Eggsellent breakfast ideas!

Good morning and Happy Wednesday! I hope you are having a great week so far.

I'm keeping this week's email short and sweet - I've just read some statistics that Wednesdays are the most productive of the week and you are all busy with heads down on a Wednesday! Apparently the least productive day is a Monday morning (obvious!) followed by Thursday and Friday afternoons. Let me know if that's true for you too!

If I can get organised enough then next week's email should be hitting you on a Monday morning :)

Food of the week

This week’s ‘Food of the Week’ is the humble egg.  Now, eggs have received a bad rep over the last few years – often overlooked for their fat content and deemed as bad for the cholesterol, people often shy away from eating eggs.

It was previously thought that eggs raised blood cholesterol levels - one of the main causes of heart disease. The yolk in a single large egg contains five grams of fat, so it was only natural for nutritionists to assume that eggs clogged up people's arteries, especially since they also contain dietary cholesterol. 
 
However, evidence is now showing that eating a lot of dietary cholesterol doesn't increase blood cholesterol.  A 25-year study revealed that people who consume two eggs each day with low-fat diets do not show signs of increased blood cholesterol levels. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/eggs/
 
So what does raise blood cholesterol? One of the main theories is that saturated fat does.  Of the three types of fat (saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), saturated fat raises blood cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.  It so happens that eggs contain mostly polyunsaturated fat, which can actually lower blood cholesterol if one replaces food containing saturated fat with eggs.
 
Other benefits of eating eggs are below:

• Eggs are great for the eyes.  According to recent studies, an egg a day may prevent macular degeneration and cataracts due to the carotenoid content, specifically and zeaxanthin.  Both nutrients are more readily available to our bodies from eggs than from other sources.
• One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids
• According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, regular consumption of eggs may help prevent blood clots, stroke and heart attack.
• Eggs are a good source of choline, which is an important nutrient that helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system.
• Eggs contain the right kind of fat.  One egg contains just 5 grams of fat and only 1.5 grams of that is saturated fat.  One egg (including yolk) contains 90 calories – a hardboiled egg is the perfect snack!
• Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D, something most of us are deficient in if we don't get enough sunlight
• Eggs promote healthy hair and nails because of their high sulphur content and wide array of vitamins and minerals.  Many people find their hair growing faster after adding eggs to their diet, especially if they were previously deficient in foods containing sulphur or B12. 

Having eggs for breakfast once or twice a week, a hard boiled egg for a mid morning snack regularly and having an omelette for dinner once a week is a way of bringing more eggs into your diet.  Having them as part of a full English breakfast is not what I'm promoting!

Try the following tasty breakfasts:

• 2 eggs scrambled with one large slice smoked salmon and 1/4 avocado
• 2 poached eggs on 1 piece rye bread
• 2 eggs whisked with a splash of milk - pour into a medium heat pan with some melted coconut oil, sprinkle over some chopped veg - spinach,peppers, mushroom etc. Cook until bottom is set and top is still runny, then place under grill for 2-3 minutes until top is also cooked. Easy omlette!

Let me know any other ideas you have.

Have a wonderful week and see you soon!

Tea on the green...

Good morning and Happy Wednesday!

I hope you are having a great week so far. Did you watch the US Presidential Debate? What did you think? Staying up until 3am watching it was certainly different to my usual choice of television (Grey's Anatomy, Home and Away, Location Location Location). Yes guilty of watching rubbish so thought I'd try to understand more about the Presidential race. I still don't understand it! Seems to have become a media race to see who has more 'pizazz' more than anything. Let me know if you predict Trump to win and what you predict will happen if he does! To use some of Trump's fabulous words - I'm not trying to be Bragalicious but I'm getting really busy! Do speak to me if you'd like some extra support with your exercise or nutrition. I'd love to help you in a Bigly way. Isn't he just great for entertainment value?!

This week's I am talking all about green tea and it's benefits. I've also put in a great exercise for your arms and of course the Heart Fact of the Week.

