Nearly Two-Thirds of People Aged 30-50 Could have Undiagnosed Blood Pressure warns top BP charity

A massive and worrying 63% of UK adults aged between 30–50 don't know their current blood pressure numbers and could be living daily with undiagnosed blood pressure, which  is increasing their chances of strokes, heart attacks and heart failure which, ironically, are amongst their most feared health conditions (i.e. heart attacks, 31% and stroke, 24%). 

That’s according to a NEW consumer poll by national charity, Blood Pressure UK to mark Know Your Numbers! Week (4-10th September).

With unhealthy lifestyles and poor diet contributing to more young people in their 30s, 40s and 50s being diagnosed with hypertension and around 1 in 3 people in the UK now living with high blood pressure, the charity urges adults of all ages to make the time to check their blood pressure, ideally with a home blood pressure monitor as it’s the easiest way to find out your blood pressure numbers. 

Since high blood pressure is largely without symptoms and the single biggest preventable cause of deaths in the UK, the more people test themselves, the more chance they'll have of controlling it and avoid unnecessary premature death, says Blood Pressure UK. Currently 6.5 million people in the UK remain undiagnosed.

Whilst age is one of many factors in rising blood pressure as our vascular system, which includes the heart and blood vessels, changes, it doesn't discriminate. 

That's why adults of ALL ages must Know Their Numbers. In fact, 72% of respondents agree blood pressure isn't only a concern for older people (i.e., those who are 50+).

Despite this and the high percentage of respondents who don't know their blood pressure numbers, 68% agree knowing their blood pressure numbers is vital, whilst two-thirds (66%) of those surveyed claim to understand that persistently high blood pressure can result in heart attacks.

‘My Blood Pressure’ developed alongside clinical experts and brought to you by Kinetik Wellbeing – with the exclusive support of Blood Pressure UK – will also launch as part of Know Your Numbers! Week (4-10th September). 

This user-friendly (and totally free) service empowers users to take control of their heart health and gives them the tools to understand and manage their blood pressure effectively. For more details visit: mybloodpressure.co.uk

Substantial evidence supporting the use of home blood pressure monitoring has shown it gives a better reflection of blood pressure, as being tested in somewhere like a GP surgery or pharmacy which can make patients feel anxious and can affect the result. 

Also, it allows patients to monitor their condition more easily over the longer term. According to NHS England, regular home blood pressure monitoring across a population of 50,000 patients could prevent up to 500 heart attacks and 745 strokes over five years.

Research studies also show eating too much salt can also be a major cause of high blood pressure, particularly the rise in blood pressure with age. As a nation, if we cut one gram of salt from our average daily salt intake, this would cause a fall in blood pressure and there would be approximately 6,000 fewer deaths from strokes and heart attacks each year in the UK.

Phil Pyatt, CEO of Blood Pressure UK said: “Given high blood pressure does not show any clear symptoms, hence being dubbed the ‘silent killer’ all adults, regardless of their age, need to take control of their health by checking their blood pressure regularly, either at home, at a pharmacy or at their GP. Furthermore, simple improvements in diet and lifestyle like eating less salt, more fruit and vegetables and doing more exercise can really help keep blood pressure down.”

Professor Graham MacGregor, Chairman of Blood Pressure UK says: “Half of all strokes and heart disease are due to high blood pressure which can easily be reduced, particularly by reducing your salt intake and if necessary, taking tablets which rarely have side effects. This will reduce your risk of developing a heart attack, heart failure or a stroke, which can either be fatal or cause life-changing disabilities. This is completely avoidable; it is not the time to dither and delay, it could save your life."

Hemini Bharadia, Marketing Manager for Blood Pressure UK explains: "We encourage the public to make the time to control their health and get their blood pressure checked ideally via home blood pressure monitoring or at their local pharmacy or GP. Home blood pressure monitoring is an effective and inexpensive way to manage your blood pressure and the evidence behind it continues to get stronger.”

To find out more you can visit: bloodpressureuk.org

(Image courtesy of Thomas H. from Pixabay)

Co-op serves-up fantastic new-look store in Erleigh Road, Reading

The Co-op has launched a new and improved convenience store today to serve the community of the  Erleigh Road area of Reading.

The new-look, near 2,600 sq ft store, supports a respectable 25 local jobs, and opens between 7am-11pm daily.

Erleigh Road’s Co-op includes an in-store bakery (Yum!), with online home delivery of groceries available via Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats. Amazon Lockers also offer quick, easy and convenient parcel services, too.

