*AD: Do everything possible: The importance of maintaining heart health

I champion women in business, politics and life in general and I want them to stay healthy and well for as long as possible. Many women haven’t woken up to the dangers of heart disease, perhaps the messages aren’t getting through or there is a perception that heart disease is a man’s problem. Whatever the reason, we need to spread the word to save women’s lives.

The facts are clear and startling. Heart disease and stroke are the number one killer of women in Ireland (and globally). One in every two women will die from cardiovascular disease. I am a champion of breast cancer and we have made great inroads into raising awareness but did you know that women are seven times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than breast cancer. The good news is that it is largely preventable.

I started out life as a nurse and one memorable night as a 19-year-old student a patient had a cardiac arrest. In those days’ student nurses were often left alone on the ward on quiet nights and with just me and my newly acquired knowledge of CPR (practiced on a dummy torso) between him and certain death I jumped on the bed and started chest compressions and mouth to mouth. This was a remote hospital in Scotland and the doctor on call was asleep in a separate building. A full ten minutes later the cavalry arrived. It felt like hours.

The patient didn’t survive. It took some convincing me that I wasn’t to blame but after reassurance and evidence from the autopsy I began to accept that his death was inevitable. Of course, there were many people at fault that I was on my own in that ward dealing with a cardiac arrest at 19 years of age, but I didn’t think of that then. After I qualified I went to work in coronary care. What I knew then and know to an even greater extent now is that while I couldn’t save that patient, to a large extent, we have the power to keep our hearts healthy for as long as possible. Closer to 90 per cent of heart disease is preventable through lifestyle choices. I have wondered, given the choice, why we wouldn’t do anything to prevent a death that could be avoided.

There are a number of very good reasons why looking after my heart is a high priority in my life. For one thing my wonderful dad, the late Harry Casey, went to bed at 69, on the eve of his 70th birthday, and he never woke up. He had a massive heart attack in his sleep. Then fast forward to Richard’s passing in 2011. My sister had passed a few months prior to him getting ill. It was the annus horribillus for the Casey family. There was no preventing Richard’s cancer or its steady and speedy progress through his body. My moral imperative for minding my heart is all of those people like Richard, my sister and my dad who didn’t get to live their lives to the full. I think we owe it to them and the people we love who may follow in their footsteps.

THE SCIENCEFor a good many years of my life I published peer reviewed journals in London. My claim to fame if there is one is that I was co-founder of a ground-breaking journal called Evidence Based Practice which revolutionised the way in which health practitioners stay current in their practice. Regardless of what adversity I have faced in my life I rely far more on science than anything else. My book, Spark!, my TED talks on grief and domestic violence, they are all rooted in science. When it comes to keeping your heart healthy here is what we know to be true. The obvious ones include; not smoking, managing your weight, exercising regularly and eating healthily.

STRESS DOWN AND HEART RATE UPWhen it comes to your heart, knowing the problems helps you focus on those areas, like cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. These are all key indicators to monitor when you want to stay heart healthy. I love walking and I discovered yoga this past year and they really help me to switch off. Even during stressful days when I feel there is no time for anything other than work or deadlines I put my headphones on, listen to music or a podcast, and take the time to walk for an hour in the park or along the Dodder (a favourite). I always return energised and ready to tackle what decisions I have to make.

But while yoga and walking help my mind, I also know that I need to get my heart pumping for at least 20 to 30 minutes every day. Sometimes that is very early on the treadmill listening to Morning Ireland. I like climbing but that is reserved for weekends and days off, walking fast for the final 30 minutes of my daily walk works too. I do the stars in car parks and offices and on miserable rain-soaked days, of which there are a few in Ireland, I sometimes resort to jogging up and down the hall from the kitchen to the front door. Do whatever works for you. Get your heart pumping and keep it in tune.

MAKE THE CHANGEHealthy eating can be much more of a challenge for busy women and as we get older our diet and metabolism start to change. However, eating well really helps keep us energised and healthy and over time curbs the carbohydrate urges. I was a vegetarian for much of my early adult life which was great for avoiding high fat content from red meat, but I was missing out on the benefits of oily fish. When I moved back to a full diet I really struggled to get the balance right.

When I began working on Newstalk Breakfast, I started the day at 4am and I really had to take stock of my diet. Not only did I need high energy foods to get me through the four-hour broadcast, I was also filming episodes of The Takeover for RTE in the afternoons and on Fridays, leaving Newstalk at 10.30 and heading to RTE Cork for the Today Show. I completely overhauled my diet and fitness to ensure I was at my optimum during that time, healthy in mind and body.

I started each day with porridge – blueberries became a mid-morning routine. I always travelled with a small box of energy boosters, almonds, flax seeds, dried cranberries, rice cakes and low fat/low sugar yoghurt. Film crew tuck boxes are full of chocolate and crisps and so hard to resist when you are working long hours. I pre-ordered chicken or tuna salad on long days. I discovered that I no longer had those cravings, my energy levels were great, and I slept really well. It was in understanding that diet was so important to so many facets of my life and through changes in habit I could keep my heart, mind and body healthy.

Norah takes Cleanmarine Cardio 40+

MY DIET SECRETS
I don’t eat a lot of red meat, maybe once or twice a month if I am eating out. We always have organic chicken in the fridge, easy to stir fry and great with so many different flavours. I use tofu and pulses a lot in cooking, they were such a mainstay of my diet when I was vegetarian that it comes second nature to cook without meat. I use rapeseed oil and good quality olive oil for dressing. I always have fresh fruit in a bowl on the counter. And I always leave the vegetables out too to remind me to use them. You will always find fresh ginger, garlic, spring onion, coriander, basil and turmeric in my kitchen and I cannot live without limes and lemons which I use with shredded chicken and salads. Sunday is my day for making soup which sustains me on Monday and Tuesday when I am trying to balance the excesses of weekend eating. I am by no means a saint when it comes to diet but if I stock the cupboard with my healthy choices the only battle ground I have is restaurant choices.

MY ADDED EXTRAS
My brother introduced me to the benefits of turmeric many years ago. I get large bags of the yellow powder direct from India from a friendly chef and I use it a lot in all manner of soups and sauces. I was introduced to spirulina by a kinesiologist a decade or more ago and it is part of my daily routine. When I moved from being a strict vegetarian in my 40s I found myself researching supplements as a way to ensure that I wasn’t leaving some of the essential minerals and vitamins to chance. As life got busier I found the ones that work for me. I am a big fan of Irish brand Cleanmarine and their Cardio 40+ contains Omega 3’s EPA and DHA which supports the normal function of our hearts, combined with B6, B12, vitamin K2 and turmeric.

IN A NUTSHELLWhen it comes to a heart healthy diet it isn’t rocket science. There are fats to avoid and good fats that you can use sparingly like rapeseed or olive oil. Stick to low sugar and salt, lean more on fruit in between meals and green vegetables and oil fish containing Omega 3 at meal times. De-stress with yoga, walking, mindfulness or listen to some music – whatever works for you. Kickstart your heart daily and ramp it up for at least 30 minutes to give it a good workout. And get your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar checked by your doctor.

This piece was a partner promotion with Cleanmarine. For more information log on to www.cleanmarine.ie