The media has recently focused on the problem of increasing numbers of overweight children and adults due to junk food diets and less exercise and leading to more heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. On a more positive note the health information campaign to encourage people to eat 5 portions of fruit or vegetables a day has had some success.

The basics of a healthy diet are –

• Eat regular, moderate size meals (don’t skip breakfast!)
• Try and have 5 portions of fruit or veg a day
• Eat more fibre (brown bread, cereals, pulses, fruit, veg)
• Eat less fat (especially saturated fat)
• Eat less salt
• Eat less sugar
• Drink more water (at least 2-3 pints/day)

We all know people who lived to a ripe old age despite smoking 20 a day for years. But they are the exceptions. One in two long term smokers will die prematurely from disease related to smoking, most commonly lung cancer, heart disease or chronic bronchitis. Half of these deaths will be in middle age. Smoking causes 1000 admissions every day to UK hospitals. If you smoke and would like to stop we can help – we know that it isn’t easy to give up.

Your Doctor can refer you to one of our specially trained Practice Nurses. Please contact reception if you would like to be sent a questionnaire. The Practice Nurse will then contact you to make an appointment once we have received your completed questionnaire. The nurse can prescribe nicotine products or Champix tablets if appropriate.

If you would prefer to participate in a group of people attempting to stop this can be arranges via the local stop smoking coordinator – contact reception for details.

Exercise makes the heart stronger and lowers blood pressure, improves the efficiency of the lungs, improves muscle strength and flexibility, prevents osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), reduces cholesterol and aids weight loss, improves digestion, reduces depression and stress and improves brain function, improves immunity (ability to fight infections) and reduces the effects of aging. So why don’t we all do it?!

“Haven’t got time” – there are the same 24 hours in a day for all of us – what we do with them is a question of setting our own priorities.

“Can’t think what to do” – choose something you will enjoy – it doesn’t have to be running or going to the gym. Swimming, dancing and brisk walking are all good exercise. Try one of the walks on our website – see below.

“It makes me too tired” – think positive – say to yourself “my body is working hard and I’m getting stronger”.

Plan well – each Sunday think about what you will be able to do in the coming week. Set yourself goals and reward yourself if you achieve them.

 

Walks around our area

Brisk walking is good exercise – we would like to publish a series of local circular routes, starting from the villages in our area, on our website. If you know a good route of between one and three miles (we will publish longer routes but the main emphasis is to describe walks that people can do regularly) Email a description of it to ayadmin@ayton-snainton.co.uk and we will put it on the site. Please ensure that only routes over public rights of way are described.

• Route 1 – To Hutton Buscel
   
  Walk West along Pickering Road past the surgery. Cross at the pedestrian island and take the first turning R towards Hutton Buscel. Turn immediately L across the stile along a public footpath. (for a shorter route, miles, continue along the road and join the main route again at Allandale House). Follow the path across the fields, below the village, to join the road at Church lane. Walk straight across, through the lych gate into the churchyard. Follow the path straight ahead then round to the right past St Matthews church and out along vicar’s walk to join the main street. Turn R along the street and follow it along and down the steep hill. 50yds from the bottom of the hill, turn L just before Allandale House. Walk up the hill and as the ground levels turn R along a footpath, initially between two hedges, then through a gate and along the R hand edge of the field. Go through another gate and down the hill to Yedmandale Road. You can see the old quarry to your R and Low Yedmandale farm to your L. Turn R and follow Yedmandale Road back to Pickering Road.
  
  
• Route 1 - Cross country to the Downe Arms (2.3 miles)
  From the main street turn L up Middle lane. After 400yds turn L through gate into field signed public footpath. Keep along the northern border of this field to join Great Moor Road. Turn L then almost immediately R onto another footpath. This runs along the edge of the field then between two hedges (can be very muddy) down to a foot bridge over Bedale Beck. (For a shortened route turn L before the footbridge and cross the stile back into the field following the path diagonally across the field to the west end of Main St). Cross the bridge and follow the path around the R side of the pond, into the field, turning L then R to skirt the edge and then join the road above the Downe Arms. Turn L and follow the road down to the pub. Turn L along the A170. Just past the entrance to St Helen's caravan park, turn L across a stile, then R into the field signed "dog exercise area". Cross this diagonally via the footpath, crossing a second field on the same line to the top L hand corner. Step out of the field onto the W end of Hutton Buscel Main Street and return to your starting point.