WORLD HEART DAY 2008

“It’s never too early, or never too late to start looking after your heart” Shahryar Sheikh, President of the World Heart Foundation.

The Irish Heart Foundation recommends that: “children and young people should aim to participate in activity of at least moderate intensity for one hour every day”

Be a role model. Children learn by watching what their parents do. Show your child that you enjoy and value activity by taking part yourself - even simple things like walking short journeys instead of using the car can have a big influence.


WORLD HEART DAY 2008



KNOW YOUR RISK
World Heart Day is the most successful international campaign against heart disease and stroke. The World Heart Federation, based in Geneva, Switzerland, created the annual campaign in the year 2000 to increase public awareness of the growing threat of heart disease and stroke. This year the World Heart Day is on Sunday the 28th of September and their message is: “Know Your Risk!" The aim is to let the public find out what they can do to reduce their risk to the disease.


POSITIVE MESSAGE
Heart disease and stroke is the world’s largest killer, claiming 17.5 million lives a year. The good news is that heart disease is largely preventable and that simple, affordable steps can be taken to reduce the major risk factors.

The message of World Heart Day is a positive one and emphasizes the importance of a heart-healthy lifestyle to leading a better, longer life.

LOOK AFTER YOUR HEART

Healthy eating
The key to healthy eating is to eat a wide variety of foods. Using the Food Pyramid as a guide will help make sure you get all the vitamins, minerals and goodness you need.

Get active
Regular physical activity is one of the main factors that reduces your risk of heart attack, along with not smoking and having a healthy level of blood pressure and cholesterol. Being active is the one factor that you can influence and change yourself without medication or treatment, and usually with very little cost. All it takes is about 30 minutes of aerobic activity most days, such as brisk walking, swimming or dancing. You can include household tasks such as cleaning the house and gardening.

Stopping smoking
You know the dangers and can feel it destroying your health.

Weight loss and heart disease

Being overweight means that your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body. This extra pressure can cause wear and tear on your heart and blood-vessel system. Many people who are overweight for a long time develop high blood pressure or diabetes.

High blood pressure

A person with high blood pressure feels well, looks well and rarely has any symptoms. However, high blood pressure makes the heart and arteries work harder, causing damage over the years.
Watching your cholesterol level Having high cholesterol levels in your blood is one of the risk factors, which increases your chances of getting heart disease. One of the best ways to prevent heart disease is to keep your cholesterol at a healthy level.

Stress and the heart

If you feel stressed, your blood will produce more hormones. Although they are useful in small amounts, too many of these hormones, continuously and over time, can damage your arteries and may lead to high blood pressure.

Only you can change the way you react to stress.

DID YOU KNOW?

Approximately 10,000 people die each year from cardiovascular disease. The largest number of these deaths are caused by heart attack (5,000).

There are over 4,000 chemicals in a cigarette. Once you stop smoking your health improves immediately and you begin to reduce your risk of heart disease.

A recent Irish survey showed that: 34% of men and women had high blood pressure but were not on medication to control it. 18% were on medication but their blood pressure was still high. Only 40% of Irish men and women over the age of 45 had normal blood pressure levels.

By 2025 it is estimated that 1.5 billion people, that’s one in three people around the world could have high blood pressure if preventative steps are not taken soon.

High blood pressure rarely causes any outward symptoms.

You can get your blood pressure checked at your local medical centre.

5 MINUTES WITH - KATHRYN O'CALLAGHAN

Originally from Dublin, Kathryn O’Callaghan has been living on the outskirts of Carndonagh for three years with Seamus (her partner) and her two children. Kathryn got involved with the Inishowen Gospel Choir and it’s sister group, the Specular Choir when it began and their popularity has grown to such an extent that most of her time is spent managing the group. Their highlights this year include a recent appearance at the green Futures Field at Glastonbury and critically acclaimed performances with Duke Special and Foy Vance. They have also travelled to France, Poland and England and just returned from a spot in the Spiegel Tent in Dublin at the Fringe Festival. Kathryn loves delving into the wonderful world of wacky choirs and is looking forward to their next performance in McGrory’s in Culdaff on the 2nd of October. Billed as A Concert For India it also has performances from the Henry Girls and Spirit of Jazz.

BBC Northern Ireland will be at McGrory’s to film the choir for a programme called “Festival Nights” which will be shown on the 20th October. This is to highlight the Queen’s Festival in Belfast on the 25th October, where they will be performing at a concert called Urban Hymns with an array of special guests.


What music do you like?
All sorts, from blues to jazz, trad to classical, the list is endless.

What would you never throw away?
My children – I’m far too attached to them.

What book are you reading?
I don’t have much time for reading anything other than children’s books. My time is taken up with the family and choir. If I do get a minute, it’s usually to flick through a Homes and Garden magazine.

What was your favourite childhood game?
Repeating every word my friends would say until it drove them demented – I found this fiendishly funny.

Have you been to the cinema recently, what did you see and was it any good?
Kung Fu Panda with my two young boys. I found it surprisingly funny. Anything that manages to make a snake doing kung fu look cool is quite an achievement!

What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
I usually start at the beginning, unless something earth shattering has occurred, most of my reading time is generally spent on the arts and culture section.

What is your idea of a good night out?
Going to see a good gig with friends. I enjoy any live performance. The last one I saw was La Clique Circus, which is like an old Burlesque show from the 1930’s. It has wonderfully endearing characters like the Norwegian Rubber Man, who passes his body through two stringless badminton rackets and an act called the Naked Man and Woman, who just wandered around the audience.

