long bike ride, why not start small by going on some shorter bike rides, and gradually increasing your distance or time. This will build your confidence and fitness before you tackle a longer route.

Use Bike Week as the perfect starting point of pedalling your way to a healthy heart!

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at:

www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: 

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Healthy Heart Tip: Cooking from Scratch

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: Cooking from Scratch

Cooking from scratch can be more nutritious, tastier, cheaper, and it doesn’t have to take long. Give it a go and enjoy the sense of achievement once you’ve cooked a delicious meal:

Keep It Simple!

If you are new to cooking from scratch, try to keep meals simple to start with. If time is an issue, prep your meals in advance. For example, you can measure out your ingredients the night before or practice batch cooking.

Utilise Your Freezer

The freezer can be an important extension to your store cupboard. Did you know you can freeze herbs, fruits and vegetables? These can be very convenient to grab when you need them, and can help you cut down on food waste!

Staple Ingredients

Always keep ingredients for a few staple meals in the pantry and freezer so that there is always a meal just 30 minutes away. This may include dried pasta, quinoa, rice, lentils, canned tomatoes, frozen veg, herbs, spices and olive oil.

We hope we have inspired you to give cooking from scratch a go!

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at  www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips./

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website:  https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Healthy Heart Tip: Understanding Dietary Fats

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

A small quantity of fat is an important part of a healthy diet, but not all fats are the same. Saturated and trans fats can raise ‘bad’ cholesterol in your blood, increasing your risk of heart disease.

Here are some tips to help you manage the amount and type of fat in your diet:

Choose products with a lower total fat content

All fats are high in energy and too much can lead to weight gain. By reading the fat content on food labels you can choose products that are lower in fat. For example, you could switch from cheddar cheese (34g fat per 100g) to low-fat cheese spread (11g fat per 100g) or cottage cheese (5g per 100g).

Switch from saturated and trans fats to unsaturated fat

Foods high in saturated fat include fatty meats, hard cheeses, coconut oil, palm oil, butter, ghee, lard and cream. Trans fat is present in hard margarine, fried food, biscuits, cakes and pastries.

Saturated and trans fats can increase the ‘bad’ cholesterol in your body, increasing your risk of heart disease. Look after your heart by switching to unsaturated fats, such as oily fish such (e.g. salmon, mackerel and sardines), rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, unsalted nuts, seeds and avocados.

Find healthier cooking methods

If you fry your food, why not try baking, grilling, boiling or steaming instead? Rather than roasting potatoes in fat, switch to boiled new potatoes or a baked potato. Cut away visible fat from fatty meats, such as bacon and lamb. Use a small amount of unsaturated oil for cooking, such as rapeseed oil, rather than butter, ghee, lard or goose fat.

By cutting down on the amount of fat in your diet and switching from saturated or trans fats to unsaturated fats, you will take an important step towards reducing your risk of heart disease.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Healthy Heart Tip: Menu Planning

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Do you plan your meals in advance? If you don’t, it may be something you could consider!

Meal planning can support healthy eating as nutritious and balanced meals are easier to achieve when planned ahead. Planning meals makes it less likely that families will opt for take-aways or less healthy home-cooked options.

Save money!

Menu planning saves money by identifying exactly what groceries are needed and makes it easier to resist impulse purchases. Planning your meals ahead also cuts back and reduces waste, as you only buy what you are going to use.

Keep it interesting

Menu planning could incorporate more variety into your week! Why not plan some meatless meals or have some themed nights? In your meal plan, you could also alternate between new and old favourite recipes to mix things up.

Don’t forget to think seasonal too! For example, what fresh produce is available this time of year? Or is it soup or salad weather?

Save time, effort and stress

That’s what we all need, right? Since the ingredients required to cook a meal are already available and the recipe has already been decided; time, effort and stress are reduced!

Remember that leftovers from one meal can be used to supplement another in your plan too.

Take a look in the cupboard for foods that need to be used and base some of the meal plan on what you find. For example, a can of chickpeas may be used to make falafels or houmous.  

Hopefully we have inspired you to have a think in advance about your meal choices.

Healthy Heart Tip: Mental Health and our Hearts

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

This week is mental health awareness week. We know that each year one in four of us will experience some sort of mental health problem.

Long-term mental health problems can increase our risk of developing heart disease, which is one of the reasons why it is important that we look after our mental health by combating stress, maximising our ability to cope, and seeking support.

Here are some tips to keep our mental health in check:

Create Balance

  • Aim to balance your day-to-day demands with regular exercise, me-time and a good sleep routine to increase your resilience levels

Use your Support Network

  • Having someone you can talk to about your mental health can help you to better deal with any problems you are experiencing. This could be a friend, family member, or mental health professional.

Check-In

  • Checking in with ourselves and noticing trends in our behaviour and the way we feel can help us to know when we may need to seek help or put something in place to support our mental health. Apps such as Formscore, Thought Diary or Daylio offer an easy way to track our wellbeing over time.

Ask for Help

  • If we feel any of the signs and symptoms of a mental health problem, it is important to ask for help. You can speak with your GP or use a mental health charity support line such as Samaritans.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Healthy Tip: Walking

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: Walking

May is National Walking Month, which encourages us to leave the car at home and find ways to incorporate more walking into our days. Walking a little each day can offer a great benefit to our overall health and wellbeing, including our heart.

It is a low-impact form of exercise so most people can give it a go. Right now is also the perfect time of year to get outside as the evenings lighten and temperatures start to warm up.

Here are some ideas to help you clock up more steps this May (and beyond!):

Set a Goal

  • This can really help you make walking a daily habit. A good example would be aiming to walk for twenty minutes a day, five days a week. Plan your week every Sunday evening and schedule in you walking times to make sure they happen. You could even ask a friend to commit to walking with you to help you stay motivated.

Set up Walking Meetings

  • For those of us working from offices, swap your usual desk-based meetings for walking ones. This can be done in person with colleagues, or on the telephone, using headphones.

Make it Fun

  • Get the kids involved by going on a scavenger hunt or wildlife spotting walk. You could simply head out with the family and look out for certain colour cars, anything to add an element of fun!

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.