Have a fab week and keep sending me your ideas please!
 

Food of the week

Green tea

This week's 'Food of the Week' is actually a drink – Green Tea.

All types of tea come from the camellia sinensis plant.  The differences stem from the way the leaves are dried and processed.  The key active ingredients in green tea leaves are called flavonoids; they belong to the catechin family, which is a powerful antioxidant.     

In some tests, catechins were found to be more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties.  

Additional benefits include:

1. May bring down your heart disease and cancer risk: Green tea’s powerful antioxidants have been found to reduce some types of lung cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, stroke and heart attack risks. To add an extra boost, squeeze in a lemon — the vitamin C helps your body absorb more of the antioxidants.
2. Lower your cholesterol and blood pressure: Three cups a day has been shown to help bring down blood pressure and cholesterol when used in combination with a healthy diet.
3. Help you lose weight faster. Drink a cup before your workout and you might boost your fat burn. Studies suggest that the caffeine frees fatty acids so you can burn fat more easily. The tea’s antioxidants might also work together with the caffeine to help you burn more calories.
4. Prevent arthritis. Imbibing green tea daily might help keep your joints healthy, preliminary research suggests.
5. Keep allergies at bay. Japanese researchers found that the compound EGCG (the same one that might fight hepatitis C) found in green tea may help stop your body from reacting to allergens like pollen, pet dander and dust.

6. Less caffeine than coffee:  One cup of green tea contains around 25mg of caffeine compared to 100-150mg per cup of coffee.

In all of the studies on green tea, the tea-drinking group were consuming 3-5 cups per day.  This may be difficult to achieve, so start with one cup per day and work up to replacing a few teas or coffees with green tea throughout the week.  If you aren't sure about the taste, try adding a squeeze of lemon.

A note about medications:
 

Blood Thinning Medications (Including Aspirin) -- People who take warfarin, a blood thinning medication, should not drink green tea. Since green tea contains vitamin K, it can make warfarin less effective. Meanwhile, you should not mix green tea and aspirin because they both prevent platelets from clotting. Using the two together may increase your risk of bleeding.
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/greentea
 

Exercise of the Week

Seated Row

The seated row is one of the most effective exercises for targeting your back muscles.  Because this exercise is a compound exercise, involving more than one joint, it also activates several other muscles as well.  The main muscles you will activate include your erector spinae in your lower back, your middle and lower trapezius in your upper back, your rhomboids and latissimus dorsi in your middle back and your teres major in your outer back. You will also strengthen your shoulder muscles, your biceps and your chest.

How to perform:

1. Sit on a chair or bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.  Use either a resistance band around a pole (or have someone hold the middle of the band for you) or a cable machine if you have access to a gym.
2. Keep your back straight and hold one handle in each hand with your palms facing each other and thumbs wrapped around the handles. Your armsshould be straight and your shoulders pulled back and down.
3. Engage your core and abdominal muscles. Keep the spine as tall and straight as possible.
4. Pull the handles towards you, bending at the elbows until the handles reach your sides. Keep your elbows close to your body. Do not lean back from the hips, arch your back or shrug your shoulders during your pull.
5. Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end of the movement.
6. Slowly straighten your elbows to return to starting position. Do not allow your torso to round or your shoulders to shift forward.
7. Repeat 10-12 times and perform 3 sets.

et me know if you have any questions at all.

Have a great week!

Week 2 with Mike!

His heart approves!

Welcome to our Week 2 update all about Mike, who has started his new exercise regime and has a new bounce in his step after just one week. That's what more confidence can do for you and I'm so happy that he's feeling much more positive this week.

If you missed week 1 and want to know more about why Mike has started training with me (he has AF) and what the Week 1 assessment looked like, click HERE to read all about it.

Last week's homework for Mike was pretty straightforward, all he had to do was wear a step counter every day for a week and then I would take a look at what his 'everyday' activity levels looked like. This is the step counter I always recommend as it's cheap, the battery lasts for ages and it stores 7 days worth of steps.

