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for lifeHappy heart

Love your heartYour heart is important, physically and emotionally. Think how often we talk about the heart, like when we say ‘heart-felt’ or ‘the heart of the matter’. The key question is have you got ‘your heart in the right place’ i.e. first place?

Your heart does an amazing job every day of your life and deserves to be treated well. This may mean making some invaluable changes to your lifestyle to give it the best.

Your AMAZING heart

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The heart of the matterYour heart is roughly the size of your fist and is the strongest muscle in your body. It sits in the middle of your chest and tilts slightly to the left. Its job is to pump blood around your body, ensuring that each organ and cell receives the vital oxygen and nutrients needed to function and stay alive.

To do this job, your heart needs its own supply of the oxygen and nutrients carried in the blood. This is where your coronary arteries come in. These tiny vessels, as thin as a drinking straw, ensure oxygen-rich blood reaches all parts of the heart muscle. If the blood supply in these arteries is interrupted, your heart can be in trouble.

A hearty taskOn average, a heart beats about 100,000 times every day, pumping around 7,200 litres of blood in all over a distance of 19,000km. That’s enough to fill a very large paddling pool and is the same distance as flying from London to Hong Kong and back. Not bad for a pump about the size of a fist!

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) happens when the blood supply to the heart muscle is reduced because the coronary arteries become too narrow or, worse still, become blocked.

Porridge-like deposits (called atheroma), which are mainly made up of fat, cholesterol and cells, build up on the inside wall of the coronary arteries and harden (sclerosis). This process, known as ‘atherosclerosis’, gradually takes place over many years and causes arteries to narrow, lose their elasticity, and even become blocked. This interferes with the normal flow of blood to the heart muscle and affects the heart’s pumping efficiency.

If the coronary arteries become partially blocked so that the heart muscle no longer receives enough blood and oxygen to match its needs, angina may occur. This is often felt as a chest pain, particularly during exercise, and is a warning sign for CHD.

Should a complete blockage occur, such as when an unstable plaque breaks and causes a blood clot that ‘plugs’ the artery, part of the heart muscle becomes starved of oxygen and is damaged. This is a heart attack.

A cardiac arrest is when the heart muscle cells stop contracting in a co-ordinated way causing a loss of pumping action. Blood is no longer delivered to the organs resulting in collapse. A heart attack can be one of the causes of cardiac arrest.

A heart in trouble

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A heart at riskA person is more likely to develop heart disease if he or she has some of the risk factors:

Natural risk factors such as age, sex (men are more at risk of CHD at an earlier age), a family history of CHD or a certain ethnic background, in particular South Asians living in the UK.

Clinical risk factors such as high blood pressure, raised blood cholesterol levels, diabetes, being overweight or obese, or having a high waist measurement (being apple-shaped).

Lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, having an unhealthy diet or not being active enough.

While natural risk factors cannot be changed, your chance of developing heart disease can still be dramatically reduced by eliminating poor lifestyle habits and minimising your clinical risk factors.

You can choose to have a healthy heart – it’s all about making the right lifestyle choices.


A heart-healthy lifestyleA heart-healthy dietThe key to a healthy diet is to eat a wide variety of foods, in the right quantities to match your body’s need for energy and nutrients:

A third of the food you eat should be fruit and vegetables; eat at least 5 portions every day to get the vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants that help promote good heart and artery health.

A third should be starchy foods such as bread, cereals, pasta, rice and potatoes. Choose wholegrain bread and breakfast cereals, brown rice and brown pasta to boost your fibre intake. Foods such as oats and pulses (peas, beans, lentils) release energy slowly and contain soluble fibre which can help reduce blood cholesterol levels.

The remaining third should include a moderate amount of protein-rich foods such as meat, poultry, fish and vegetarian alternatives, dairy foods and small amounts of food containing fats and sugar.

Heart-healthier fats – reduce the total amount of fat you eat, minimise saturated fats and avoid trans fats. Reduce your saturated fat intake by choosing lean cuts of meat and low-fat dairy products and checking food labels. Trans fats, also known as ‘hydrogenated fats’, can be found in processed foods, certain margarines and fried foods.

Replace saturated fat with mono– and poly-unsaturated fats to promote healthy cholesterol levels by using olive and rapeseed oils, avocados, nuts and seeds. Oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel are good sources of omega 3 fats that are beneficial for heart health.

