Free Heart Health Talk with David Burke
David Burke from Celtic Nutrition is hosting a free Heart Health Talk in the Talbot Hotel on Thursday 21st February from 7.30pm.
If you or anyone you know suffers from high cholesterol, high blood pressure or any other cardiovascular disease then this talk is for you. On the night David Burke will be explaining why more and more of us are suffering from these diseases but more importantly what we can do to help prevent them and reverse them.
If you want to learn how to help protect your heart make sure to come along to The Talbot Hotel on Thursday 21st February at 7.30pm.
Free Cholesterol Testing Instore
A representative from Zerochol (a plant sterol supplement used to reduce cholesterol levels) will be instore with us on Friday 19th January offering free cholesterol testing. If you are worried about your cholesterol or just want to keep on eye on it now is a great time to get yours tested?
There are many reasons why cholesterol levels might be high therefore, there are many ways in which you can tackle it – through diet, lifestyle and supplement. We will also be offering plenty of information so make sure to call in for a chat.
Ger’s January 2018 Monthly Update!
A fresh new year is upon us once again, a blank page to fill however you wish. It’s time to acknowledge all our achievements of the past year and be excited for what you can achieve in the coming one. We, in Only Natural, are here to help you on that journey and we think we’ve made it a bit easier for you to know exactly who to ask.
Getting to Know Us
Nichola’s on the Radio
Join Nichola for her monthly slot on The Morning Mix with Alan Corcoran on Friday 27th October at 11.15am.
This month Nichola will be discussing Cholesterol. It’s not just all about the total number but the breakdown between the different types and yes Nichola will be going into these too! Nichola will also be discussing the importance of cholesterol in the body, it’s many uses and functions and also reasons why levels might be high. And of courses ways in which cholesterol can be reduced through diet, supplementation and lifestyle.
Cholesterol can be a worrying issue for many so make sure to tune into South East Radio on Friday 29th September at 11.15am to hear what advice Nichola has to give.
Recipe of the Month – Molasses Oat Bran Cookies
Oats are officially a superfood, they keep you fueled and energized, they keep you feeling full if you want to avoid cravings, they keep your digestion ‘right’ and they even contain compounds to keep you calm.
But what about the oatbran, this is the often quite finely milled outer husk of the oat grain? It’s special properties come from the fact that it’s a type of fiber called ‘soluble fibre’ with unique heart healthy, cholesterol busting properties.
You can simply throw a few tablespoons of oatbran into your granola or yoghurt or indeed you can make porridge from it on its own but with a little imagination it can become the basis for any number of baked delights. We asked Ruth, our in store super baker, for some ideas for oatbran and here’s what she came up with.
These cookies are crunchy and yet chewy in the middle! They are full of flavour from the spices and molasses, balanced out by the sugar. As this is Heart Health month at Only Natural, we decided to combine Oat Bran, a high-fibre food that can lower your cholesterol. We’ve also added molasses, which is rich in Iron.
We’ve used organic unrefined cane sugar as it has been minimally processed and hasn’t been exposed to the damaging pesticides present in conventionally grown sugarcane. Unrefined cane sugar also contains 17 amino acids, 11 minerals and 6 vitamins, including antioxidants that may help reverse oxidative damage.
These cookies are perfect with a cuppa!
Ingredients
165g Wholewheat Flour (use plain gluten-free flour for coeliac friendly version!)
135g Porridge Oats
100g Oat Bran
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
¼ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ginger
200g organic Unrefined Cane Sugar (e.g. Billingtons)
220ml Rapeseed Oil
1 large Egg
85g Molasses
Flaked Almonds to decorate
Method
In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together flour, oats, oat bran, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger.
In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, oil, egg and molasses.
Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients and make sure it’s mixed through before putting in the fridge for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line three baking trays with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and space them evenly on each cookie sheet. Press down with palm of hand to make half inch thick rounds. Sprinkle tops lightly with flaked almonds. Bake for 7-10 minutes.
Healthy Heart Naturally – more than COQ10 and Fish Oils Supplements?
As Ireland continues on the road to becoming Europe’s most obese nation avoidable deaths and diminished quality of life due to heart disease are still part of our health climate. Better heart health is achievable through lifestyle choices and, where applicable, preventative and remedial supplementation. Coronary heart disease involves damage and narrowing of arteries and veins resulting in the heart having a more difficult job to fulfill its function of pumping blood around the body resulting in an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Firstly reduce your exposure to the risk factors that predispose to heart disease. These include being overweight, smoking, excessive stress, insufficient exercise, raised cholesterol and diabetes.
A heart healthy diet includes lots of whole grains and vegetables, healthy fats from fish and vegetable sources, soluble fibre to both regulate the digestion and reduce cholesterol (oats and oat products like oat bran and oatcakes come to mind here) and heart healthy herbs such as garlic and turmeric.
Hawthorn is a very effective and quick acting remedy for high blood pressure.
If elevated cholesterol is a problem due to lifestyle or hereditary causes Red Yeast Rice (taken with COQ10 which is sometimes included in the supplement), Plant Sterol tablets (Irish made brand Zerochol comes to mind) and Soya Lecithin can all be beneficial.