The steps that Mike had done over the last week really varied. On sunday when it rained all day, he did 2000 steps, however on Tuesday which was a beautiful day, he hit 11,000! The average over the entire week was 7000, which is a great start and means that Mike is actually much more active than he thought. Mike's target to hit over the coming weeks is a daily average of 10,000. It is different for every person, however I believe that 10,000 is a realistic target based on what he's already doing.

For this week's session, we didn't need to do any big assessments or lots of talking - although there is always lots of questions from me throughout! We did a quick blood pressure and heart rate check and I looked at Mike's AliveCor readings for the last week. AliveCor is a fabulous little machine that you stick to your iphone and it can tell you what your heart rhythm is doing and whether you are in AF. They are a nifty little device and I alway recommend people with rhythm problems, particularly AF, to get one. You can buy them cheaply here.

Unfortunately the AliveCor showed that Mike has still been having regular bouts of AF. He could tell when he was in AF as he felt more tired and had less motivation to do things. This is one of the common complaints of AF - as the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body, and the heart rate is higher than normal, it makes you feel more tired, like you've been running a marathon all day!For Mike his AF spontaneously came and went. We looked at some common triggers (alcohol, caffeine, stress) however he couldn't say one particular thing set it off.

Mike was in AF during our session. This means that he can still exercise, however the most important thing is we keep an eye out for his energy levels, his breathing and his blood pressure. It is safe to exercise when in AF and in fact, just walking around doing your every day activity is exercise, so don't lose hope that you can do more!

We started out slowly, getting warmed up for 10 minutes before moving on to some great exercises for the lower body. The legs have the biggest muscles in the body, so by building leg muscle, it helps to burn more body fat, supports the whole body, gives you more energy when out walking and makes the body feel stronger and improves your posture.

During the session, if Mike became uncomfortable with his breathing, we slowed things down without stopping. This meant that he could catch his breath, feel more comfortable and then increase again. We aimed to build up to working at an intensity of 6 out of 10, with 10 being the maximum effort he could imagine. A 6 should feel like you are working but comfortable. 

I always encourage people to leave some 'fuel in the tank' and so we never aim to finish a session exhausted. It's important that they can get on with their day and complete their normal every day activities without feeling wiped out.

This week's homework is to replicate the session we did once over the next week, as well as aiming to walk an average of 7500 steps every day. I've reminded Mike that if he feels tired, he should always choose rest over pushing himself and can always do something the following day. 

Next week: we aim to build up to 35 minutes of exercise and will add in some upper body exercises that he can do without any equipment at home.

Making exercise realistic is all part of the fun, there's no point having fancy equipment if you hate using it!

An easy morning detox for your liver and energy levels

Good morning and Happy Wednesday! I hope you are having a great week so far. I've had lots of requests for future newsletters this week - which milk is best? Is cheese ok to eat? What is AF? Are e-cigarettes bad for you? Keep the ideas coming as that's how I get my ideas to do research for each newsletter.

This week is all about an easy morning detox routine you can start and all about what Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is.

Enjoy! Keep you suggestions and questions coming.

p.s If you want daily updates about the latest in health and fitness, as well as up to date facts about the heart, follow us on Facebook HERE (click Like to get our updates).

Food of the week
Apple cider vinegar

For years my friend has been taking apple cider vinegar regularly and as I was visiting this week I noticed it again in her kitchen.  She swears it has helped improve her skin as well as reduced her knee pain so this week I have been looking into how and why it may help.
 
Apple cider vinegar contains several minerals including magnesium, phosphorus,calcium and potassium.  

It has been found that mineral deficiency can worsen joint pain, so a diet rich in essential minerals is an important step to relieving the pain of arthritis. The potassium in cider vinegar may be especially beneficial because it works to prevent acid build-up in the joints, which is linked to joint stiffness.
 
