Happy Sunday! This week we’re focusing on calming the nervous system, improving sleep, and protecting our blood vessels. Pick ONE of the challenges below and commit to it from Monday. Share in the group what you’re choosing and how you’ll make it stick 👇 🧘 1️⃣ Mindfulness Reset Stress and depression more than double your stroke risk. Perhaps you can do something to give you some time back and take the edge off it. Do 5 minutes of slow breathing or mindfulness each day Try: - Box breathing (4-4-4-4) - Physiological sigh (2 short inhales + long exhale) - A quiet 5-minute body scan before bed Why it matters: lowers stress hormones, reduces blood pressure, improves focus and emotional regulation. 😴 2️⃣ Sleep Upgrade Protect your sleep window this week Choose one: ✅ Go to bed 30 minutes earlier ✅ No screens for 30 minutes before sleep ✅ Keep your bedroom cool & dark ✅ Avoid caffeine after 2pm Why it matters: poor sleep increases blood pressure, insulin resistance, and weight, whilst making it harder to eat healthy and exercise and worsens our mood - all of which add up to greater stroke risk 🩺 3️⃣ Know Your Numbers Check your blood pressure. If you don't have a home blood pressure monitor think about getting one. - Measure at home or at a pharmacy - Take 2 readings morning & evening for 3 days - Record the average Targets: ✔ Ideal: <120/80 ✔ Acceptable: <130/80 ✔ Take action: ≥135/85 (home readings) If elevated repeatedly, speak to your GP and begin lifestyle changes. Why it matters: High blood pressure is the #1 modifiable cause of stroke. 💬 Action step: Post in the group: ✅ Which challenge you’re doing ✅ When you’ll do it ✅ What might get in the way (and your plan to avoid anything stopping you) Small actions, repeated weekly lead to a massive lifetime impact.

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.

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!

Evening all 👍 Does anyone else struggle with temperature regulation,mainly of a night but also in the day. I often wake in the small hours absolutely drenched with sweat and am also prone to hot flushes at random points in the day which after feeling excessively warm ends with me feeling cold before returning to normal. Last time I checked I was a man and am not perimenopausal like my wife who suggested I may be having empathy symptoms. These symptoms have been occurring since I first had my stroke and I can often confuse this with bed wetting at times ( which is another bloody symptom 😂). Be interested to know also if anyone else has really vivid dreams and nightmares since there stroke? I had really bad delerium after my open heart surgery/ stroke but this has carried on almost two years later,but thankfully only during sleep! I no longer believe Vladimir Putin has a spy with a dirty bomb trying to kill me nor have I seen it spoken to my imaginary friend little Eddie for quite some time 😂.

Good afternoon. I have some exciting news. My colleague Dr Ali Sheikh is hosting a stroke prevention seminar on Friday the 30th January at Aintree hospital, Liverpool 9am to 5pm. There will be some high profile speakers talking about stroke prevention. We'd love it if you can attend. I think there will be face to face and online options. We're also looking for 2 stroke survivors to talk briefly and share their story with the audience of anyone is willing to volunteer. Have a great evening. Nik