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
occupationalhealth@port.ac.uk to book a confidential 30 minute appointment with
an Occupational Health Nurse.
DIET
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
Don’t add salt to food at the table
Add less salt to cooking
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 hearth 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.
The British Heart Foundation highlights the benefits of walking on Metabolic Syndrome:
Guidelines include;
at least 2 ½ hours
of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week
+
muscle-strengthening activities
on 2 or more days a
week that work all major muscle groups
or
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
or
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
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 Tuesdays
from 12-1 o’clock in 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