How old is your heart

BananaRepublic

Stoke wrote: »

The best way to get people eating healthier is education and also reducing the price of healthier foods, because it's still ridiculous how expensive healthy options are when compared with unhealthy ones.

Unfortunately when it comes to prepared food, healthy options tend to be more expensive, as deep fried items based on sugar and fat are cheap to make. So much food is fried because it’s cheap to make. Veggies cost money and take time to prepare. Fish is not cheap.

However, if you are prepared to cook, then healthy food can work out reasonably cheap. Seasonal veg is inexpensive, Aldi and a Lidl veg is cheap and good, some frozen veg is cheap, lentils and dals are cheap, rice and pasta are inexpensive. I grow a lot of veg and some fruit, and make jams, a bit naughty, but nice.

[Deleted User]

BananaRepublic wrote: »

I still don’t understand the relevance to the NHS test. Yes of course someone could have an undetected illness, but so what? That would not influence the heart age result. I simply do not understand why my heart age was given as 65, it makes no sense. They must be making some very sweeping assumptions to the extent that it is meaningless.

The medic I saw was well aware of the exercise I do, and to tell someone they needed a pacemaker on the basis of no evidence was incompetent and unprofessional. When I saw my GP, the nurse who did the ECG was not allowed to comment on the results. And neither did my GP until she was certain.

The heart monitor I wore was a unit loaned to me by my GP practice, and the results were analysed by my GP, or a heart specialist, probably the latter. It was a portable ECG device with electrodes attached t9 the chest. Yes of course a bedside monitor might go off if heart rate drops to 45 because the vast majority of people are unfit and that would be abnormal. However, amongst people who for example ice skate or run regularly but not excessively, 40 bpm is commonplace and not an issue. Lance Armstrong has a heart rate that goes down to 17.

You list a load of details about yourself that are not asked by the s/w, leave out the details that are asked for, and then when I talk about them you complain to me that they're not relevant. Then when I explain why the irrelevant details you list don't necessarily prove your heart age isn't 65 you complain about that too. If you can't see why your heart age is 65 why don't try changing the data entered, and then you'll see which ones have what effect.

As I've already explained, people with a chronic history of endurance training like Lance Armstrong have a higher risk of developing arrhythmia. Just like food, exercise is good for you in moderation, not in excess.

If your doctor tells you that you have lung cancer, he'll probably tell you what he thinks your chances are, and how long he expects you to live. Just like the heart age, that estimate will be based on previous experience of other patients with a similar condition, and may not be accurate for you personally. Is that a load of rubbish too?

jenniewb

BananaRepublic wrote: »

It is total BS. I could not be fitter, and yet it says my heart age is ten years more than my real age. I really do not know what planet they are on.

But they didn't make this for people who are fit to look at, they made it to give people who are curious, enough of a kick/concern/fear to change, it was designed for them and they are the majority, that it doesn't work for you is not of their concern. That the vast majority of people are on a one way train to various avoidable health concerns which can still be prevented by their own actions, that is the reason for the app. Not to make the fit fitter.

Stoke

BananaRepublic wrote: »

Unfortunately when it comes to prepared food, healthy options tend to be more expensive, as deep fried items based on sugar and fat are cheap to make. So much food is fried because it’s cheap to make. Veggies cost money and take time to prepare. Fish is not cheap.

However, if you are prepared to cook, then healthy food can work out reasonably cheap. Seasonal veg is inexpensive, Aldi and a Lidl veg is cheap and good, some frozen veg is cheap, lentils and dals are cheap, rice and pasta are inexpensive. I grow a lot of veg and some fruit, and make jams, a bit naughty, but nice.

It's not just veggies and fish though? I am continuing my weight loss journey, but obviously I also work hard, so I would often go out and grab a lunch from the local supermarket. A high calorie ready meal could be had for about a pound. Another pound for a bottle of diet coke... that's a meal. I didn't want to eat ready meals, so I would buy fresh chicken and a simple salad tub + the same bottle of coke. My bill would range from £4-£6 for one meal.... that to me is ridiculous. People at work were shocked how much I spent, while eating their crappy ready meals..... no wonder he have an obesity crisis.

I don't mind cooking when I have time, but honestly, I am buckling under the amount of work I have. It's not even funny how much pressure I am under at the moment. The only alternative is I switch back to eating unhealthy foods, which I can't bring myself to do.

suki1964

Think it is tosh as well as I readily admit Im over weight but my cholesterol and BP are fine, yet it didn't make any difference to my heart age just on changing weight, only made a difference when I moved all sliders and even then it showed my heart age being 3 years older then me

Stoke, I make my lunches at home. I have those takeaway type dishes, when I serve dinner, I serve a small one in one of those and take that in the following day. Or a make a pile at a time and stick them in the freezer. Also as Im totally addicted to Diet Coke/pepsi and drink that in work, I buy a case at a time and I keep cereal in work ( milk is supplied) for those days when Ive been running late and forgotten to grab my lunch. Its really helped me with the weight loss and not spending a fortune on lunch

trailingspouse

jenniewb wrote: »

But they didn't make this for people who are fit to look at, they made it to give people who are curious, enough of a kick/concern/fear to change, it was designed for them and they are the majority, that it doesn't work for you is not of their concern. That the vast majority of people are on a one way train to various avoidable health concerns which can still be prevented by their own actions, that is the reason for the app. Not to make the fit fitter.

I think you're probably right - but it's still got to work, for whoever uses it, for whatever reason. I think the algorithm is basically flawed. If I was in what you call the majority I would add this app to my reasons for not bothering to get fitter.

Stoke

suki1964 wrote: »

Think it is tosh as well as I readily admit Im over weight but my cholesterol and BP are fine, yet it didn't make any difference to my heart age just on changing weight, only made a difference when I moved all sliders and even then it showed my heart age being 3 years older then me

Stoke, I make my lunches at home. I have those takeaway type dishes, when I serve dinner, I serve a small one in one of those and take that in the following day. Or a make a pile at a time and stick them in the freezer. Also as Im totally addicted to Diet Coke/pepsi and drink that in work, I buy a case at a time and I keep cereal in work ( milk is supplied) for those days when Ive been running late and forgotten to grab my lunch. Its really helped me with the weight loss and not spending a fortune on lunch

I need to try this but it's hard. At the moment, I get up and work, and then work some more.... then I go home.... and work. It will calm down eventually, but it impacts on my ability to prepare. At the moment, my go to method to avoid spending too much is to grab a tin of baked beans or something. Not really sustainable in the long run though.

suki1964

Stoke, a slow cooker is your friend

You can even cook a chicken in one ready for your chicken salads

Stoke

suki1964 wrote: »

Stoke, a slow cooker is your friend

You can even cook a chicken in one ready for your chicken salads

Interesting, how would a slow cooker help me? I'm keen because you're not the first to say this to me.

One thing I'll say is an air fryer has helped a lot. I can stick a whole chicken in there, leave it for an hour or so and come back and it's thoroughly cooked and I can do tea and a day or so's salads. The problem with the air fryer is it's not the easiest to clean. I suspect a slow cooker is easier.