Recipe, Hope you can read it

Most people think stroke prevention = blood pressure + cholesterol + diet. True. But there’s another powerful (and overlooked) marker of vascular + brain resilience: 💪 Muscle strength What does the data actually show? 1) PURE study (17 countries, ~140k people): For every 5 kg lower grip strength, stroke risk was ~9% higher (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.05–1.15).In other words: being stronger was associated with meaningfully lower stroke risk. 2) UK Biobank (muscle strength + incident stroke): A UK Biobank analysis found that people in the top 33% muscle strength group had about 25% lower risk of stroke compared with the lowest strength 33% Strength training tends to improve key stroke drivers (BP, glucose control/insulin sensitivity, visceral fat, inflammation), which may explain this reduction is strokes seen in stronger people. I saw this described recently as: Our muscles are like a cupboard that we lock up our glucose in to keep it from doing harm. As we get older that cupboard shrinks and glucose spills out. Strength training helps us to enlarge it again. However, this doesn't mean you need to do extreme body building. Anything that adds a little muscle will make an impact. ✅ This week’s challenge: “Strength in real life” Pick one strength activity and do it 2–3 times this week (10–15 mins is enough to start). Bodyweight - Sit-to-stand from a chair: 3 sets of 8–12 - Wall push-ups: 3 sets of 8–12 Everyday “functional strength” - Carry heavy shopping bags (good posture) for 30–60 seconds × 3 - Stair step-ups (hold the banister if needed): 2–3 sets of 8 each leg If you weight train already - Squats / deadlifts / lunges / leg press (controlled reps at a challenging weight) Rule: it should feel “hard but doable” and you should finish thinking, “I could do 1–2 more reps but not many more.” 💬 Comment below: what strength move are you choosing this week?

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.

Happy weekend. How's everyone getting on? Just a quick reminder that tomorrow we have our monthly check in at 6pm. Link in the calendar section. This is an opportunity to catch up and see how we're all getting on and share our plans to keep reducing our stroke risk over the month ahead. Hope to see you there.