Get fit to mark World Health Day

World Heart Day is Saturday, September 29, and the World Heart Federation is asking everybody to make a promise to eat more healthily, get more active and say no to smoking and start living healthier lifestyles.

Heart Disease causes 160,000 deaths a year in the UK and many of these deaths would be prevented through keeping the promises and making some lifestyle changes.

During World Heart Day I’m calling on people in the North East to focus on their health and work together to prevent them becoming another fatality statistic.

Most people know someone or have themselves been directly affected by heart disease and the saddest part is a lot of times it is avoidable by changing your habits.

Simple changes in diet by reducing your salt intake and eliminating processed foods from your diet and trying to get a couple of hours of exercise a week on top of your normal daily routine can make a huge difference.

A healthy diet reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and prevents weight gain which puts pressure on your heart, the introduction of a healthy diet also helps to prevent further worsening of existing heart disease and it’s not too late to start eating healthily.

I’ve come up with five ways to take better care of your heart and keep your promise to eat more healthily, get more active and say no to smoking.

A 2013 study showed the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 30% and prevents weight gain which puts pressure on your heart, the diet also helps to prevent further worsening of existing heart disease and it’s NEVER too late to start eating healthily.

A Mediterranean diet is high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil.

It usually includes a moderate intake of protein, and a low intake of dairy foods.

In my opinion, the best place to find recipes is on Pinterest.

Just download the app and type in ‘Mediterranean Diet’ and you’ll find hundreds of quick, easy and healthy recipes. You can also start by using the recipe on this page.

Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

Check the salt content of any pre-packaged food you buy, and try not to add salt to your food for seasoning.

There are lots of hidden saturated fats, sugars and salts in processed food, fast food, and ready meals.

I would strongly advise people to check the content of the ingredients of any food they buy and start cooking healthy meals from scratch.

You don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen; there are plenty of quick and easy recipes out there on the internet.

Smokers are twice as likely as non-smokers to have heart disease with all the health issues it causes it is the most important thing you can do for your heart.

For help, contact your GP, join a local stop smoking service, or find support online at www.nhs.uk/conditions/stopsmoking-treatments/

The heart is the most important muscle and just a small amount of intense exercise will keep it functioning properly.

Workouts as little as ten minutes a day can make a huge difference.

If you’re a little nervous about starting an exercise class or gym, then my Beginners Boot Camp is a great place to start. It’s designed specifically for beginners, with low impact, low-intensity exercises. It’s designed so that you can take everything at your own pace. It’s a very friendly, welcoming group. For more go to www.eastcoast-fitness.com/ beginnersbootcamp