The store also sees an enhanced and improved range of fresh, healthy products; meal ideas; everyday essentials; food-to-go; hot food; Fairtrade goods; flowers, chilled beers and award-winning wines; ready meals, pizzas and, free-from; vegan and plant-based products, including Co-op’s exclusive vegan range, GRO. (EDITOR: You know my views on the fantastic sandwiches in the GRO range!)

While a free ATM to provide access to cash in the community, plus a Costa coffee dispenser will be installed soon.

Manmohan Gill, who is the Co-op Store Manager, said: “It's really very exciting to be re-launching Erleigh Road’s Co-op. 

"Our aim is to operate at the heart of local life and, we are really looking forward to welcoming Members and customers into their new and improved store. We have worked to develop the range, choice and added services to create a compelling offer to serve our community, conveniently - with a focus on delivering member-value so that the people who own our business, our members, benefit every time they shop in their local Co-op.”

More information about the benefits of Co-op Membership is available by visiting www.coop.co.uk/membership.

(EDITOR: Incidentally, the husband and wife team who run That's Food and Drink are Co-Op members in our local area.)

Here's how you never need throw any food away ever again!

If you can, you should never throw away any food, if you can save it.

We aren't talking about putting food into council food caddies (though that's also an option). What we are talking about is the concept of Smidgin Cookery.

Basically, this involves keeping all leftover foods and keeping it in the fridge, the pantry or the freezer and using the leftover foods in combinations to make Smidgen Roasts, Smidgen Pies, Smidgen Soups and Smidgen Deserts.

For example perhaps you have frozen in freezer bags or packs: several slices of beef, turkey or ham, a cup of cooked rice, some peas, carrots, beans, etc? These will make an excellent base for a very tasty soup.

You could have several half-finished packets of flour in your pantry. You can combine these together and make a pie, either a savoury pie or a dessert pie, using whatever else you have in the pantry, fridge or freezer.

Also, if you have several fishfingers, a couple of frozen or chilled burgers (meat or meat free) some chicken nuggets, several sausages, some leftover roast potatoes, a handful or two of frozen vegetables, you can make a smidgen roast, cooked at about 200c for 30 to 40 minutes and served with rice, mashed potatoes and vegetables plus some gravy or sauce.

Smidgen cooking is a variation on scratch cooking.

The word Smidgen means "a small amount" so smidgen cooking means adding together small amounts of leftover food and re-combining them in new, interesting ways.

I'm off now to enjoy a slice of Smidgen Pie, made with several smidgens of different types of flour and some sliced apples!

(Image courtesy of Pexels from Pixabay)

Riso Gallo

If you like good Risotto rice, then you will absolutely adore Riso Gallo risotto rice which has been providing high quality, very tasty risotto rice since 1856.

They are guaranteed to be 100% Italian and of the best quality available.

What types of risotto rice are available? Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms, Risotto with Saffron, Risotto with Tomato and Basil and Risotto and Vegetables in their 1856 range.

They all come in easy to store 250 gramme bags and have easy to follow cooking instructions and are absolutely delicious and make excellent accompaniments with vegetables and meats.  

These products will be excellent additions to your store cupboard and are wonderful to serve up with Italian meals.

To learn more, to find helpful advice, learn some fantastic recipes and to buy online visit them at https://www.risogallo.co.uk.

Incidentally, my favourite is the Porcini Mushrooms variety, but they are all really good rice dishes.

2,000 cheeses to try on your Witt's Pizza Oven for National Cheese Pizza Day!

Award-winning Scandinavian Witt’s Pizza Oven range has been wowing food reviewers and customers alike with its ultra-fast heating and rotating technology since its launch earlier this year. 

It really doesn’t get much better than bubbly, melty, cheesy goodness on fresh, homemade pizza dough. 

Whether you want to opt for a Smokey gouda, Gorgonzola, or a four-cheese special pizza, you should add a variety of cheeses to your pizza to celebrate National Cheese Pizza Day this Tuesday 5th September. (EDITOR: National Cheese Pizza Day? Wow!)

We've asked Geoff Johnson Witt Sales Director and Pizza Guru at Witt UK & Ireland for his comments: "It’s not all about Mozzarella! There are nearly 2,000 different classified cheeses all around the world, and a surprising number will work very well on your home-baked pizzas."

Her went on to say: "You can try mature or vintage Cheddar for a more tangy twist, goat cheese for a piquant creamy flavour, or chilli-enhanced cheeses for that extra pizzaz. 

"Pecorino-Romano sheep’s cheese is one of our favourites to give pizzas a salty bite, and for vegans, there's a growing range of fabulous animal-free cheeses with a range of flavours from milder to richer and smoky.

