Healthy living, one small step at a time

Good to know

• Within 48 hours of stopping, carbon monoxide has left your body and your sense of taste and smell start to recover.
• After a year smoke-free, your risk of a heart attack is half that of someone who still smokes.
• Free NHS stop smoking services offer weekly support plus stop-smoking medicines or nicotine replacement, and people who use them are much more likely to stop for good than those who go it alone.

Things to try

1. Pick a quit date in the next two weeks and tell the people around you.
2. Use two forms of nicotine replacement together, such as a patch plus gum, lozenge or spray, and keep going for at least eight weeks.
3. Nicotine vapes can help adults stop smoking; they are not risk-free and are not for people who have never smoked.
4. Plan for your triggers: change the routine around coffee, breaks or drinks for the first few weeks.

From the NHS

• NHS Better Health: quit smoking
• Find your local NHS stop smoking service
• NHS: vaping to quit smoking

How we can help

• Stop-smoking support from our pharmacy

Good to know

• 14 units is about six pints of average-strength beer or ten small glasses of lower-strength wine.
• A standard 175ml glass of 12% wine is 2.1 units; a pint of 5.2% lager is 3 units; a single 25ml spirit is 1 unit.
• Regularly drinking above the guideline raises the risk of high blood pressure, liver disease, several cancers and poor sleep.

Things to try

1. Use the units check above to see what a typical week really adds up to.
2. Choose smaller glasses and lower-strength drinks, and alternate with water or a soft drink.
3. Set drink-free days each week and keep them, especially on week nights.
4. If cutting down feels hard, speak to your GP or an alcohol service; sudden stopping after heavy daily drinking needs medical advice.

From the NHS

• NHS Better Health: drink less
• NHS: alcohol advice
• NHS: alcohol support and Drinkline

Good to know

• The Eatwell Guide shows the balance: plenty of fruit and vegetables, meals based on higher-fibre starchy foods, some dairy or alternatives, some protein, and small amounts of unsaturated oils.
• Adults should have at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day (one portion is 80g), around 30g of fibre, and no more than 6g of salt.
• Drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day; water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks all count.

Things to try

1. Add one extra portion of vegetables or fruit to a meal you already eat each day.
2. Swap white bread, rice and pasta for wholegrain versions to raise your fibre.
3. Check traffic-light labels: choose more greens and ambers, fewer reds, for fat, saturates, sugars and salt.
4. Cook from scratch when you can; most of the salt we eat is already in bought food.

From the NHS

• NHS: the Eatwell Guide
• NHS: 8 tips for healthy eating
• NHS: why 5 A Day?

Good to know

• Adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, and strengthening activities on at least two days.
• Moderate activity raises your heart rate and makes you breathe faster but still able to talk, such as brisk walking, cycling or pushing a mower.
• Any activity is better than none: even exercising once or twice a week can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Things to try

1. Build in a brisk 10-minute walk every day; three a day gets you most of the way to 150 minutes.
2. Couch to 5K takes complete beginners to a 30-minute run in nine weeks, with a free NHS app.
3. Break up long periods of sitting with a few minutes of movement every hour.
4. Bodyweight exercises, carrying shopping and gardening all count as strength work.

From the NHS

• NHS Better Health: get active
• NHS: physical activity guidelines for adults
• NHS: Couch to 5K

Good to know

• For most adults a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is a healthy weight, 25 to 29.9 is overweight and 30 or more is obese. For people from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, 23 to 27.4 is overweight and 27.5 or more is obese.
• Try to keep your waist to less than half your height.
• The NHS weight loss plan is a free 12-week programme of diet and activity advice, available as an app.

Things to try

1. Use the BMI and waist check above, then decide on one food change and one activity change.
2. Eat regular meals, watch portion sizes, and fill half your plate with vegetables.
3. Weigh yourself once a week at the same time rather than every day.
4. If you have a lot of weight to lose or other health conditions, speak to your GP about NHS weight management services.

From the NHS

• NHS Better Health: lose weight
• NHS: managing your weight
• NHS waist to height ratio calculator

How we can help

• Our pharmacist-led weight management service

Good to know

• You are usually considered to have high blood pressure if your reading is 140/90 or higher at a clinic, or 135/85 or higher at home.
• If you are 40 or over, have your blood pressure checked at least every five years; many high-street pharmacies offer a free NHS check for people aged 40 and over.
• Everyone aged 40 to 74 without an existing heart condition should be invited to a free NHS Health Check every five years, which includes blood pressure and cholesterol.

Things to try

1. Cut back on salt (no more than 6g a day) and check labels on bread, sauces and ready meals.
2. Move more, keep alcohol within 14 units a week and stop smoking: each lowers your blood pressure.
3. If you check at home, use a validated upper-arm monitor, sit quietly for five minutes first, and take two readings a minute apart.
4. If you have not had an NHS Health Check and think you are eligible, ask your GP practice.

From the NHS

• NHS: high blood pressure
• Find a pharmacy offering free NHS blood pressure checks
• NHS: check your blood pressure reading
• NHS Health Check

Good to know

• Common symptoms include peeing more than usual, especially at night, feeling very thirsty or tired, losing weight without trying, blurred vision, thrush and cuts that heal slowly. Many people have no symptoms at first.
• Your risk is higher if you are over 40 (over 25 for people of South Asian background), have a close relative with diabetes, are overweight, or carry weight around your waist.
• The Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is a free nine-month course of support for people at high risk.

Things to try

1. Take the free Diabetes UK Know Your Risk check; it takes a few minutes.
2. If your risk is moderate or high, ask your GP about a blood test and a referral to the prevention programme.
3. The same changes protect against diabetes and heart disease: a healthy weight, regular activity and a balanced diet.
4. See your GP promptly if you have symptoms; type 2 diabetes is easier to manage the earlier it is found.

From the NHS

• Diabetes UK: Know Your Risk
• NHS: type 2 diabetes symptoms
• Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme

Good to know

• The NHS's five steps to mental wellbeing are: connect with other people, be physically active, learn new skills, give to others, and pay attention to the present moment.
• Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night; a regular routine and daylight in the morning help more than lie-ins.
• You can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression without seeing your GP first.

Things to try

1. Try the Every Mind Matters Mind Plan quiz for a personalised set of tips.
2. Keep a consistent bedtime and wake time, and leave phones out of the bedroom.
3. Cut caffeine after lunch and keep alcohol low; both fragment sleep.
4. If low mood or worry lasts more than two weeks or gets in the way of daily life, talk to your GP or self-refer to talking therapies.

From the NHS

• Every Mind Matters: your Mind Plan
• NHS: 5 steps to mental wellbeing
• Find NHS Talking Therapies
• NHS: sleep and tiredness

Good to know

• NHS sexual health clinics offer free testing, treatment, contraception and condoms, and you do not need a GP referral.
• Many sexually transmitted infections have no symptoms, so test when you change partner or have had sex without a condom.
• Emergency contraception works best the sooner it is taken; clinics, GPs and many pharmacies can provide it.

Things to try

1. Use condoms with new partners: they are the only method that protects against infections as well as pregnancy.
2. Choose a contraceptive method that fits your life; the NHS contraception guide compares them all.
3. If you have symptoms such as unusual discharge, pain when peeing or sores, get checked rather than waiting.
4. Testing is quick and often by post in many areas; search for your local clinic to see what it offers.

From the NHS

• NHS: sexual health
• Find a sexual health clinic
• NHS: your contraception guide

How we can help

• The contraceptive pill from us under the NHS
• Our sexual health services