Hello everyone! A new week is a fresh opportunity to invest in your long-term stroke prevention. As in previous weeks, please choose one challenge to focus on from tomorrow. 👉 This week’s options: 1. DRINK CHALLENGE 💧 Replace at least one sugary drink per day with a healthier alternative. Easy ideas: - Infuse sparkling or still water with lemon, berries, cucumber, or mint - Try a different fruity herbal tea each day Why it works: Sugary drinks spike blood sugar, add empty calories, and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Swapping them for water or herbal tea reduces sugar intake, supports blood pressure, and keeps your brain and body hydrated. 2. SLEEP CHALLENGE 🛌 Choose a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, sticking to it within a 30-minute window each day (yes, even on weekends!). Tips for success: - Dim screens 30 minutes before bed - Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet - Try a calming pre-bed routine: reading, gentle stretching, or slow breathing Why it works: Regular sleep is one of the strongest lifestyle protections against stroke. It lowers the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure; reduces depression and anxiety; improves metabolic health; helps prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes; and boosts memory. All essential for brain and heart health. 3. SNACK CHALLENGE 🥗 Swap at least one processed snack per day (crisps, sweets, packaged snacks) for a whole-food alternative. Easy swaps: - A handful of nuts or seeds - Fresh fruit - Vegetable sticks with hummus or Greek yogurt - Dark chocolate - Berries - Roasted chickpeas Why it works: Ultra-processed foods are often high in salt, sugar, additives, and unhealthy fats. Whole foods provide steadier energy, support vascular health, stabilize blood sugar, improve cholesterol levels, maintain a healthy weight, and reduce inflammation. All critical for stroke prevention. ✨ Your stroke-proof move: Pick one challenge to focus on starting tomorrow, decide how you’ll stick to it, and share your plan with the group.

A question please. Does anyone else have regular botox injections in their affected side, to help combat nerve pain and spasticity? I've been having them for 2 years now every 4 months or so, and do find they help. Just wondered whetherothers have them and find them helpful. Your colleague Dr Colin Pinder has a clinic at clatterbridge, so I see him there. Hope everyone has had a good start to the year and is doing as well as possible. Happy weekend all and keep smiling Andy

Happy Sunday! 🙌Hope you’ve had a great week and made progress reducing your stroke risk. This week’s format is the same: 3 simple ways to reduce stroke risk. 👉 Pick ONE of the 3 to focus on this week, start tomorrow (Monday), and post in the group what you’re choosing — accountability = power 1) 🏃‍♂️ ACTIVE CHALLENGE: Add cardio (just a little more) Cardio fitness is one of the strongest predictors of long-term brain and heart health. ✅ This week: Do a bit more cardio exercise than your norm. If your normal exercise is very little it could just be going out for a couple of 20 minutes walks. If your very fit it could be 4 high intensity sessions. Tailor to suit your current level. Examples: - brisk walk (fast enough to raise breathing) - jogging / cycling / swimming - treadmill incline walk - skipping / rowing - Goal: get mildly out of breath (but still able to speak in short sentences). 2) 🥕 DIET CHALLENGE: Crudités before meals This is a brilliant “hack” that helps blood sugar control and appetite without dieting misery. ✅ This week:Eat a bowl of crudités (chopped up veggies) BEFORE one main meal per day (lunch or dinner) Options: - carrots, cucumber, peppers, celery, cherry tomatoes - add hummus / tzatziki / cottage cheese if you want Why it works: fibre before meals makes you feel fuller and also slows glucose absorbtion giving you better blood sugar control. 3) 🩺 MEDICAL CHALLENGE: Check your numbers Most people don’t realise their cholesterol or blood sugar has drifted until it causes damage. ✅ This week:Check when you last had: - Cholesterol (including LDL / non-HDL) - HbA1c (average blood sugar) - Then ask yourself: - Was it within target? - Has it been more than 12 months, 3 months if it was high or you changed your treatment? - Do I actually know my numbers? - If you’re unsure: book a blood test / GP review. See the info in the classroom for more info on your blood targets or just ask me. 🔥 Your mission this week...

Hello everyone , Our new challenge starts tomorrow! You don’t need to change everything at once. Pick one simple habit to focus on. At the end of the week, take a moment to reflect on how it went and how it felt. Even tiny progress is worth celebrating ! If you feel comfortable, please feel free to share which habit you chose, how you planned to stick with it, and how it went by the end of the week . Your story might inspire someone else to take a small step too ! This week’s options: 💓 Know your numbers: Check your blood pressure on 5 days this week and calculate your average. Seeing your numbers can help you spot patterns and keep your heart and brain healthy. 🚶 Move after meals: Take a 5–10 minute walk after a meal each day. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, whatever works best for you. Even a short walk helps your blood sugar, circulation, and mood. 🥦 Eat more vegetables: Add an extra portion of vegetables at your meals. Fresh, pre-chopped, or frozen all count, any way that works for you is great. Reflection: How did it feel to practise this habit this week? What worked well, and what was challenging?

@Nikhil Sharma is creatine powder safe to take being a stroke survivor, just thinking of muscle and fatigue recovery after exercising.