Thanks to everyone for today's meeting. It was a real pleasure to catch up as always. Could I ask a small favour please? I've recently joined a website where doctors get online reviews. As I have only just joined I currently haven't got any reviews and wanted to start with yourselves to get the ball rolling. Would you mind please clicking on this link and submitting a review for me? Thanks for your help. https://www.doctify.com/uk/review/JWE8oi/single

Happy Sunday everyone 🙌 This week is your chance to take one small step that can genuinely reduce your stroke risk - simple, doable, and powerful. 🧂 Challenge 1 The Salt Detective High salt raises blood pressure - the leading risk factor for stroke. Flip over one packaged food each day and check the salt content 🔍 It’s often far higher than you'd expect and most of what we eat comes from processed food, not the salt shaker. Watch out especially for bread, cereals, soups, sauces, and ready meals 🥖🥣🍲 Daily limit: Adults should have no more than 6 g of salt per day (roughly one level teaspoon). Reading the label:≤ 0.3 g per 100 g = low 1.5 g per 100 g = high - be mindful 🐟 Challenge 2 The Oily Fish Swap Swap one or two meals this week for oily fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, or anchovies 🐟 Aim for up to 2 portions per week. They’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which support both heart and brain health, and lower stroke risk. Easy meal ideas: - Tinned mackerel on wholegrain toast - Salmon with cherry tomatoes, avocado,  quinoa or brown rice, and olive oil & lemon drizzle Try this: Sardine & Egg Spread - 3 hard-boiled eggs - 1 can sardines (in oil) - 5–6 olives, sliced - 1–2 tbsp fresh parsley - 1 tsp Dijon mustard - Salt, pepper, smoked paprika - Optional: drizzle olive oil Blend until smooth and enjoy on wholegrain toast or oatcakes, or try it with salad, in a wrap, or as a dip with veggie sticks. Don’t eat fish? No problem. Try these instead: Walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds/linseed oil , hemp seeds (plant omega-3s) Try: avocado & chickpea bowl with olive oil and lemon, or Greek yogurt with berries and chia seeds 😤 Challenge 3 The 4–7–8 Breath Chronic stress raises blood pressure - a key stroke risk factor. Once a day, when stress hits, try this breathing technique - it helps calm the nervous system and ease tension. 4 — Inhale 7 — Hold 8 — Exhale The extended exhale activates your parasympathetic nervous system - your body’s natural calming response

Hi, sorry I missed the catch up on Monday. I fell over and broke my shoulder 😳. Feeling very sorry for my self 😞. Fortunately still have some roasted chickpeas to cheer myself up 😅

Recipe, Hope you can read it

This week's tip was inspired by my 5 year old son. I was watching him happily devour a load of grapes and strawberries—then casually tell me he prefers them to sweets. Okay, so eating grapes by the box load may not be perfectly healthy, but It got me thinking about other things we could swap to better alternatives. 💡Embedding a small change that you stick with for years will be far more powerful than any short-term fad diet or exercise regime. And that’s where healthy swaps come in. 🔄 This week’s challenge: Make ONE simple swap Pick something easy. Something realistic. Something you’ll actually stick to. Here are a few ideas: 🍓 Swap sweets or chocolate → fruit 🥕 Swap crisps → carrots, peppers & hummus 🥜 Swap biscuits → a handful of nuts 🥙 Swap processed snacks → roasted chickpeas 🍞 Swap white bread → wholegrain or sourdough 🚲 Swap driving --> Cycling or walking 🛋️ Swap sitting on a sofa watching TV --> A short walk listening to a podcast or sitting in a squat position watching TV Why this matters: These small changes help to: • Stabilise blood sugar • Reduce excess calories • Improve cholesterol and blood pressure • Lower long-term risk of stroke and heart disease And crucially—they all add up. 💬 Your turn What’s ONE swap you’re going to try this week? Message in the comments below —I’d love to see what you come up with 👇