Most embarrassing moment of your life?
I have a couple. As a child I was helping to groom a horse, when my older cousins pulled a prank on me. I was a bit naïve and they sent me up to the neighbour’s house to ask them if I could borrow a jar of elbow grease! The latest was when we did a gig at Glastonbury near a Permaculture café. We thought it would be a good idea to do an impromptu session among the trees near the Permaculture café but due to space restrictions ended up performing in a bush, literally! It was probably the worst and funniest gig we’ve done to date! Thankfully, we had a few proper gigs over there as well to make up for it!

Have you a favourite TV programme?
Not really, I don’t tend to watch a lot of television. If I look at a screen it’s usually for e-mails.

How do you relax?
Listening to music and gardening. I have just planted a mixed hedge, which should give us a bit of shelter from the North winds when it grows.

What job did you want to do when you were a child?
First, to become a vet, then an artist, then a rocket scientist…I’m still dreaming.

Where would you like to go for your holidays?
Cuba for the history, music and culture – although I’ve heard the food’s a bit dodge so may have to bring a few packed lunches with me.

Your idea of heaven?
Being stuck in a lift with Johnny Depp.

Your idea of hell?
Being stuck in a lift with elevator music playing.

What famous people would you invite around for dinner and why?
Nina Simone so she could hopefully teach me how to sing the Blues in 10 easy steps. The Biologist, Richard Dawkins for a good debate, Jonathan Ross so there’d be no gaps in the conversation and Darina Allen so she could cook the dinner.

Favourite animal?
Anything belonging to the cat family (as long as those over 10lbs are sedated)

What couldn't you live without?
My gorgeous family…and my toothbrush (the former relies on the latter!).

Biggest fear?
Not achieving to the best of my ability.

Biggest thrill?
Ahem…lots, but none suitable to print.

The world's most irritating invention?
Foam containers for hot drinks – a menace to the planet, which also require people to risk life and limb opening them.

What is your idea of a good night in?
Having the famous people mentioned above around for dinner.

Do you have a hobby?
Mmm, it’s called my life.

Biggest disappointment?
Finding out the Big Fella didn’t exist when I asked for a horse for Christmas.

Which period in history would you most like to have lived through?
The period of creation, so I could tell my four year old how it all happened, and generally any period excluding the eighties – I’d rather not have been exposed to such fashion faux pas.

World's most useful invention?
Men and dishwashers in equal measures, they’re both useful and inextricably linked.

What do you have for breakfast?
When I’m feeling healthy – fresh fruit, when I’m not – lots of tea and toast with blackberry jam.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
“Always try your best”/”Don’t forget to feed the cat”

Personal philosophy?
Try not to get misquoted by the media.

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 29

Living Wide Open:
Landscapes of the Mind

I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance,
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom,
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.

By Dawna Markova

EDITORIAL - EURO

Making the Most of Your Euro

With the challenging times posed by the current economic climate, it makes sense to ensure that you are getting value for your money, in both investing and spending what you have wisely. It can pay to sit down and take a look at what you are earning and spending and what your saving needs are, e.g. if you have two children who are hoping to go to college. It can seem that we are too busy or we don’t have the skills to plan our finances effectively, so it might be useful to call on the professionals.

Savings
Some €39bn of savers’ money is earning an average interest rate of just 1.48pc, which represents about half of the money households have on deposit. This is at a time when many banks are offering in excess of 5pc, even for demand deposit accounts.

Switch your mortgage
Your mortgage is probably your biggest monthly expense, yet many people are not aware whether they are getting value for money. If your mortgage is based on a standard variable rate you are probably paying much more than you could do. Lenders have been increasing rates on standard variables in excess of the European Central Bank (ECB) Rate. Switching your mortgage could have you thousands over the life of your mortgage.

Pension
At this time of year, you will hear many people extol the virtues of pensions, the main reason for their popularity is tax relief on contributions. You should also focus on the purpose of a pension, to replace your earned income on retirement, the tax relief is an added benefit. Choose a provider who you can rely on and who offers a wide range of investment options that suit your needs .

Claim your entitlements
Make sure there is no unclaimed money from the tax office, you could be entitled to a rebate on any money spent on medical or dental bills, bin charges, trade union subscriptions, employment and rental allowances, donations etc.
Ensure you are getting your full entitlement to mortgage interest tax relief. A married, first-time buyer couple can get €4,000 a year from the State in tax relief on their mortgage. For those couples with older mortgages, relief of up to €1,200 a year is possible. Getting expert advice is the key.

Professional Financial Services
Professional Financial Services in Buncrana offers a unique opportunity to review your existing financial status. They will assist you in finding the best provider for savings, mortgage and pension, and help you claim tax relief and other entitlements. They have a qualified accountant available to assess the information and access to 19 lenders on the market including all the major banks. They offer a friendly, confidential service and advice delivered in plain English.



Looking for Bargains
Discount shops like Borderland in Muff are at the cutting edge of money thriftiness as they stock good quality, brand name clothing that is well below the manufacturers retail prices. European supermarkets are also increasing in popularity as we tighten our belts and look for cheaper alternatives to our weekly products.

Another way to save is to only buy what you really need? Before you go shopping, make a list of necessities and stick to it.



Did You Know?

When you buy that bargain, endorphins are released which can become addictive.

If you are in debt, don’t ignore it. MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) will help you take control of your finances.