"The absolute joy of having your very own pizza oven is that you can experiment and having fun cooking with the family, so celebrate National Cheese Pizza Day this year by trying some of your favourite cheeses on delicious home-cooked pizza."

You can learn more and buy your Witt's pizza oven and accessories here https://www.wittpizza.com.

I have just had an idea: How about experimenting with turkey, roast potatoes (perhaps sliced?), traditional Christmas dinner vegetables and Christmas dinner herbs and spices, so that you can be ready to absolutely rock your friends and family members Christmas Day with a fantastic Christmas Dinner pizza?

That's Christmas: An advent calendar and more from Swizzels!

That's Christmas: An advent calendar and more from Swizzels!: Britain's favourite and iconic sweety maker, Swizzels, will be launching two new gift drum lines in time for Christmas 2023.  They’ll al...

Tinnitus. Are there foods and supplements that can help?

I suffer from Tinnitus. Probably due to working in a noisy environment when I worked in a foundry as a laboratory/foundry technician back in the 1970s.

At present, there are no drug therapies available, but there are some foods and supplements that are pointed to as being of help to alleviate at least the symptoms of the condition.

One organisation claiming to offer support for people with tinnitus alleges that no foods, vitamins or supplements can help alleviate the symptoms of tinnitus saying "No research has been done to prove that this particular supplement, food or vitamin has any affect on tinnitus." 

Whilst that might be true, I think it's rather strange that the organisation hasn't actually decided to fund any research into these foods, vitamins or supplements by medical research teams. I'm sure hospitals with expertise on tinnitus and supplement or vitamin manufacturers would be more than willing to undertake such research.

Interestingly some qualified Medical Doctors do refer patients with tinnitus to a number of foods, vitamins and supplements which they say can help deal with tinnitus. They don't claim they will act as a cure, but they do point out that they can help alleviate the symptoms at least to an extent and in some people who suffer from tinnitus.

In his highly interesting and very readable blog Neil Sperling MD (who is a specialist in surgery for hearing restoration procedures) points to a number of foods, vitamins and supplements that can offer some relief for tinnitus sufferers:-

Vitamin B12

Bromelain

Potassium

Zinc

Folate

He also points out some foods that you should consider avoiding if you have tinnitus.

You can read his full and very interesting blog post on this subject here:- https://rb.gy/c0lac

There is more evidence on what foods you should consider avoiding here https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52444-Tinnitus-you-hear-what-you-eat

If you search Amazon you will find a variety of vitamins and supplements and patches that are claimed to be able to treat tinnitus. I am not providing any links to these as I haven't tried them yet so have no idea if they are effective. After I have my appointment with my tinnitus consultant I may well try some of those treatments in the future. 

Some vitamin and supplement providers do sell products that could help tinnitus sufferers so just Google them and see what comes up.

(Image used courtesy of Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

Co-op to serve-up new-look store in North Camp, Farnborough

Shoppers who live in the vicinity of North Camp, Farnborough who are keen on saving money in a co-operative sense will be pleased by the news that the Co-op is launching a new, improved co-operative convenience store next Monday, 4 September to serve the community of North Camp, Farnborough and the surrounding areas. 

This is after a month-long programme of works and improvements to bring about the improvements. 

The new-look store which is almost 2,800 sq ft in size, is located in Queens Road, North Camp and it will provide over 20 local jobs and will be open between 6am-11pm daily.

North Camp’s Co-op will include hot food an in-store bakery and a Costa coffee dispenser, plus a free-to-use ATM which is installed as part of the Co-Op's aim to provide access to cash in all communities it serves, plus an Amazon parcel collection services and, the online delivery of groceries through Deliveroo and Uber Eats for added ease, speed and convenience.

The store also has an improved back-of-shop storage facility to further enhance the range, choice and availability of all its fresh, healthy products; meal ideas; everyday essentials; food-to-go; Fairtrade goods; flowers; chilled beers and award winning wines; ready meals, pizzas and, free-from, vegan and plant-based products – including Co-op’s exclusive vegan range, GRO. (EDITOR: Even though I'm not a vegan nor even a vegetarian I absolutely love the GRO Onion Bhaji & Mango Chutney Sandwich!) 

Last month, August, the Co-op announced its biggest ever single investment in pricing of £70 million, as it extends its ‘member-only’ pricing across everyday essentials, launching with a list of almost 200 fixed lines including milk, eggs and bread. The move also includes retail price reductions on over 600 lines.

