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Berwick Area Heart Support Group
August 2004 Newsletter
NEXT MEETING August 4At the DAY HOSPITAL BERWICK INFIRMARYFrom 7.00pm – 9.00pm
I know Terry will be saying something about the August’s meeting, but the plans are, (weather permitting,) to again join up with the Walking for Health Group and go for a walk. There will be a longer and a shorter walk, both will be on firm ground, but may involve all or a portion of the Walls. The longer walk will last about an hour, and both will return to the Day Hospital, for a cup of tea and something to eat. Or as my Grandson calls it a ’Worzel Gummage party’, ‘a cup of tea and a slice of cake’ which was one of Worzel’s favourite sayings
Please decide which walk you want to do but don’t over do it, but if you decide to do either please wear sensible shoes, and bring a coat just in case it rains. No one is being forced to do either walk. There will no doubt be some staying at the Day Hospital. If you do decide to do a walk and have not already filled in a health questionnaire, please turn up a few minutes early on the day and it can be done. It is necessary for Insurance reasons.
On Wed. 7th. July, at our last meeting, we were lucky to have not one, but three guests. Only one spoke though, the other two made us work. Our guests were, Mandy Thompson, Practice nurse and Cardiac Rehab nurse at Well Close Surgery, and Michelle and Elaine from the Swan Centre.
All three were there with a common purpose, which was to advise us on the benefits of regular exercise, with useful advice on how to achieve it. All three are fully committed to Cardiac Rehab.
Mandy, who first came and spoke to us back in January about the Cardiac Rehab 3 programme which had commenced at the Swan Centre, again explained the benefits of regular exercise, and how it can lower both blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, reduce weight, and improve stamina, strength and all round general fitness and well being.
She reminded us of the basics of the Rehab 3 exercise programme, which is still ongoing at the Swan Centre, with an explanation of the routine and exercises covered, which includes warm up, work out, cool down and relaxation sessions.
She also mentioned the fact that she was always in attendance, as were at least two Swan Centre Staff, and on Thursdays there was also a physiotherapist. Mandy also said that if members were interested in exercise, but were uncertain as to how much they should or could do, or they did not want to exercise alone, or were wary of exercising at all in case they overdid it, they would be welcome to come along on either a Tuesday or Thursday at 1.15pm. to the Swan Centre and either watch what happens, or even join in provided their own Doctor has authorised exercise.
This may not make sense, but whilst I was writing the next paragraph I remembered something that Mandy said, so I’ve come back to add it here:- If when you read Swan Centre you think gym, or lifting heavy weights, with grunts and groans, or walking or pedalling endlessly on machines getting nowhere, then forget it, this is not the sort of exercise that is being done. What are being done are low impact rhythmic movements. No special clothing is required, just loose clothing and soft shoes.
I rather suspect that this is the first time the next bit of information has been made public as well, but because the Cardiac Rehab 3 programme is at the Swan Centre, there is also a difibulator kept at the centre, and staff have been trained to use it.
Whilst no one attending the exercise programme has had need of this equipment, a few weeks ago a gentleman who is a regular visitor/user of the gym suddenly collapsed. The usual checks were made and it was decided the difibulator was required. It was used, and thankfully the man is now up and about, following a stay in hospital.
As two of the staff involved were in the room, a well deserved round of applause were given.
This takes us on to Michelle and Elaine. This is when the work started. Michelle, who usually leads the warm up session, ran through a typical warm up routine which included all the movements that would be required to do the work out. Elaine showed how the same exercises could be done sitting down. I think everyone present got involved, being at the front, you don’t see what’s going on behind. I can only hope that you enjoyed it. So if anyone who was present wants to know what Cardiac Rehab 3 is all about, that’s as hard as it gets. Even in the work out section you only do what you feel you are able to do.
So, again, if you are interested in supervised sensible exercise, call along and see Mandy at the Swan Centre, times are given earlier in this article.
