https://youtu.be/abwH9rIT18I

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Warrington Moving On Stroke Group for their Make May Purple dinner. And, as always, I came away genuinely motivated. Groups like this do something incredibly powerful. They bring people together after one of the most frightening and life-changing events imaginable. They offer friendship, confidence, humour, shared experience, encouragement, accountability, and hope. They help people feel less alone. I don't see it as a “nice to have”. But as a real part of health, so I looked at the research this morning: Poor social contact and stroke risk A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis pulled together date from 19 studies, including more than 1.6 million people, and found that poor social relationships were associated with around a 30% higher risk of stroke. The same review also found that poor social relationships were associated with increased post-stroke mortality. Lim, M. H., et al. (2024). Poor social relationships and the risk of stroke and post-stroke mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 24, 2287.Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11373457/ There was another earlier major meta-analysis by Valtorta and colleagues, published in Heart in 2016, which found that loneliness and social isolation were associated with a 32% increased risk of stroke. In the same analysis, poor social relationships were also associated with a 29% increased risk of coronary heart disease. Valtorta, N. K., Kanaan, M., Gilbody, S., Ronzi, S. and Hanratty, B. (2016). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies. Heart, 102(13), 1009–1016. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27091846/ There are several possible reasons for this. People who are socially connected are often more likely to stay active, eat better, attend appointments, take medication, notice changes in their health, and seek help earlier.

Catching up after the big game tomorrow. Honestly not sure what Liverpool team will turn up. I hope its a good exciting game!!

This week, instead of thinking about habits to add I thought we might think about things to stop. Harmful substances like: 🍷 Alcohol 🚬 Smoking 🍔 Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) In order to quit a harmful substance there's a few steps you could take: 1: The “Awareness Reset” (Easy win) Before changing anything… just observe. For the next 7 days: Track alcohol intake (units) Notice any smoking/vaping triggers Identify UPFs in your diet (anything packaged, long ingredient list, engineered for taste) 💡 Aim: No judgement Just awareness Most people underestimate these by 30–50% 👉 This is your baseline. You can’t optimise what you don’t measure. 🥈 Step 2: The “Reduce by Half” Challenge Now we start nudging behaviour. Pick ONE of the following: Cut alcohol intake by 50% Cut cigarettes/vapes by 50% Replace 50% of UPFs with whole foods Examples: Beer → alcohol-free alternative Crisps → nuts / fruit / hummus & veg Ready meals → simple whole-food swaps 💡 Aim: Not perfection. Just meaningful reduction. 👉 This alone can significantly improve: Blood pressure Inflammation Metabolic health 🥇 Steop 3: The “Clean Week” (High impact) Go all in for 7 days: ❌ No alcohol ❌ No smoking/vaping ❌ No ultra-processed foods Instead: Water / sparkling water / tea / coffee Whole foods: meat, fish, eggs, veg, fruit, nuts, grains Cook simple meals (doesn’t need to be fancy) 💡 What to notice: Energy levels Sleep quality Cravings (they often drop after 3–4 days) Mental clarity 👉 This is where people often realise: “I didn’t know I could feel this good.” --- To do this it's usually best to replace the thing we're quitting with something positive. For example, you may want to have lots of fresh food on hand for tasty snacks instead of processed foods. 💬 comment below: Which option are you choosing? What’s your biggest challenge with this area?

This is week’s challenge is to choose one of 3 things that “future you” will thank you for. Pick one of: 1️⃣ Do one short burst of intensity Not a full workout. Not a huge time commitment. Just one moment in your week where you push a bit harder than usual: Brisk walk up a hill Climb a few flights of stairs Short fast-paced walk Only if your at a place in your recovery where this is safe. 💡 Why this matters: Cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂ max) is one of the strongest predictors of survival we have. Even small doses of intensity can move the needle and significantly reduce stroke risk. 2️⃣ Check something you’ve been avoiding Be honest—there’s probably something you know you should check but haven’t. The longer you put it off the more it's slowly eating away at your health. This week, pick one: Blood pressure Weight or waist circumference Step count / activity levels Cholesterol Track your meals 💡 Why this matters: You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Most stroke risk builds silently—knowing your baseline is step one. 3️⃣ Go to bed 30 minutes earlier (twice this week) Just twice! 💡 Why this matters: Sleep affects: Blood pressure Blood sugar Appetite Energy to exercise It’s one of the most powerful—and most ignored—health levers. Just a couple of early nights can set you up to be much healthier. It's but about perfection. Not a complete lifestyle overhaul. Just 3 small actions that shift your trajectory very slightly in the right direction. 👇 Your Turn Comment below with: Which 1 thing you’re committing to this week. Future you is watching 👀