Recipe of the Week

Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.

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Rosemary's story of Rachel suffering a stroke and how the prompt action of her husband made such a difference to the outcome enabling her to recover completely, was most inspiring. This just shows what immediate treatment can do in a serious situation and I am sure that you, like me, question how well we might cope in such an incident.

It was good to see recently a feature on the news where there was a huge drive in a local shopping precinct to train people in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). It is a particular passion of mine that everybody should have some understanding of how to help others in such an emergency.  

Back in the 80s, I had a scary situation when teaching my exercise class when a lady suddenly collapsed and died. When she arrived, she had said that she was feeling a bit 'under par' and I insisted she was not to do the class. She agreed but asked if she could sit and watch as she had come with her friend. At the end of the session, we occasionally did a pairs folk dance, like Circassian Circle, and her friend asked her if she would get up and partner her. To this day I wish she had refused that request. She literally stood up and then dropped to the floor, motionless.

We did all we could of course as I was lucky enough, despite having my own first aid certificate, to have an intensive care nurse in the class and she took over control with great professionalism. An ambulance arrived quickly, but the paramedic was clear in telling us that she had had a sudden cardiac arrest and he could tell that she died instantly, and that it could even have happened just as easily at home whilst making a cup of tea.  

As you can imagine, I was distraught and I made the decision that I would no longer teach exercise. I was devastated. Remarkably, the lady’s GP came round personally to see me at home to persuade me to continue my classes because of the value to all of my members’ health! And so I did.

Years later, the lady’s daughter joined my Health Club and we talked about what happened to her Mum and she told me that her brother had a cardiac arrest and died at exactly the same age as her Mum, just 54 years old. This told us that there was probably a genetic condition at play which had gone undiagnosed. Cardiac arrest often happens to people who didn't know they had a heart problem and so are unaware of any risks.

So why am I telling you all this? I think it is because it is so important that we have the confidence to help in such a situation, as you never know when it might happen to you, or your loved ones, or simply a stranger in the street.
 

Causes and recognition of a CARDIAC ARREST

A cardiac arrest is a breakdown of the heart's electrical system causing the heart to stop pumping blood and the person to collapse and lose consciousness. Without immediate resuscitation, whether manual CPR or by using a defibrillator, a cardiac arrest is fatal.

With the heart not pumping the patient will not be breathing but in 40% of cases an infrequent gasp for air may be heard. This is called "agonal breathing" and is an involuntary response by the body which should not be mistaken for normal breathing.

I am sure we all remember the footballer Christian Eriksen who suffered a cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020 match against Finland which was played in 2021. Without the immediate action he received, he would have died on the pitch.

Certain health factors can increase our risk of a cardiac arrest:

• An enlarged heart
• Congenital (hereditary) disease
• Electrical impulse problems
• Smoking
• A previous heart attack

Causes and recognition of a HEART ATTACK

A heart attack is caused by problems with the body's circulatory system that blocks the blood flow to the heart muscle. This is often due to arteriosclerosis which is when our arteries get narrowed, restricting the flow of blood. Most heart attacks are a result of coronary artery disease. As I write this, we have just learned that Jeremy Clarkson has had to have a stent fitted (that's a small tube which is inserted to keep the artery open) as he had all the signs of a potential heart attack. As he says, it's 'a wake-up call' and he needs to change his lifestyle if he is to avoid a full-blown heart attack.  
 
Symptoms can vary and may develop slowly with mild pain that comes and goes:

• Chest pain is the most common symptom
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, back, shoulders, neck and jaw
• Pain high in the abdomen which may be mistaken for indigestion
• Shortness of breath even when resting
• Heavy sweating
• Nausea and vomiting

A heart attack is a serious medical emergency as it may lead to cardiac arrest.
 

Causes and recognition of a STROKE

The two main types of stroke are ischemic, which occurs when blood flow to one part of the brain is blocked, and hemorrhagic, which occurs when there is bleeding in the brain. A common symptom of a stroke is a sudden and powerful headache but others include:

• Drooping face or facial paralysis
• Arm weakness, usually affecting one side of the body
• Difficulty speaking or understanding speech
• Confusion or emotional instability
• Trouble seeing
• Trouble walking

Looking after our Heart and Circulation

A strong recommendation of mine (as if you didn't already know!) is that if we get out of breath, just once every day, we are taking a huge step in ensuring our heart is in the habit of having to work just a bit harder than normal on a regular basis. We often encourage you to add an incline and some 'pace' to your daily walks, or to take the stairs instead of a lift. Both of those will achieve that deeper breathing.

Those arteries are then kept free-flowing due to the amount of blood being pumped through them, but if that never happens then they lose their pliability and can become stiff and possibly clogged with fatty deposits.

Eating a healthy low-fat diet (as described above), not smoking, and exercising regularly, will help reduce those fatty deposits in our arteries.
 

Make Basic First Aid a Priority

Every couple of years I run a session with my members to remind them of the basics necessary to help save a life, and our trainer Paul always says that 'doing something is always better than doing nothing.' This is absolutely true!

1. Get that heart pumping this week!  Dr Micheal Mosely discovered that just 2 minutes at a time of working the heart hard had an enormous benefit to this muscle. On your 30+ minute daily walk, really up your pace to get your heart working harder.
    
2. Change your Strength routine this week. For your three sessions use heavier weights, or if you use a Toning Band, make it shorter so that it is even more effective as you use your muscles harder. You will feel the difference!
    
3. If you do one of the Pilates or Ballet workouts as one of your strength sessions perhaps try one of the harder, more advanced options.

Did you know... 

Why is a Stroke called a Stroke?

The term 'stroke' originated in the 1500s as a shortened version of 'the Stroke of God's Hand' for a condition that would 'strike people down'.

Episodes of stroke were reported from the 2nd millennium BC onward. Hippocrates (460 to 370 BC), the Greek physician and philosopher who is considered the 'Father of Medicine,' was widely regarded as the first to describe the phenomenon of sudden paralysis that is often associated with the condition. At this time, the symptoms of convulsions and paralysis were referred to as apoplexy.

The ACT FAST campaign was created to raise awareness of stroke and the actions we all need to be ready to take if we witness someone suffering a stroke, just as Rachel's husband did. Find out more at stroke.org.uk.