This Week’s Focus: What’s Really in Our Food? (NOVA Classification) First of all, please continue the healthy habits you are already building. 🌿Keep staying physically active, choosing balanced meals, monitoring your blood pressure, and practising breathing or relaxation exercises. This week, rather than introducing a new challenge, we are focusing on awareness specifically, understanding food processing. Many of the major stroke risk factors we discuss such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, and excess weight are influenced not only by what we eat, but also by how processed our food is. To help guide this understanding, researchers use the NOVA food classification, developed at the University of São Paulo. NOVA groups foods into four categories according to the degree of processing: 1️⃣ Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods Natural foods altered only slightly (washing, cutting, freezing, pasteurising). Examples: vegetables, fruit, eggs, fish, milk, whole grains, legumes. 2️⃣ Processed Culinary Ingredients Substances extracted from foods and used in cooking. Examples: olive oil, butter, sugar, salt, honey starches 3️⃣ Processed Foods Ready - made mixtures of groups 1 and 2 processed mainly for preservation. Examples: canned vegetables, canned fish, cheese, freshly made bread. 4️⃣ Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) Industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods, combined with additives designed to improve flavour, texture, appearance, and shelf life. These often include: - Emulsifiers – maintain texture and prevent separation - Flavour enhancers – intensify taste and increase palatability - Artificial sweeteners – provide sweetness without sugar - Colourings – standardise or enhance visual appeal - Preservatives – extend shelf life and reduce spoilage - Modified starches – improve thickness and stability - Protein isolates – increase protein content and modify texture These ingredients are typically added not for nutritional value, but to optimise taste, texture, convenience, and commercial durability.

Good morning. Just a quick reminder that we have our community catch up tomorrow at 7pm. This is an informal opportunity to catch up online share how we've been getting on and generally support eachother. I'm on holiday but Maggie will be on the meeting to welcome you all. The link is in the calendar section of the Skool site. Hope you can make it.

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.

Good evening. I wonder if I could ask for your thoughts please? I'm aiming to set up an online clinic focused on Stroke and Dementia Prevention. Unfortunately, this would be a private clinic separate from my NHS work. I've pulled together a report/proforma that I plan to use with clients to take the through their stroke and dementia risks as on the link below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTp72Maeq1FEED1ok41CyxmxJ-AkWY4Mu4uZl44tuAy6Qk4AMwZiflMVI3iNNUut-1QO9tJBqe3eL9h/pub Please could I ask for your feedback and thoughts? What do you think I could add to this? Is it easy to read and understand? If you were going to such a clinic, with all you know now, what would you want from the clinic? Also, please feel free to use the form for yourself and your family to look at your own risk factors. Thanking you in advance.

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.