Michelle and Elaine had to leave as they were still working and had classes to take, but Mandy stayed and answered personal questions whilst the rest of us drank tea.
Thank you Mandy, Michelle and Elainefor your time, and advice.
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Wally’s Yarns
Light hearted comments on two recent sporting failures
Firstly tennis,
After Tim Henman lost his match at Wimbledon, he still had a ball in his hand, so as he left the court, thinking of where he had gone wrong, he absently mindedly put the ball in his pocket.
As he was walking down the corridor to the locker room, he passed a couple of the cleaners walking in the opposite direction. He noticed that one of them was looking quizingly at his bulging pocket, so he pointed to it and said “Tennis Ball” One cleaner looked at the other and said, “No wonder he’s just lost, the poor lad must be in agony. I had tennis elbow once and I know howpainful that was”.
Still on tennis
Two women sat in their club discussing tennis. One said to the other “Which side do you watch when you are watching tennis on TV”? The other said,” I always watch BBC1” The first one said, “We don’t, have you never noticed, the grass is always greener on the other side.”
And so to football,
Two men had watched the England V Portugal in the pub, and discussed their views on the match as it took place, each having an opinion on every kick, pass and referee’s decision. After the match, they continue to discuss where England had gone wrong, and it got late. When they realised the time the first one said, “I’m glad I’m not married, I would get a right telling off going in at this time.”
The other said “Me too”
The first one said, “So you’re not married either. I used to be, but we got divorced a couple of years ago, we used to argue a lot”
The second one said,” Us too, we just got divorced a few months ago. But let me guess, I bet the arguments were about money or sex, ours were”.
The first one said, “You’re right; we did try to work things out, we talked about it, discussed it, promised to make changes, but it never worked, and, I still think she was charging me too much”.
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Oily fish and nuts
I don’t know what Terry has got about food this month, but here are two things I’ve read in the last few days.
The first is about oily fish. I first heard about this on GMTV, but only got part of the story. A couple of days later in was in the paper, and I got the whole story. Apparently although we are advised to eat several portions of oily fish a week for its Omega 3 oils, too much of the fish can be harmful as it contains pollutants. I will put in a fuller explanation next month, but the GMTV Doctor makes the following recommendations: If you are a woman of child bearing years, or a young girl only have a maximum of 2 portions per week. Boys, Men and older women can have 4 portions.
Nuts.
If you avoid nuts because you think they are fattening, its time to look at them again. Apparently twenty almonds contain 165 calories and 14g fat, but if eaten in place of sugary snakes, they can aid weight loss because their outer coating blocks some of the fat from being absorbed.(I think they mean the brown skin, not the coating on sugared almonds)
45Pistachios contain 158 calories and 13g fat and are rich in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure.Brazils are bursting with cancer fighting selenium, and 7 contain 186 calories and 19g fat. Last but not least, the Peanuts 30 unsalted ones contain 196 calories, and 20g fat, but plenty of folate, which can help fight heart disease
Wally
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Recipe of the month
Smoked Haddock with crushed new potatoes
450 g new potatos
170g frozen peas
4x170g fillets smoked haddock
425 ml milk scalded
2 slices onion
45g butter
salt & pepper to taste
for the sauce
1 small pot crème fraiche
4tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
for the garnish
chopped chives or parsley or sprouted broccoli
Method
1 preheat oven to 175c/350f/gas mark 4
2 Cook the potatoes until tender. Add peas at last minute
3 While the potatoes are cooking, place the haddock, skin side up, in a roasting tin, in a single layer, pour over the warm milkadd the sliced onion and bake for 15 min.
4 Make the sauce by mixing the ingredients together, Season to taste
5 Drain the potatoes well, crush with a fork adding the butter and season to taste
6 When haddock is cooked, take from roasting tin and remove skin
7 Divide potatoes onto four plates, cover with haddock, add sauce and garnish
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