Silent Killer

Last year my mum passed away from fatty liver. I obviously googled to see if I was at risk. Maybe I was …

I planned to make changes. However we were then hit by the pandemic and coupled with an ankle injury and work stress I kind of didn't do anything about it.

I've been understanding clinical observations more, as it's part of my new job role, and I decided to take my BP. It fell into the orange range, a little high, so I checked my reading on the NHS site;

"Known as the "silent killer", high blood pressure rarely has obvious symptoms. But left untreated, it increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke".

Time to act! I'm only 49 this year. I'm also (probably) perimenopausal, with an under active thyroid, I possibly drink too much and I know that I eat too much... I'm heading for a heart attack, or maybe even that fatty liver, when what I actually want to head for is my ability to complete endurance events again. 

50k. 50miles. Long Distance Paths. Why can't I… 50 is just a number right?!. Time to make changes. Small steps towards the bigger picture.

"While your blood pressure is OK, it still might be described as being high-normal. Ideally, it should be below 120/80mmHg. You can reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke by lowering your blood pressure. Making small changes now will help avoid problems later".

  • lose weight (if you're overweight)

  • reduce the amount of salt in your diet

  • exercise regularly

  • cut back on alcohol and caffeine

So what *easy doable steps can I take to start?

Weight; portion size & snacking

Salt; check packaging, don't add

Exercise; heart rate up & weights

Alcohol; alcohol free nights

Caffeine; no coke at work!

*too much, too drastic, too soon is a step to failure rather than success 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

34 Reasons Why

Image
The Menopause and how it can/may/does affect women who run! There are [maybe] 34 reasons why you're currently finding running difficult today. The 34 Symptoms of the female Menopause     1.  Hot Flashes     2.  Irregular Periods     3.  Fatigue     4.  Memory Lapses     5.  Night Sweats     6.  Loss of Libido     7.  Vaginal Dryness     8.  Mood Swings     9.  Panic Disorder     10. Urinary Tract Infection     11. Bloating     12. Hair Loss or Thinning     13. Sleep Disorders     14. Dizziness     15. Weight Gain     16. Incontinence     17. Headaches     18. Burning Tongue     19. Digestive Problems     20. Muscle Tension     21. ...
Read more

Rivington 10mile Challenge

Image
This run was a new run by Mad Bull Events   I'd done a couple of these and enjoyed them. Trail runs and local. I booked this one flippantly as I usually do. "A run up Rivington. I've run around there a few times, it's not a bad run :)" I'd done a little hill training recently with my friend in preparation for the Canalathon and was sure I'd be fine. So fine in fact that I was doing a 5 mile road run the day before! The 5 mile which turned into 7 & a half mile due to a wrong turn, on a very warm day -_- My friend had entered, but due to an injury had to pull out. I'd be OK though, I run alone all the time! but I was nervous of the location and the distance and almost pulled out. Almost . The morning arrived and I woke in enough time to eat breakfast and dress ready for my taxi to the event. It was, dull, overcast and rainy. Usual then! The run was starting at Rivington Bowling Club , I hadn't been here before! I got out and ...
Read more

The Break

Image
I had planned a route across the Rivington Moors heading toward Darwin using the Spitlers Edge and I wanted to look for the start of this route before I ran it. I had been on annual leave and after a full week [almost] of wind and rain Sunday was finally mild and looked pleasant enough for a walk.  I asked my hub if he fancied a walk with the dog and a butty. He didn't really but said that he did! We made butties, got some water and rounded up the dog and off we went. I opted to park where I thought would be nearer to where I thought the Spitlers Edge started, in a car park at the foot of a run I do regular. I swapped to trainers that I use for walking in and as we set off on our walk and barely even out of the car park, I somehow managed to turn my ankle in a pot hole. I heard a pop and the pain was immense, I gritted my teeth and waited for it to pass "Have you hurt yourself?" asked my hub, I replied "no" and limped off.  I was finding the elusive [to m...
Read more