Hello,  

Recipe of the Week

4 large skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp tamarind paste or hot fruit chutney
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 x 400ml can reduced-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsps chopped fresh coriander
 

For the curry paste
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp ground coriander
1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric
1⁄4 tsp fenugreek seeds or ground fenugreek
2 - 3 small whole fresh green chillies
seeds removed from 8 crushed cardamom pods
2 tsps chopped fresh lemongrass
2 tsps vegetable stock powder
 

Marinating the chicken overnight maximises the flavour of this very spicy curry. For a milder taste substitute green peppers for the green chillies. Once cooked, the curry can be stored chilled or frozen and reheated as required.

1. Make the paste by grinding all the ingredients in either a food processor or liquidiser. Scrape the paste into a bowl, then rinse out the food processor bowl with a little water.
2. Add the chicken pieces to the paste and mix well. Allow to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour or ideally overnight.
3. In a non-stick pan dry-fry the onion until soft, then add the chicken and cook for 5 - 6 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the remaining ingredients except the cornflour and fresh coriander.
4. Slake the cornflour with a little cold water and stir into the sauce. Simmer gently for 15 - 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through. Just before serving, stir in the fresh coriander.
5. Serve with boiled basmati rice

Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.

It does sometimes feel that as we age there is so much that can go wrong! I don't mean to start a Newsletter with such negativity but when we discover, without any previous idea, that we have an elevated cholesterol level, particularly if we lead a very healthy life, it can be a bit of a shock. 

Having a blood test is an amazingly comprehensive guide to our general health and it can often flag up issues that we had no idea existed. The most important thing about having a blood test is to then take any necessary action immediately to make any changes required to address any issues raised.  I can think of many instances throughout my life when sadly, with some people, such diagnostic results have been ignored, with the inevitable consequence that the highlighted condition simply worsens, often considerably affecting their quality of life or even resulting in a possible early demise! Our cholesterol levels are one such indicator and we should take notice of the results.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a type of fat that is partly produced from the food we eat and partly produced in the liver.  It plays a vital role in how all your cells work and is needed for both digesting our food and in the making of Vitamin D. The type of cholesterol is important to understand and should be explained to you when you are tested.

Types of Cholesterol - HDL and LDL

There are two main types of cholesterol and they are named according to how 'dense' they are, namely High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) and Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL).

• HDL is good cholesterol and LDL cholesterol is bad for us.

Fats cannot travel around the body on their own – they need to be attached to proteins. Proteins are heavier than fat so your HDL reading indicates that your blood is more 'densely' populated with protein rather than fat.  This is referred to as the 'good' cholesterol because it can help prevent disease.  

Low Density Lipoprotein, (LDL) is the opposite, with more fat than protein circulating.  That is why it is often referred to as the 'bad' cholesterol because it will eventually clog up your arteries (known as atherosclerosis) causing heart problems. 

So, one is preventing disease and the other one is causing it!  Quite a difference! An easy way to remember that LDL is bad cholesterol is by using the acronym ‘lumps of dirty lard’!

Know YOUR Cholesterol level...Get tested!

I was recently called for a Health Review and that included the pinprick blood test to know my cholesterol level.  My ‘Total Cholesterol’ reading was slightly high at 5.39 (it should be below 5) but my HDL level was 2.04 which was good. The true picture emerged after they calculated the two scores to find the ‘ratio’ between my ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol. This is done by dividing the Total Cholesterol (5.39) by the HDL reading (2.04). A good ratio for cholesterol to HDL is below 5. A ratio below 3.5 is considered very good. Mine was 2.64 thankfully, so this resulted in a very pleasing tick in the green box!

Combined with my very active lifestyle, a healthy BMI and a low blood pressure, my risk of heart disease thankfully is quite low.  I did however get a telling-off for my alcohol consumption as I admitted to exceeding the women's recommended allowance of 14 units a week!

If you are over 65 and not had a health review in the last 5 years, you are entitled to a free check. Just call your GP surgery to request one.

Exercise...a major player!

Exercise has long been known to raise your level of HDL and lower your level of harmful LDL. 

Being overweight and not exercising regularly is one of the reasons you may be given a concerning result – and you need to take it seriously.  However, the combination of regular exercise and losing weight can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease. They provide a win:win formula for those diagnosed with a worrying test result.  Almost any exercise will do as long as you do it regularly but most studies focus particularly on two areas: aerobic and strength.

Aerobic Exercise
Brisk walking, cycling and swimming all display excellent results in lowering cholesterol. Physically active women will have a significantly higher HDL (good cholesterol) than those who are sedentary.

Strength Training
More surprising is the fact that strength training will also make a positive difference. In the journal 'Atherosclerosis' a study demonstrated that those who lift weights were able to clear LDL (bad cholesterol) from the bloodstream faster than those who didn't.  Also, a study on 70 - 87 year-olds in the Journal of Gerontology found that those who participated in a strength programme for 11 weeks had significantly lower LDL than those who didn't.  All great news for we oldies!

Yoga, Pilates and Stretching
In the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, it was discovered that those who practice even calm and relaxing stretching moves showed a great improvement in lowering LDL and increasing HDL, plus a lower blood pressure.  Good news all round in preventing a heart attack.