Apple cider vinegar is also rich in beneficial enzymes and acids that improve digestive health. Taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before a meal will encourage proper digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. This is vitally important for those with arthritis or any digestion issues, as poor digestion can lead to deficiencies in minerals and other nutrients. These nutrients are crucial for joint health, so it is imperative that the body be capable of absorbing and using them. With apple cider vinegar, this is made possible even if you have arthritis.
 
Studies suggest that joint pain and arthritis may be linked to toxins accumulating in the joints, since metabolic waste is often stored in connective tissues. At the same time, people with joint pain tend to shun activities that might trigger more pain, and the lack of movement may cause toxins to build-up even more. The pectin in apple cider vinegar helps absorb toxins and move them out of the system, while the acids in cider vinegar work to purify and detoxify the entire body.
 
Unfortunately there has been no concrete scientific research that proves apple cider vinegar helps with joint pain however most doctors conclude that it will not cause any harm and may have a placebo effect. So why not!
 

This is the one that I use - I bought it from a health food shop.

How to Use Apple Cider

All of the benefits of apple cider vinegar can only be achieved with vinegar that is organic, raw, unfiltered and unprocessed. Your apple cider vinegar should be ruddy-colored with a noticeable amount of residue floating around in the bottle. This is the natural accumulation of beneficial enzymes and nutrients.
 
The simplest way to incorporate apple cider vinegar into your diet is to mix 1-3 teaspoons in a glass of water three times per day, preferably just before meals. You can sweeten the drink with a small amount of honey if you like. 

I'll be honest, the taste isn't amazing, but it tastes....healthy! Mix it with a bit of water and down it like a shot - gets it out of the way!
 

Interactions to be aware of

Apple cider vinegar interacts with the following medications in large doses so be cautious if you take the following:
Digoxin, insulin, diuretics.

Stress and your heart health - what you need to know

HEART FACT OF THE WEEK

Stress and the Monday morning heart attack

You’re more likely to have a heart attack on a Monday morning than at any other time of the week.

Why?

Because levels of a stress hormone called cortisol peak early in the day. When this happens, plaque that has built up in the arteries of the heart can rupture and block the flow of blood to the heart. Add this to the rise in blood pressure and increased heart rate from the stress of returning to work after the weekend, combined with the body working hard to get rid of the weekend excesses and you have the perfect recipe for a Monday morning heart attack.

That’s why it’s important to reduce your stress levels as much as you can, avoid binge drinking and get enough sleep. Practice yoga, exercise, laugh more and spend more quality time doing the things you love - all of these help to reduce your stress levels and make for a chilled out body. 

Now, what if you're thinking, 'now I'm more stressed by knowing that my stress could be harming me!'? Don't panic - it often takes years of chronic stress for damage to occur to the arteries. The key thing is that every now, take 5 or 6 long, deep breaths, slow your breathing, stop what you are doing and just close your eyes for 10 seconds. Even doing this just a few times a day can dramatically reduce the amount of adrenaline and cortisol running through you and make you feel instantly calmer. Make a note of doing it at certain checkpoints like every traffic light, every tube stop etc. Try it now!

Read more here:
http://www.drsinatra.com/heart-attack-risk-factors-rise-on-mondays/

Mike's journey - week 1

Meet Mike - he's your typical British gentleman, opening doors for ladies, offering cups of tea on arrival and generally an all round nice guy. Only thing is - his confidence has been shaken. Badly. He retired two years ago from running a successful dental practice and was enjoying the new freedom that not having to work brings - games of golf every Wednesday, laps of the pool each morning and visiting old friends in new countries.

Until April this year Mike felt great - everything was going to plan and he had a deposit down for a month long cruise Russia and Japan booked. He didn't look in bad shape for his age (70) and his wife was busy planning their social calendar for the summer.

