We are delighted to welcome Ricky Kapoor onto the podcast for our very first interview. Ricky has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic condition that affects the heart muscle and makes the walls of the heart chambers thicken. 

For most people HCM doesn’t have a big impact on life. Some don’t have symptoms. Ricky is one of a small number for whom it is more serious. He is at risk of developing life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms and therefore has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). 

The diagnosis was not easy for Ricky. At the age of 6 years, he lost his father to HCM. Growing up, he was a keen sportsman and when he was diagnosed, he had to give up the activities he loved. On this podcast we discuss how he navigated that process and not only learnt to live with HCM, but to thrive. 

If you have been affected by this topic, help is at hand. Please click on the links below for organisations that provide information and support. 

https://www.cardiomyopathy.org/ 

https://www.c-r-y.org.uk/ 

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/conditions/cardiomyopathy/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cardiomyopathy/

For more information about the Fresh Heart Project visit our website www.freshheartproject.com. If you have any suggestions or if you would like to share your own personal story please do get in touch @freshheartproject on Instagram, @freshheartproj on Twitter or via the website. 

Remember, be kind to yourself and small, sustainable steps lead to great change.

As a physician, the biggest lessons that I have learnt are not from a textbook or from passing an exam. They come from the experiences, the courage and the generosity of my patients who have shared their experiences and advice. On this episode, I share the wisdom from a patient who is 102 years old. We all take different messages from things we hear. I hope that within this person’s wisdom, there is something that will lift you up. For more information about the Fresh Heart Project visit our website www.freshheartproject.com. If you have any suggestions or if you would like to share your own personal story please do get in touch @freshheartproject on Instagram, @freshheartproj on Twitter or via the website. Remember, be kind to yourself and small, sustainable steps lead to great change.

The UK has officially entered an economic recession but what does that mean for your health? On this episode of the Fresh Heart Podcast we explore the health effects of financial downturns and how you can protect your heart in difficult economic times.  Research looking at health in times of economic hardship is counterintuitive. Did you know there is data suggesting that when high income countries enter a recession, the mortality rate falls? Despite this surprising finding, recessions are stressful and they affect us all in different ways. Listen in and find out how to optimise your cardiac health during this difficult time.  If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this podcast, you can find support in the links below.  Financial support for Individuals:

https://www.vulnerabilityregistrationservice.co.uk/get-financial-help-from-organisation-and-charities/ https://www.turn2us.org.uk/get-supporthttps://www.stepchange.org/debt-info/emergency-funding.aspx You can find a list of helpful organisations that support mental health at:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/ For more information about the Fresh Heart Project visit our website www.freshheartproject.com. If you have any suggestions or if you would like to share your own personal story please do get in touch @freshheartproject on Instagram, @freshheartproj on Twitter or via the website.  Remember, be kind to yourself and small, sustainable steps lead to great change.  Podcast References [1] Ruhm CJ. Are recessions good for your health? Q J Econ 2000; 115: 617-50[2] Ruhm CJ. Good times make you sick. J Health Econ 2003; 22: 637-58[3] Gerdtham UG, Ruhm CJ. Deaths rise in good economic times: evidence from the OECD. Econ Hum Biol 2006; 4: 298-316[4] Ruhm CJ. A healthy economy can break your heart. Demography 2008; 44: 829-48[5 ] Granados JAT et al. Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Depression, and Alcohol Consumption During Joblessness and During Recessions Among Young Adults in CARDIA. Am J Epidemiol 2018 Nov 1;187(11):2339-2345.[6] Astell-Burt T, Feng X. Health and the 2008 Economic Recession: Evidence from the United Kingdom. PLoS One. 2013; 8(2): e56674. Published online 2013 Feb 20. 

In this episode of the Fresh Heart Podcast we discuss the stigma and discrimination associated with obesity.   Weight based discrimination is one of the most common forms of discrimination in society and sadly, it’s a global issue. Research shows that even at a young age, children have been conditioned to have a weight bias. We address the damaging consequences and discuss measures we can take to protect ourselves and others.   We’re living in a time where equality is on the agenda and weight equality is a vital part of that narrative.   Listen in and let us know what you think!  You can find more information about the Fresh Heart Project on our website www.freshheartproject.com. If you have any suggestions or if you would like to share your own personal story please do get in touch @freshheartproject on Instagram, @freshheartproj on Twitter or via the website.  Remember, be kind to yourself and small, sustainable steps lead to great change.

