Pre-health check nerves prove ill-founded as results come back normal

Pitching up for a health check the morning after a wedding and with a horrible viral infection probably isn’t the best.

However, luckily my appointment for a free health check with the Irish Heart Foundation, as part of the Portlaoise Healthy Town initiative, wasn't too early in the day.

The tests looked at my blood pressure; pulse; cholesterol and blood glucose; weight measurement; Body Mass Index (BMI); stress and physical activity, and thankfully, all were in the normal range.

I had thought about getting a cholesterol check recently but hadn’t got around to it, so this was the perfect opportunity and it was great to get the result there and then.

Cardiovascular disease is the biggest cause of death in Ireland for both men and women. The Irish Heart Foundation’s message is that for many people, heart disease and stroke can be delayed or prevented.

Healthy eating, being physically active and not smoking all help to reduce our chances of these diseases. I don’t smoke but I do enjoy a glass of red wine and the recommendation from the Irish Heart Foundation is to keep it at the low levels and to have some alcohol-free days.

As Janis Morrissey, dietitian with the Irish Heart Foundation, points out, a large glass of wine could contain two or even three standard drinks.

After all the tests were carried out, I was presented with my heart health record and a selection of leaflets promoting heart health. The general advice includes not letting weight build up around the waist as this increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Constant stress over a long period of time may contribute to health problems, so the suggestion here is to take time out to relax and take up regular physical activity or a new hobby.

As the hubby had two stents inserted a few years back, we try to include oily fish; lean meats; fruit; and vegetables in the general household diet. I don’t eat meat so I try to make an effort by eating more wholegrain varieties of cereals, bread, pasta and rice. Keeping off sweet treats such as apple and rhubarb tarts and cake can be a challenge but we try to replace them with brown bread when having tea or coffee as often as possible.

A trip to Cork last weekend resulted in an array of temptations before us in the form of the super-sized breakfast buffet at the River Lee Hotel but the boys tried to atone for it at the hotel's health club afterwards. I opted for an exploration of the grounds of UCC and the city centre.

Back home, the National Ploughing Championships which were held in nearby Ratheniska, provided us with further opportunity to put our walking boots on and soak up the late September sunshine.