In late April, however, after a two day dental conference in London (just keeping in touch with old colleagues and on top of new trends), Mike returned home to his house in Surrey and was gripped with a strange sensation when he walked through the front door. At first he thought he was having a heart attack, as something was not right with his heart. Being in the medical profession he has all manor of gadgets in the house and so took his blood pressure and pulse. His blood pressure was pretty good - 130/80, nothing to get worried about. However his pulse was unreadable on the machine. His wife took it manually and found it was very difficult to count. In fact, it was going so fast and wasn't regular at all so she couldn't count it quick enough. 

Mike could feel the thumping of his heart rate in his chest and knew that it was most likely he was in an irregular heart rhythm. A trip to the GP (lucky they could squeeze him in that afternoon) and an ECG showed that Mike was in Atrial Fibrillation. Often called AF, it is the most common heart arrhythmia in the UK, with up to 1 million people in the UK who are affected.

You can read more about what AF is, what the symptoms are and how it can be treated here.

Atrial fibrillation isn't usually life-threatening, but it can be uncomfortable and often requires treatment.  Treatment may involve: 

• medication to prevent a stroke (people with atrial fibrillation are more at risk of having a stroke)
• medication to control the heart rate or rhythm
• cardioversion – where the heart is given a controlled electric shock to restore normal rhythm
• catheter ablation – where the area inside the heart that's causing the abnormal heart rhythm is destroyed using radiofrequency energy

Mike was given blood thinners to prevents stroke, a beta blocker to reduce his heart rate and amioderone to control the rhythm. After a few days Mike felt a lot better and started to return to his normal activities. However he never felt confident enough to return to exercise.

After a few months of the AF coming back every few days, Mike decided to have the AF treated with ablation, a procedure that requires a one night hospital stay and two weeks recovery. The procedure was a success and Mike was told he was safe to return to his normal life, including exercise.

That is where I came in. After the ablation, Mike wasn't sure where to start. He had the motivation to exercise, but was missing the confidence and knowledge of how, when and for how long to exercise.

This week was a fact finding session - we did a lot of talking, goal setting and really getting to the nitty gritty of what Mike would like to achieve. He had a lot of questions about the ablation, medications and what exercise would be realistic to return to. 

We now have a plan in place - I'm very much looking forward to helping Mike get up and going. He already has his homework for this week (wear a step counter every day to see how much incidental activity he is doing) and our first session will involve a little bit of cardio and a little bit of weights. Within 6 weeks Mike will feel so much more confident about exercising himself and within 12 weeks he will feel a new man. 

I look forward to keeping you posted on how Mike gets on!

Read all about Week 2 HERE!

p.s this isn't a picture of Mike. Although he does have great teeth!

An easy weigh to lose weight...

Good morning and Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you are enjoying the warm weather this week and are staying hydrated - where did the heat come from?! British weather hey!?  Predictably unpredictable. Also, it feels like my garden could wither at any moment if it isn't watered every 5 minutes (which once a week is probably the best it gets, sorry plants!).

This week I have put together a guide to portion sizes which should be helpful.  It's difficult if you are having a stir-fry or someone else is cooking but this is a guide for the ideal portion size of each nutrient.  You may need to adjust slightly depending on your activity levels and metabolism.  These sizes are for main meals (lunch and dinner).  Breakfast should be slightly smaller in size.

For snack sizes:

A piece of fruit with a handful of nuts is a great snack mid morning or mid afternoon. Keep to a small handful – around 10-15 unsalted/unroasted nuts.

Sticking to these portions should help you to lose weight!

Please let me know if you have any questions at all about what portion is right for you.

Have a fantastic week and see you soon!
 

Use your hands to gauge the correct portion sizes for you.

Protein: Size of your palm (bigger hands = bigger portion, sorry small hands!).

Vegetable portion size: two handfuls of non starchy vegetables

Carbohydrate portion size: small palm (when cooked) - this could be wholegrain pasta, brown rice, cous cous, quinoa, potato, oats, starchy vegetables (potato etc) 

Good fats: pinch or one thumb sized portion – avocado, olive oil, seeds, nuts

Your plate should look like this:

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Have a great week! 

