Did you know that it is World Heart Day on Sunday 29th September ? So if it’s OK with you I wanted to share my story about why this is important to me.
Some of you may already know that my lovely dad died 4 years ago next month of a sudden, completely unexpected heart attack. My world changed in just one phone call. I will never forget that Saturday, my mobile flashing up “Dad calling” but instead of hearing my dad’s deep brummy voice on the other end I heard the sound of a stranger . The woman told me that my dad had suffered a cardiac arrest whilst out running at the Lickey Hills and was being transported by air ambulance to hospital and we were to get there asap.
My dad LOVED running. It was his passion and every Saturday morning he would get up, have his bowl of porridge grab the dog and drive to the Lickey Hills where he and Alfie (the dog) would run to their hearts content. That particular Saturday morning would be Dads last run. His heart attack killed him instantly, he had just turned 60!
Now, my dad was fit, what with all the running! His food wasn’t terribly unhealthy (could have been better) he was a man of habit so Porridge for breakfast, banana sandwiches and jacket potato with baked beans and cheese, , he didn’t smoke and yet we still lost him to a heart attack.
Cardio vascular disease is the world’s Number 1 killer causing 17.9 million deaths per year and it is thought that 80% of premature deaths could be avoided.
80% THAT IS A HUGE NUMBER!
By making a few small changes to your lifestyle you could reduce your risk of CVD.
Eat healthier, get more active and say no to smoking.
This is The World Heart Day’s mission
It’s about saying to yourself, the people you care about and individuals all around the world, “what can I do right now to look after MY HEART… and YOUR HEART?”
So this World Heart Day, it’s your opportunity to make a promise … a promise to cook and eat more healthily, to do more exercise and encourage your children to be more active, to say no to smoking and help your loved ones to stop.
A simple promise … for MY HEART, for YOUR HEART, for ALL OUR HEARTS.
I will never know if my Dads heart attack could have been prevented! At the time we thought there were no warning signs but looking back there were signs that I never knew were associated with heart attack. If I could go back in time I would have known these signs and marched my dad down to the doctor myself but we can’t live in the past ! I CAN however make people aware of this by writing this little blog and if one person makes just one change to their lifestyle from reading this, well, that would be just amazing!
Practical Tips for making changes
- Eat less processed foods – cook from scratch more
- Limit sugar intake
- Increase fibre (eat AT LEAST 5 portions of fruit and veg per day)
- Cut back on alcohol
- Move EVERY day. Track your steps 10,000 per day as a goal, take the stairs, ride a bike instead of driving to work, walk to do the school run, get up from your desk to take a phone call
- Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity 5 times per week ( I have included a workout to get you started)
Lets make a pledge to stand together on Sunday to make the promise
A simple promise … for MY HEART, for YOUR HEART, for ALL OUR HEARTS.
Be a heart Hero
Feel free to share this blog if you think it might inspire someone you love to make a change
I hope that you have had a healthy happy weekend
Claire xx