A funding boost is also provided locally via the Co-op’s Membership programme. Membership of Co-op unlocks additional value with personalised offers and Member pricing benefits. Also, Members are rewarded with 2p in every pound they spend on Co-op branded products which is added to their own personal Membership account balance, with Co-op giving the same amount to local causes and, community organisations. So, yes, Co-op Members really can make a difference simply by shopping at Co-op.

Said Irfan Hameed, who is the Co-op Store Manager: “It's very exciting and gratifying to be re-launching North Camp’s Co-op. Our aim is to operate at the heart of local life here and, we are really looking forward to welcoming Members and customers into their new, improved store. We've worked hard to develop the range, choice and added services to create a compelling offer to serve our community, conveniently, with a focus on delivering member-value so the people who own our business, our members themselves, benefit every time they shop in their local Co-op.”

Did you know that The Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, and alongside Food, Co-op operates Funeralcare; Insurance and Legal Services. Its Members own the business and play an intrinsic part in the governance of the organisation, and enjoy a wide number of benefits including member-only pricing across everyday essentials?

More information about the benefits of Co-op Membership is available by visiting www.coop.co.uk/membership

(EDITOR: I'm just chomping my way through some crisps from our nearest Co-op!)

Asda celebrates a landmark birthday by giving £15m away to customers

Asda has just announced it's going to give away a cool £15m to customers throughout the month of September to mark the first birthday of its hugely popular Asda Rewards loyalty app.

Asda's launched a super and exciting new ‘Spin the Wheel’ game in its Rewards app giving customers a guaranteed Cashpot bonus every time they ‘spin’ during this month, September.

To win their share of the £15m up for grabs, customers only need to spend £5 or more in-store or online, scan their Rewards app and give the wheel a spin. Depending on where the wheel lands, 50p, £1, £5 or £100 will be added to their Cashpots.

The £15m Spin the Wheel bonus is the single biggest giveaway since Asda Rewards launched exactly one year ago. 

Over seven million customers have used the app since its  launch and they've have earned over £200m in their Cashpots, which they can use to reduce their grocery bills.

To celebrate Asda Rewards’ first birthday, from Thursday 21st September to Monday 24th September, Asda will also have a physical version of Spin the Wheel game at fifteen of its stores, including Watford, Derby and Pudsey.

Customers shopping at one of these stores can actually play the physical version of the game and will be in with a chance of winning merchandise and a range of Asda products.

Mark Baxter, who is Senior Director for Loyalty at Asda, said: “We launched Asda Rewards last year to reward customers for the simple act of shopping with us at Asda. Since then, over 7m customers have been earning pounds by buying star products and completing missions.

“At Asda, we're always exploring for  new ways to give back to our customers via our Asda Rewards, so obviously really thrilled to be celebrating its first birthday by rewarding our customers with a guaranteed Cashpot bonus throughout the month of September.”

Rewards provides customers with the opportunity to earn pounds, rather than points, each time they purchase certain products or complete Milestone Missions. (EDITOR: That makes it sound kind of glamorous, like a James Bond assignment!)   

New Asda Rewards users can also be able to take advantage of the First Scan Bonus, until Saturday 30th September.

Customers who download Asda Rewards, sign up for an account, and scan the app before 30th September will receive £5 in their Cashpot, too!

To get started on Rewards, customers need to download the Asda Rewards app and log in with - or create - an Asda Groceries account.

Terms and conditions for ‘Spin the Wheel’ and a full list of products excluded from Asda Rewards can be found on Asda's website - Asda.com.

(Image courtesy Tumisu from Pixabay)

Did you know you can now do your Morrisons shop on Amazon?

Yes, it's true. Though you will need to check for availability in your area.

Amazon Prime members in select areas/cities have delivery options available at no extra cost to them.

Just be mindful that minimum order values do apply and that extra service fees could appertain to some delivery windows.

You can opt for a wide selection of tempting grocery items and these include freshly picked goods from Morrisons - Market Street (EDITOR I love the Morrisons Market Street concept which reflects on the history of William Morrison, the founder of the company who began life as a humble and hardworking street market trader) and the rich and bold flavours with The Best range, Free From and V Taste catering for your dietary needs plus unmissable special offers, too!

Once you have filled your virtual supermarket trolley make you way to the virtual checkout and explore what delivery slots are available to you. 

They can offer same-day delivery windows for up to 24 hours in advance, though this does depend on several factors including your address/postcode and availability of your chosen delivery times/slots.

Just check them out here:- https://www.amazon.co.uk/fmc/m/30001562?almBrandId=TW9ycmlzb25z&ref=morri_dsk_sn_aboutMorris