Cut back on salt – salt is present in processed foods such as cheese, sausages, crisps, cereals, chutneys, Bombay mix, soya sauce and biscuits, so we can easily eat more than we need and this can lead to high blood pressure. The maximum recommended salt intake for adults is 6 grams per day (about a teaspoon). Check food labels, banish the salt cellar and use herbs and spices for flavour instead.


Move more for a healthier heartLeading an active lifestyle is an important step to prevent heart disease. Regular exercise that gets your heart beating faster and makes you feel warm and slightly out of breath will: help to control blood pressure, promote healthier blood cholesterol levels, keep a healthy weight and waist measurement and reduce your risk of developing diabetes. It will also help keep your heart muscle working efficiently, improve your general fitness and make you feel on top of the world.

150 minutes over a week (for example 30 minutes a day for five days) is recommended to reap the benefits of physical activity. You don’t need to do it all in one session, for example a session of 30 minutes or two of 15 minutes on five days are fine. Finding something that you enjoy doing and having a variety of activities will keep you motivated and active for years to come. Walking is a great way to start: walking to work, to school with the kids, to the shops, with your friends or dog, at lunchtime, in the evenings and at the weekend – just get those feet moving. Always take a few minutes to warm up and cool down, and build up gradually. If you have a medical condition or haven’t exercised for some time, consult your doctor before you start.

One in five men and women in the UK still smoke despite the increased risk of serious health problems, but there are now more people who are ex-smokers, showing it can be done! Visit: www.nhs.uk/smokefree

Quit smokingSmoking is the biggest risk factor for heart disease.

There are thousands of chemicals in each cigarette, like nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzene and cadmium, to name just a few. Many of these are poisonous and some are particularly harmful to your heart as they make your blood more likely to clot, reduce your blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity, cause your arteries to fur up and increase your blood pressure and heart rate. Worse still, nicotine is addictive, making it harder to give up this costly habit.

Your heart and arteries will suffer whether you smoke cigarettes, roll ups, low-tar cigarettes, shisha, cannabis, cigars, a pipe, or breathe in someone else’s smoke. By saying NO to smoking and avoiding smoky environments, you will dramatically reduce your risk of damaging your arteries and having a heart attack.


Taking the road to heart health...every step of the wayPregnancy and Pre-BirthA baby’s heart develops very early on and the heartbeat can be first heard at around six weeks. Your lifestyle habits before and during pregnancy can affect your baby’s development in the womb and health in later life.

♥ Give your baby and yourself the best: quit smoking before, during and after pregnancy.

♥ Eat a varied and healthy diet so you both get the vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and other nutrients you need. A heart-healthy diet now can also help reduce your baby’s risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes later on.

♥ Keep a healthy weight gain in pregnancy to avoid the risk of ‘gestational’ (during pregnancy) diabetes and high blood pressure. Make sure you stay active, fitting in some exercise like walking or swimming every day.

♥ Remember that you may be ‘eating for two’ but it’s not two of you, so food intake should focus on quality not quantity.

Babies and ToddlersAt around six months, your baby can start exploring solid foods like mashed fruit and vegetables. Remember not to use salt when preparing food. Avoiding it at an early age will help stop your little ones from acquiring a taste for salt early on. Offer lots of different healthy options as your baby learns to handle finger foods and feed itself.

Young children grow rapidly so they need plenty of high energy foods that also provide protein, vitamins and minerals to meet their nutritional needs. Whole milk and full-fat dairy foods should be used initially, but semi-skimmed milk can be gradually introduced from the age of two years if your child is eating and growing well.

Young ChildrenGetting your child to enjoy a healthy, colourful and varied diet while being physically fit and active is a great investment for the future. Giving them a home, car and environment that’s smoke-free is also key and remember, parents who smoke are more likely to pass on the habit to their children too. Eat as a family and lead by example. Choose healthy options, sensible portions and keep food and drinks that are high in salt, fat and sugar to a minimum.

Physical activity is important for healthy growth and development. Children need at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity everyday, so limit screen time and get them to try lots of different activities to help them develop fitness, coordination and flexibility, and get a life-lasting buzz for exercise.

The recommended maximum salt intake for children per day is: 1-3 years = 2g | 4-6 years = 3g | 7-10 years = 5g | 11 years and over = 6g


TeenagersChildren tend to become less active during adolescence, so encourage them to join a sports club, get their bikes out or take up new physically active hobbies or past times. Exercise is essential for a healthy heart and healthy muscle and bone development. It can be a great stress reliever and help ensure a better night’s sleep too.