Kind regards,

Angela Hartley

Cardiac Specialist Nurse, Nutritionist, Exercise Coach

What are my top 5 HEART HEALTH TIPS?

Good morning and Happy Thursday! I hope you've had a great week so far. We've had a busy week here at Clinical Exercise - lots of new enquiries, a HUGE batch cooking session on Monday (fish pie, fish chowder and fish cakes - yes a lot of fish this week!) and an old client has returned from overseas and is getting restarted on his exercise programme.

This week I'm talking all about Heart Health - obviously I'm always talking about heart health but I wanted to really focus on what you can do to ensure you are reducing your risk of having future heart problems.

There are so many do's and don'ts to look after your heart - below are the top 5 things you should be doing to ensure your heart is in tip top condition.

Also, a simple exercise that you can do any time of day to tone up the back of your arms - easy!

Looking after your heart
(It's the only one you've got!)

Cardiovascular disease (heart disease) is the world’s biggest killer, causing over 17 million deaths a year and many of these deaths are preventable through lifestyle changes.

Most people know someone or have themselves been directly affected by heart disease and a lot of times it is avoidable by changing lifestyle habits. If you've had heart problems in the past it's never to late to make improvements to improve your health for the future.

Simple changes in diet by reducing your salt intake and eliminating processed foods from your diet and trying to get a couple of hours of exercise a day can make a huge difference.
 
A healthy diet reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and prevents weight gain which puts pressure on your heart, the introduction of a healthy diet also helps to prevent further worsening of existing heart disease and it’s not too late to start eating healthily.
 
To help prevent heart disease here are five ways to change your lifestyle and take better care of your heart.

 
1. Follow the Mediterranean diet
 
A 2013 study showed the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 30% and prevents weight gain which puts pressure on your heart, the diet also helps to prevent further worsening of existing heart disease and it’s NEVER too late to start eating healthily. Recent attention has been drawn to the benefits of the Mediterranean diet by cardiologist Aseem Malhotra who has recently filmed the ‘Cereal Killers Movie’ about his quest to find out the secret to a long life in the Mediterranean. Check it out here.

2. Reduce salt
 
Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Reduce your consumption of crisps, take aways, packaged snack foods and processed sauces. As a cardiac nurse this is one of the biggest misconceptions people have – they think if they don’t add salt to their food then their diet is low in salt.  However salt is hidden in so many things you wouldn’t even think – cans of tuna, ham, tomato paste and roasted peanuts.  Always check the label – if a serving size contains more than 10% of your daily recommended intake, avoid or reduce the amount you have.

3. Say no to processed foods
 
There are lots of hidden saturated fats, sugars and salts in processed food, fast food and ready meals.  Even foods that may appear ‘healthy’ traditional meals such as lasagne are usually made with cheap ingredients and are laden with salt. I would strongly advise people to check the content of the ingredients of any food they buy and start cooking from scratch together – it’s more fun too!

4. Quit smoking

 
Smokers are twice as likely as non-smokers to have heart disease with all the health issues it causes it is the most important thing you can do for your heart. Try a nicotine replacement to reduce your cravings – electronic cigarettes, patches, gum or lozenges are a great help when you’re quitting.

5. Exercise more
The heart is the most important muscle and just a small amount of exercise will keep it functioning properly. Exercising for as little as ten minutes a day can make a huge difference. If you haven’t exercised for some time start out with gentle walking and build up – we should be aiming for a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week.

Aim to improve in one of the above areas each week and you’ll soon be on your way to a healthy heart.

Let me know if you have any specific questions at all!
 

