Recipe, Hope you can read it

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/eat-well-on-a-budget/sample-menus#Healthy_eating_meal_plan

Ready for a mini world tour for your brain? This week’s challenges are inspired by healthy habits from around the globe, no passport required, just 5–30 minutes a day. 🇯🇵 Japan: “Slow–Fast” Walking Ritual Challenge: Walk up to 30 minutes, 3–4× this week How to do it: - 3 minutes relaxed pace - 3 minutes brisk, purposeful pace (You can talk, but you couldn’t sing) - Repeat up to 5 times Start small if needed:New or rebuilding fitness? Begin with 10 minutes total (1–2 cycles) and build gradually. You can also walk indoors or march in place if needed. Why it matters: Interval walking lowers blood pressure, improves insulin sensitivity, and boosts fitness — even in older adults or those new to exercise. 🌍 Mediterranean: Olive Oil Boost Challenge: Add extra-virgin olive oil to one meal per day this week ✨ Simple ways to add more olive oil: 🥦 Drizzle over roasted veggies (broccoli, peppers, aubergine) 🍲 Add a swirl to lentil or tomato soup 🥗 Whisk your own dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, mustard or honey) 🍞 Swap butter for olive oil on warm toast 🍄 Use as a marinade base — great for salmon, mushrooms, or vegetables Start small if needed:Just one teaspoon per meal counts. No need to overhaul your diet, small swaps add up. Why it matters: Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, supporting blood vessels, cholesterol, and inflammation control. 🇩🇰 Denmark: Daily Calm Reset (Hygge-style) Hygge: a Danish approach to everyday coziness and calm, focusing on simple pleasures, comfort, and mindful relaxation. Challenge: Spend 5–10 minutes of calm daily How to do it: - Sit with tea or coffee - no phone - Gentle breathing (slow, comfortable breaths) - Light stretching - Quiet moment after dinner or before bed - Reading a book instead of scrolling - Enjoying the sound of rain indoors with a hot drink Start small if needed:Even 5 minutes counts. Can be done seated if mobility is limited. Consistency matters more than duration.

Hi All, I chose the snack challenge this week and gave roasted chickpeas a go. I found a recipe on the the BBC Good Food website (Crispy chickpeas recipe | Good Food). I had an urge for a pack of crisps last night and gave the chickpeas a go with a few plain cashew nuts sprinkled on top , very tasty and filled the need for something naughty savoury and crunchy. Thanks Maggie for the suggestion. Janice

Good morning. I can't believe it's already the first of the month! We have our monthly check in at 6pm today where we can discuss our goals for the month. Instead of the weekly challenge this is an opportunity to think about what changes you're going to make over this month. I'd suggest picking one area to measure or improve from the list below: Blood Pressure Cholesterol Blood Sugar Exercise Diet Smoking Alcohol Stress Sleep Obesity Set yourself a goal in this area and make it SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound). . Then right down your strategy and tactics to achieve it. For example, for me I want to get my cholesterol down. I checked it last week and it was still too high (LDL of 3.6) despite having reduced saturated fats and increasing exercise. Therefore for me: My SMART goal is to: Reduce my LDL cholesterol to <1.8 over the next 3 months as I believe it will significantly reduce my stroke, heart attack and dementia risk. My strategy is to use Statins. My tactics (next actions) are: 1. Contact a doctor in longevity medicine to prescribe statins for me (not a good idea to self prescribe) 2. Ensure I take them daily by using a pill box with the days of the week on it. 3. After 6 weeks arrange for repeat blood tests. 4. Repeat the above steps at an adjusted dose until I hit my target LDL of <1.8. I think it will take 1 dose adjustment to get there so I'm allowing myself 3 months to achieve the target. Write your plans for the month in the comments or join us at 6pm to talk them through. And if you have one bring your blood pressure cuff too! See you later!