The teenage years can sometimes be stressful and learning to cope with stress in a healthy way is a valuable skill for life. Being a good role model is especially important as most smokers and binge drinkers start these habits during their teenage years. As they gain more independence and responsibility for how they spend their time and money, keep encouraging them to make healthy choices.

AdultsWhatever your age, it’s never too late to get on track with lifestyle changes that will reduce your risk of heart disease. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for heart disease, so the sooner you stop, the better your heart-health in the long-term and the more years (and money) you’ll add to your life. Aim to eat a varied, heart-healthy diet and to be physically active nearly every day, keeping your ‘sitting time’ to an absolute minimum.

♥ Know your numbers to know your risk – get your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels checked regularly and keep an eye on that middle age-spread or weight gain by measuring your waist and stepping on those scales. Work on your fitness with regular exercise and watch your alcohol units don’t exceed the maximum recommended intake over the week.

♥ Stress can lead to less healthy lifestyle habits and affect sleep, so reassess your work-life balance every now and again and manage your stress levels.

♥ Men tend not to focus on their health as much as women but visiting your GP for an ‘MOT’ or to discuss concerns could be a great opportunity to highlight any risk factors that could easily be tackled through lifestyle changes.

♥ The menopause is a time when women’s risk of heart disease increases, so entering this time of your life with fewer risk factors and a healthy lifestyle will help to reduce it.

Golden YearsThese years are an important time to continue investing in a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Adults generally become more sedentary over the age of 65 so, unless you have been advised otherwise, aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. Try dancing, cycling, gardening, golf or another activity that gets you moving and socially active. Chair-based exercises, swimming, bowls, Tai chi and walking are low impact activities that could help you ‘move more’.

Keep your diet varied, nutritious and colourful to give your heart and body the best. Include plenty of fruit and vegetables, wholegrain starchy foods, oily fish and low-fat calcium-rich foods. Take up some cooking lessons; swap easy, healthy, economical recipes with friends and cook dishes in bulk, freezing smaller portions for later. Check food labels when buying ready meals to spot the hidden salt, fat and sugar.

Even if you already have heart disease, changes to your lifestyle will still go a long way in helping to prevent further problems.

Keep the fridge and cupboards stacked with plenty of healthy choices so your teenager’s growth spurts and hunger can be met with nutritious food.

The hard factsHeart disease, stroke and other types of cardiovascular disease are the UK’s biggest killers and a major cause of ill-health and disability.

Thanks to advances in medical knowledge and lifestyle interventions, fewer people die from heart disease each year. But there are still more than two million men and women in the UK who’ve been diagnosed with CHD and many more have diabetes, high blood pressure or other factors that put them at a higher risk of heart disease.

Call 0113 234 7474 Fax: 0113 297 6208 Email: [email protected] Website: www.heartresearch.org.ukRegistered Charity No. 1044821 Registered Office: Suite 12D, Joseph’s Well, Leeds LS3 1AB Company limited by guarantee No. 3026813 Registered in England.

Amount in grams (g) per 100 grams of foodLOW MEDIUM HIGH

Fat Less than 3g More than 3g and less than 17.5g More than 17.5g

Saturates Less than 1.5g More than 1.5g and less than 5g More than 5g

Total sugars Less than 5g More than 5gand less than 22.5g More than 22.5g

Salt* Less than 0.3g More than 0.3gand less than 1.5g More than 1.5g

* Some food labels state the sodium content, multiply the amount of sodium by 2.5 to find out the salt content.

Know your labels so you can compare products at a glance and choose heart-healthier options

Heart friendly foodsA variety of fruit and vegetables, whole grain and high fibre foods, oily fish (mackerel, salmon, sardines, fresh (not tinned) tuna, kippers), olive and rapeseed oils, small amounts of unsalted nuts, products that are low in fat, sugar and salt

Not so friendlyFatty cuts of meat, processed meat products (sausages, pies, burgers), fried foods, fast foods, take aways, full-fat dairy products, ghee, biscuits, cakes, pastries, sweets, chocolate, crisps, tortillas, crackers, fizzy drinks

Heart -warming newsMaking some small changes now will help you reap big rewards for your heart in the future.

Whatever your age, make yours a healthy, happy heart for life.

Did you know......you can get money back on everyday health costs.

The Sovereign Health Care cash plan gives you money back for a range ofessential health care costs such as dental treatment, glasses, contact lensesand physiotherapy and can help you to budget towards your family’s health care.

To find out more visit sovereignhealthcare.co.uk

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