Exercise of the week - Tricep Dips

1.  Sit up straight on the long edge of a stable, heavy chair or a bench. Your legs should be slightly extended, with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands on both sides of the bench just outside your thighs. Your palms should be down, fingertips pointing towards the floor.
3. Without moving your legs, bring your bottom forward off the bench.
4. Steadily lower yourself. Beginners: Bend your elbows 1-2 inches and push yourself back up. Advanced: When your elbows form 90˚ angles, push yourself back up to starting position.
5. Repeat up to 10 reps, rest and then repeat up to 2-3 times.

Some people find that this exercise is too much on their wrist joints. If so, you may need to change the exercise to overhead triceps extensions, which we will cover in the next couple of weeks.

Do let me know if you have any questions at all!

Coffee - pros and cons

Good morning and Happy Wednesday!

I hope you had a fantastic weekend and enjoyed the sunshine. What a glorious few days and let's hope it stays this way. I cycled for a couple of hours and it was so much nicer having blue skies and dry roads. Barbecue weather is fast approaching – we use it a lot on summer nights as it is quick and requires hardly any cleaning (gas barbecue all the way!).

This week I looked into the pros and cons of caffeine. There seems to be quite a lot of proof both ways, however the research is usually conducted on a high intake of caffeine (4 cups+ per day). I would recommend that the less caffeine you have the better, as your body starts to rely on it. It's most important to listen to your own body however, as some people can tolerate it much better than others. See below for the benefits and drawbacks.

Positive effects of caffeine:

• Increased alertness, productivity and concentration through the release of adrenaline.

• May improve memory and cognition.

• Improved performance in athletes.

• Has been shown to help prevent Type 2 diabetes in some people, however may make the blood sugar levels of those with diabetes worse.

Negative effects of caffeine:

• Caffeine can cause physical dependence, requiring more to get the same effect.

• Withdrawal:  you’ll likely develop withdrawal symptoms like extreme fatigue and splitting headaches (caused by ­constricted blood vessels).

• Disrupted sleep: Generally it takes about 6 hours for the caffeine to clear your system, although it varies from person to person.

• Too much caffeine is associated with reduced coordination, insomnia, headaches, nervousness and dizziness.

• Ingesting excessive amounts can also put a strain on the heart and is linked with increased blood pressure and raised blood cholesterol in large amounts.

• Coffee may increase osteoporosis - coffee can cause the body to excrete calcium in urine, and loss of calcium can lead to osteoporosis.

• Disrupts blood sugar levels – can cause the same highs and lows as consuming sugar.

Calories and caffeine content of different drinks (taken from Starbucks, other cafes/home preparations will vary):
 

• Espresso: 30-40 calories, 150 mg caffeine

• Tall cappuccino semi skim milk: 100 calories, 150mg caffeine

• Tall latte, semi skimmed milk: 143 calories, 150mg caffeine

• Tall chai tea latte, semi skim milk: 180 calories, 75mg caffeine

• Tall hot chocolate (no cream): 222 calories, 20mg caffeine

• Tall Americano no milk: 11 calories, 150mg caffeine

• Tall breakfast tea with splash of semi skim milk: 20 calories, 50mg caffeine

• Instant/powder coffee with splash milk: 20 calories, 60-90mg caffeine

• Green tea: 0 calories, 40-60mg caffeine

There is no strict recommendations for the safe amount of caffeine to have each day, other than for pregnant women, which is 200mg.  General advice is that 300-400mg of caffeine per day is safe and shouldn’t cause adverse effects.  However it is important to monitor how caffeine makes you feel and assess whether your intake may be higher than you think.  For me, 1 strong coffee will have me bouncing off the walls and unable to sleep if I have it after midday. Even hot chocolate keeps me awake :(

If coffee makes you feel jumpy, gives you palpitations, keeps you awake or you are relying on it every day, perhaps it is time to cut down. Try switching to tea initially, then down to herbal tea or nothing as you need it less.

Some alternatives:

1. Switch to black or green tea
High in antioxidants and polyphenols, tea has been shown to reduce rates of heart disease and cancer. Green tea in particular has been shown to have anti-cancer properties (although the amount needed for this effect is 5+ cups per day).

