Is the British Heart Foundation S (BHF)

National Heart Month is the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) annual campaign to raise awareness of heart and circulatory diseases. Top tips on keeping your heart healthy

We all know that the main ways we can help to keep our hearts healthy are through a balanced diet, exercise, not smoking and limiting alcohol intake.

Prevention is better than cure, so why not make it your goal this year to shake up your lifestyle and focus on your health.

Occupational Health is offering mini health M.O.T.s for staff which can set you on the right path to good health. Contact us on ext 3187 or email [email protected] to book a confidential 30 minute appointment with an Occupational Health Nurse. For tips on how to improve your health in 10 minute slots, visit the British Heart Foundation’s 10 minute challenge pages, or if your weakness is chocolate, why not take up their Dechox challenge for March?

A healthy diet reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease and preventing weight gain, which puts pressure on your heart, as well as reducing your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. It can help to lower cholesterol levels and reduce some cancer risks.

The introduction of a healthy diet also helps to prevent further worsening of existing heart disease. Try to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, one should be oily e.g. mackerel, trout or salmon.

It’s never too late to start eating healthily.

The best way to eat healthy, balanced meals is to follow the eatwell plate (download) This shows how food groups should be proportioned for meals. WARNINGS ABOUT SALT

Some staple foods like bread and cereal have high salt content, so always read the label.

An adult should consume no more than 6g/1 teaspoon of salt per day

Add less salt to cooking Don’t add salt to food at the table

Use herbs to season food instead

There are hidden salts in the following types of foods, so try to keep consumption to a minimum;

Crisps Pork pies Pizzas and other ready meals

Baked beans and canned vegetables Nuts Processed foods

Canned and packet soups and sauces ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

Alcohol is high in calories so piles on the pounds and can cause damage to the heart muscle.

Recommended number of units per day

Women; 2-3 Men; 3-4

If you choose to drink more than the recommended daily limits, this can have an adverse affect on your heart. It has the potential to cause abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, damage to the heart muscle, diseases including stroke, liver problems and cancers.

For further guidance on alcohol consumption, the NHS Choices website has some useful online tools: Drinking Self Assessment Alcohol unit calculator Drinks tracker for iPhone STAYING ACTIVE

We all know that daily physical activity helps us to stay healthy The benefits of daily activity are numerous, not only for the body but also the mind.

It helps to:  Reduce a range of diseases (coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes)  Help maintain a healthy weight  improve self-esteem  Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve mood

Recent statistics suggest that 7 out of 10 adults don’t do enough physical activity and this increases their risk of heart disease. Guidelines include; at least 2 ½ hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity + muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle An equivalent mix of moderate and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every week + muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups

1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity + muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups What counts as moderate-intensity aerobic activity? This means you're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell if you're working at a moderate intensity is if you can still talk, but you can't sing the words to a song.

What counts as vigorous-intensity aerobic activity? Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity means you're breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit. If you're working at this level, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.

What counts as muscle-strengthening activity? Muscle-strengthening exercises are counted in repetitions and sets. A repetition is 1 complete movement of an activity e.g lifting a weight or doing a sit-up. A set is a group of repetitions. For each activity, try to do 8 to 12 repetitions in each set. Try to do at least 1 set of each muscle-strengthening activity. You'll get even more benefits if you do 2 or 3 sets.

The British Heart Foundation offers a FREE Heart Matters initiative which offers a unique package of support and information for people looking to improve their heart health, from a monthly magazine to recipe suggestions and email support on healthy eating, quitting smoking and wellbeing.

SMOKING Smoking is one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease, and smokers are almost twice as likely to have a heart attack as people who have never smoked. Smoking can increase your risk of developing several different types of cancer and it's the main cause of some lung diseases. Smoking harms your heart by damaging the lining of your arteries reducing the space for blood to pass through, carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke reduces the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry to your heart and body. Nicotine in cigarettes stimulates your body to produce adrenaline, which makes your heart beat faster and raises blood pressure, and results in your heart having to work harder, your blood is more likely to clot. All of these things increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease and having a heart attack or stroke. Smoking Cessation for University of Portsmouth staff A Smoking Cessation Adviser from Pompey Quit provides weekly drop in clinics on alternate Tuesdays (10th, 24th Feb, 9th, 23rd March, 6th, 20th April) from 12.30-1.30 room 2.12, Nuffield Centre. There’s no need to book an appointment, just pop in and just come along and speak to a specialist Advisor who will be able to offer advice and support on kicking the habit, guidance on up to date information around the many issues to do with smoking and trying to quit, for example treatment options, staying quit, top tips and how to support others. Pompey Quit are also able to provide smoking cessation treatments such as patches, so a visit to your GP may not be necessary. If you are unable to make the sessions but would like help and advice on quitting techniques and finding a stop smoking service near you, please use the following link. http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/smoking/Pages/stopsmokingnewhome.aspx

Source; British Heart Foundation