On this week’s podcast, we discuss the final Fresh Heart pillar: honesty. We go into why it’s important to be honest about your feelings, your health goals and how you can achieve those goals.  What is right for others is not necessarily right for you. Recognising that can prevent the shame that comes with not sustaining a particular lifestyle change. Honesty with self-compassion brings with it a comfort and a sense of freedom. Listen in and let us know what you think! You can find more information about the Fresh Heart Project on our website www.freshheartproject.com. If you have any suggestions or if you would like to share your own personal story please do get in touch @freshheartproject on Instagram, @freshheartproj on Twitter or via the website.  Remember, be kind to yourself and small, sustainable steps lead to great change.

On this week’s podcast, we discuss Natures miracle healer, otherwise known as Sleep. Sleep is fundamental to health. As humans we spend one third of our lives sleeping. A great deal of what happens to us is unknown, but it is clear that our biological need for it is irrefutable. It’s also clear that as a society we’re not getting enough and this has health consequences. Not getting enough sleep is associated with conditions including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and weight gain.   If you have difficulty sleeping, please do not fear. There are many things that could help. We go through these suggestions in the podcast. We discuss why you shouldn’t stay in bed if you’re struggling to sleep. We also discuss how light, food and drink, temperature and routine can be used to your advantage to improve your sleep.

You can find more information about the Fresh Heart Project on our website www.freshheartproject.com. If you have any suggestions or if you would like to share your own personal story please do get in touch @freshheartproject on Instagram, @freshheartproj on Twitter or via the website. Remember great change comes with small steps that empowers you to live a life that you love.

If exercise could be bottled, it would be THE wonder drug of all wonder drugs. There is not one condition, not one aspect of physical or mental health that exercise does not benefit. On this episode we discuss why exercise is so beneficial to our health. We’ve evolved to exercise on a daily basis, however through time, with improvements in technology, we’ve become less active. Convenience comes at the expense of physical activity. The good news though, is that it doesn’t matter where you live, how old you are or how much you earn, regular exercise protects your health.

We discuss how it protects the heart, how much we should do and how to incorporate this into a daily routine. If you are in the difficult position of having a longterm condition, you may find it really hard to exercise. Please know that you are not alone. There are many resources out there that can help. One such resource is a UK based campaign called “We Are Undefeatable”. It’s been developed by 15 leading health and social care charities to support and encourage finding ways to be active that work with your condition and not against it. For more information please visit www.weareundefeatable.co.uk

 You can find more information about the Fresh Heart Project on our website www.freshheartproject.com. If you have any suggestions or if you would like to share your own personal story please do get in touch @freshheartproject on Instagram, @freshheartproj on Twitter or via the website. Remember great change comes with small steps that empowers you to live a life that you love. References:

1)      Kohl, H. W. 3rd et al. The pandemic of physical inactivity: global action for public health. Lancet 380, 294–305 (2012).2)    Zhao, G. et al. Leisure-time aerobic physical activity, muscle-strengthening activity and mortality risks among US adults: the NHANES linked mortality study. Br. J. Sports Med. 48, 244–249 (2014).3)    Ekelund, U. et al. Physical activity and all-cause mortality across levels of overall and abdominal adiposity in European men and women: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study (EPIC). Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 101, 613–621 (2015).

4)      Wen, C. P. et al. Minimum amount of physical activity for reduced mortality and extended life expectancy: a prospective cohort study. Lancet 378, 1244–1253 (2011).

When was the last time that you felt relaxed? What were you doing at the time? How long did that last? We are a society that is constantly on the go. We celebrate activity and this parallels the rapid rise in our collective stress levels. On this episode, we discuss stress and how it is a protective mechanism for acute situations. We also discuss how we’re not designed for the chronic, constant stresses of daily life. We go into some of the resulting health consequences. Finally, we talk about the importance of relaxation and how relaxation techniques can have a profound effect on stress reduction. You can find more information about the Fresh Heart Project on our website www.freshheartproject.com. If you have any suggestions or if you would like to share your own personal story please do get in touch @freshheartproject on Instagram, @freshheartproj on Twitter or via the website. Remember great change comes with small steps that empowers you to live a life that you love.

Dr Zarrin provides an overview of her approach to food and how it fits into her overall health and wellbeing philosophy. 

Dr Zarrin outlines the five pillars of the Fresh Heart Project:
Food, relaxation, exercise, sleep and honesty with yourself.