2. Try herbal tea!
Ginseng has been considered the king of energy tonics for several thousand years in Chinese medicine. Unlike coffee, which stimulates the central nervous system, ginseng elevates energy gently. Ginseng has also been associated with a stronger immune system and an overall sense of well-being. Other teas that are caffeine free include rooibos (redbush), chamomile, peppermint and fennel.

3. Eat some goji berries
Goji berries are remarkable for having one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of just about any plant in the world. In addition to their high antioxidant activity, these superfood berries have energy-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties. Eat them straight, or sprinkle into your trail mix, cereal, or salads.

4. Sign up for our FREE 7 Day More Energy Programme - find out all about it here.

Let me know if you have any questions at all!

Angela

It's getting hot - coping with the heat when you have a heart condition

Wow! It's hot in here. It's hot on the train, it's hot inside, it's hot outside... It seems like we've been waiting for this moment for MONTHS and now... it's TOO HOT!

Just joking, I know it will only last a few days so I shouldn't complain.

Here's an article from the front of the Aussie news making fun of our 'hottest day': http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/its-summer-in-the-uk-and-brits-cannot-handle-the-heat/news-story/38fb25e1559d07714347c0ca8ef25c27

This week is all about keeping your cool in the hot weather. This is especially important if you have any health condition, especially high blood pressure, angina or heart failure.

Let me know how the heat affects you and if you have any specific questions about your exercise regime when it's hot.
 

Keeping your cool during summer

When the weather is hot you sweat to cool down, but this means that you lose more fluid than usual from your body. This can drop your blood pressure and make your heart beat faster. This is not a problem for most people as long as they drink plenty of fluids, like water or other sugar-free drinks to keep from getting dehydrated.

However, if you have a heart or health condition, extreme heat may place an extra burden on your heart and circulation, so it’s particularly important to stay cool and look after yourself. 

What can you do to keep cool?

• Keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water or other sugar-free drinks (Though if you've been told to restrict your fluid intake for medical reasons you should speak to your GP)  
• Avoid drinking too many alcoholic or caffeinated drinks.  Caffeine-based and alcoholic drinks can cause you to lose more fluid from your body.
• Eat cold foods, particularly salads and fruit with a high water content.
• Make sure your home is cool when you're staying indoors. Close curtains during the day to keep the heat out and then open when the sun sets to let cool air in. Use a fan with a wet cloth draped over to cool the room down.
• Wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes.
• Stay out of the heat in the hottest part of the day between 11am and 3pm.
• If you have to go out in the heat, walk in the shade, apply sunscreen and wear a hat
• Avoid extreme physical exertion. Perform any exercise sessions at the coolest part of the day or in an air conditioned room.

HEART FACT OF THE WEEK

Hot weather and heart conditions

Angina

If you have coronary heart disease, you may find you start to experience angina or your angina worsens during hot weather, because hot weather increases the workload on your heart and the demand for oxygen, especially when you are more active. 

Heart failure

It’s particularly important to stay cool if you have heart failure - where your heart doesn't pump as well as it should. If you’ve been told to restrict your fluid intake, speak to your GP about other ways to keep cool during summer.  If you take water tablets and start to feel dizzy or light headed let your doctor know. Your dose can then be reduced or stopped for a little while, if needed, until you feel better.

Heat stroke

Losing too much body fluid can increase your internal body temperature, which could be life-threatening if left untreated. 

Symptoms of heat stroke include sweating, cold clammy skin, dizziness, fainting, muscle cramps, heat rash, oedema (swelling) in the ankles, shallow or fast breathing, nausea and vomiting. 

If you suspect that you or someone else has heat stroke, get medical attention immediately.

Who is most at risk?

Elderly people and very young children have more difficulty in regulating their temperature and so can be more at risk from extreme temperatures. In hot weather, check on your friends and relatives regularly to make sure they are cool and comfortable.

Let me know if you have any questions at all!

Stay cool and have a great week!