Do you fancy getting heart healthy with us here at the Oakeley Arms? Well, it’s Heart Month this February – all month we’ll be celebrating our good old hearts (couldn’t live without ’em!)…. The campaign, run by the British Heart Foundation, is urging us all to look after our hearts in order to prevent heart disease and live a long, happy and healthy life.

And not just for heart month this February either – we all need to take good care of our hearts for our whole lives. According to the British Heart Foundation, heart disease is responsible for over 70,000 deaths in the UK every year and statistically 1 in 6 men and 1 in 10 women will die from it. Heart disease is often a preventable illness, which means that small changes to your lifestyle can have a dramatic impact on the health of your heart.

Here are some top tips from the British Heart Foundation to help keep your heart healthy……

• Eat well – A healthy diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, and will also help to maintain a healthy weight and blood pressure. Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and wholegrains (such as brown bread, rice and pasta) and balance meals with lean protein sources like fish and chicken. Watch your salt intake and save red meat, sweets, pastries, cakes and fried foods for occasional treats.
• Stay active – You don’t have to start running marathons but it’s important to stay active and keep fit. A run around the park with the kids at the weekend, taking the dog down to the beach, doing housework or walking to the shops all count so it doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s also great to set a good example for younger children in the family – making physical activity part of fun and everyday family life means it won’t be a chore.
• Be a happy weight – research shows that being a healthy weight can drastically reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol – all things that aren’t very heart friendly. If you eat well and stay active then a healthy weight will soon follow.
• Ditch the smoke – giving up smoking is the single most important thing you can do for your health. Smokers are twice as likely to have a heart attack as non-smokers. We know its probably also the single hardest thing you’ll do, but you can find lots of advice and support here

As part of Heart Month this February, the British Heart Foundation is calling on us all to sign up for the daily 10 minute challenge. 10 minutes really could change your life! If you sign up, you’ll be sent a different challenge each day – it’ll take only ten minutes, so it’s ideal for busy lifestyles. It could be something as simple as trying a piece of fruit you’ve never had before, or walking the last ten minutes of your journey to work.

Sign up here  and you’ll be well on your way to a happy, healthy and long-living heart. We heart that!