British Heart Foundation - High blood pressure and heart disease
British Heart Foundation - High blood pressure and heart disease
https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/r…
Having high blood pressure can put you at greater risk of getting coronary heart disease. Ann shares her story of how she conquered her blood pressure.
Content
15.12 -> My name is Ann Gerard.
I am 45 years old.
18.24 -> I am a single mum of twins
that are 21.
21.8 -> I live in Clayton Le Moors,
near Accrington.
25.92 -> Five years ago, I was just short
of 16 stone at that point.
31.08 -> My confidence was very low.
I actually felt very depressed.
39 -> My dad was, like, in his early-70s,
41.4 -> and I was a lot less fitter
than my dad,
44.96 -> and it's sort of like
that's not the way it should be.
49.56 -> He was keeping up with the children
whereas I wasn't.
53.76 -> About three years ago,
I was really quite poorly.
56.6 -> I was getting up and going to work,
58.76 -> but yet all I wanted to do
was sleep.
62.24 -> I thought I had quite a healthy diet.
64.44 -> I did have takeaways,
maybe a couple a week,
66.92 -> but I wasn't having
a takeaway every night.
69.4 -> I went to doctor's one Friday
with a really sick headache,
74 -> and the lady doctor that I saw,
76.84 -> she was really quite horrified
at how high my blood pressure was,
80.52 -> because she said,
"You're really on the brink
83.6 -> "of having a heart attack
or a stroke."
86 -> I was a dead man walking
more or less.
96.64 -> So then I thought, "Well,
let's do something about this."
100.68 -> Each thing that I've done
is just a very small step.
104.32 -> Eating healthier,
having a little bit more fruit,
107.56 -> and then gradually
building up on the activity.
110.32 -> I used to skip breakfast completely,
whereas now I do get up,
114.24 -> and I give myself
an extra 15, 20 minutes
117.4 -> to actually have a breakfast.
119.4 -> Like, I'll do a smoothie,
121.6 -> put a yoghurt
and different type of fruits in there
124.72 -> and a banana and a bit of milk.
127.28 -> You're having all that fruit,
and it's actually quite filling.
138.8 -> You think you can't build up
any activity in at work.
141.76 -> I used to park
really close to the door,
144.2 -> and then just walk in
and get the lift.
146.96 -> Whereas now I'll park
right at the bottom of the car park,
150.28 -> I'll walk up the car park
and then walk up the stairs.
161.84 -> And I find people
actually get in the lift,
164.52 -> and I think,
"I'll beat you up the stairs."
167.08 -> I get to the top,
and I'm not breathless.
169.28 -> Before if the lift wasn't working,
and I had to use the stairs,
172.88 -> I couldn't speak
for about 10 minutes,
175.4 -> whereas now it doesn't bother me.
178.56 -> During the day, snack on fruit,
not going to the machine.
181.8 -> I wasn't having chocolate.
I wasn't having crisps.
184.76 -> I still have an odd coffee,
186.68 -> but I could have had
10 or 12 cups of coffee in a day
189.92 -> with loads of milk
and loads of sugar in there,
192.8 -> so now I'm having these fruit teas,
194.76 -> and I really do love them.
200.2 -> Now I do cook things
a lot more healthier.
203.24 -> I include a lot more veg in my meals.
206.84 -> Cutting down on the meat content,
208.88 -> and having a lot more of a balance
in the actual meal,
212.48 -> rather than having
just pure meat and all the fat.
216.52 -> But also the salt intake.
218.24 -> I really tried
not to cook at all with salt,
220.92 -> so when I was making something,
I'd use a spice,
223.72 -> or use some sort of parsley
227 -> or rosemary or thyme.
229.96 -> In this dish,
I bulk it out with some barley,
234.28 -> which is really quite filling.
236.2 -> It fills and lasts in your stomach
for quite a while,
239.44 -> so you don't feel hungry afterwards,
241.56 -> and it's a nice winter dish, as well.
253.2 -> As the weight started to come off,
and I seemed to have far more energy
257.08 -> and I was sleeping better,
258.64 -> then I started to think, "Let's
get up and start moving a bit more,"
262.4 -> and so I was starting
to walk slightly more.
265.64 -> And then with my friend Germaine,
268.12 -> we started to get up
and we started running together.
271.36 -> We started off in the park.
274.32 -> I think the whole park
is about a quarter of a mile.
277.16 -> I couldn't do a third of it.
It was just a little bit extreme.
280.44 -> But we persevered,
281.8 -> and gradually within six weeks,
we were running 5K.
284.76 -> We're not just running,
we're having a chat, a catch-up,
287.96 -> and we just enjoy
each other's company.
290.48 -> It's nice.
291.64 -> It just depends on what time
he finishes work...
295 -> The cycling is pure pleasure.
299 -> I don't class it as an exercise,
or an activity.
302.04 -> Now and then I've said to my son,
"Would you like to come out with me?"
305.8 -> He's come out
and we've ended up racing,
308.2 -> and challenging each other
up the hills or down on the canal.
312.64 -> I should have been doing this
when he was a lot younger.
315.76 -> I feel like I've missed a lot.
318 -> I feel like I was
20 years ago.
322.76 -> I feel like I've missed
quite a lot of my life
325.28 -> by being so big.
334.88 -> I've lost 5.5 stone.
337.4 -> I've been to my doctor,
338.96 -> and my blood pressure
has dropped quite drastically.
342.92 -> About 12 months ago, I went
in a shop, and I picked something up,
346.2 -> and I thought, "I can fit that."
348.72 -> Then I suddenly realised
I was a size 12,
352.64 -> and I was like a kid in a candy shop.
355.08 -> You couldn't keep me still.
356.72 -> I was up and out, and I was trying
all sorts of things on.
359.8 -> It did actually cost me a fortune
that day,
362.12 -> but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
363.84 -> It was really good.
365.04 -> I've started going out more,
started to interact with people more.
368.76 -> I have a lot bigger friend base
than I did.
372.2 -> Now I'm thinking, "Well, what can
I do? What is there to do?"
375.72 -> to the point whereby me and Germaine
377.8 -> are looking maybe to do a skydive
379.96 -> at some point this year.
381.48 -> I'm 45,
383.16 -> and before I felt
older than my dad at 45.
388.16 -> Whereas now I'm thinking,
"I've got a good 30 to 40 years,"
391.72 -> and I just feel so much healthier.
394.56 -> I feel like the sky's the limit.
408.92 -> I was a dead man walking.
411.16 -> The time has come
for me to take action.
419.2 -> I was 17st 2lbs,
420.84 -> and now I'm 12 stone,
422.56 -> and I feel absolutely brilliant.
425.08 -> Now I actually feel excited
for the future.
433.64 -> You're told that you have a disease
436.16 -> that's going to be with you
for the rest of your life.
439.12 -> It was an absolute shock.
441.28 -> I love my life now.
443.04 -> There's a future,
and I'm going to live it.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuKnpFrFVR4