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All posts by Sarah-Jane MacAllister

Dr Stuart Moir and Echo Tech Michelle Anderson devised a barrier method

Echo staff and patients safety

For the protection of our patients, staff and broader community, due to the spread of Covid-19, Melbourne Heart Care’s Dr Stuart Moir and Echo Tech Michelle Anderson devised a barrier method to improve safety for sonographers and patients during echo studies at our Holmesglen Private Hospital rooms last Thursday. This barrier method combined with a mask, hand hygiene and patient screening has been suggested as a means of preventing droplet spread, we hope this will reduce the risk to our staff and patients during this crisis.

Echo Tech Michelle Anderson devised a barrier method
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Staying Healthy During The Festive Season

It’s that time of year when our well-intentioned healthy habits fall by the wayside because of all the festivities. So how do we go about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and not let our previous 11 months of healthy habits disappear down the plug hole.

Keep on track with your workouts

Treat your exercise the same way you would an important meeting. It’s easy to skip your workout because of an indulgent evening the night before. If you find you have missed your gym class or morning walk because of a sleep in, then reschedule it as you would an important meeting.

Set yourself some limits

Be mindful of the number of alcoholic drinks, make a conscious decision before you go out to set a limit on the number you will have and be mindful of this throughout the evening. If you have a plan then you stand a better chance of achieving it. No plan means you will most likely consume more than you would have preferred and apart from it not being good for you, it will affect you the following day. Perhaps even take the car so you don’t drink at all.

If there is food on offer, again set yourself a limit, stick to your normal healthy habits and choose fresh fruit and veg over chips and dip or better still have your normal healthy meal before your go out.

Have a departure time in mind, so you know when you plan to leave otherwise your evening will continue longer than is necessary resulting in lack of sleep and/or excess alcohol etc.

Make up for it

Have fun. It’s Christmas after all so you should still enjoy yourself. If you find that you have had a couple of big nights out then don’t stress over it, make up for it. Do an extra workout or stay longer at the gym, cut back on some of your “sometimes food” to make up for it. Remember that a small glass of wine (150 ml) is about the same number of calories as two Tim Tam biscuits. Which means an extra 15-20 min of moderate to fast passed exercise to burn off that one glass of wine. (a bottle of wine would equate to roughly 1 ½ hrs extra of moderate to fast passed exercise on top of your usual routine)

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Melbourne Heart Care

Gluten-Free Raw Christmas Pudding

Recipe by Teresa Cutter

The Healthy Chef

INGREDIENTS

225g fresh pitted dates – approx 10 – 15  dates depending on their size

zest from 1 orange

250g organic dried apricots, chopped

150 g (1 ½ cups) almond meal / ground almonds

1  teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼  tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground ginger

80 g white chocolate, melted for decoration – optional see other great topping ideas below)

Healthy Raw Vegan Custard

2 mangoes

1 x 400 g (14 oz) can organic coconut milk or cream for a thicker custard

1 teaspoon Healthy Chef Turmeric Latte

1 orange, juiced

To make custard

  1. Combine all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Serve chilled alongside puddings.

METHOD

  1. Combine dates, orange zest, apricots, vanilla, ground almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a food processor.
  2. Process until mixture is combined and looks like fine crumbs.
  3. Spoon mixture into a large bowl and add 1 – 2 tablespoons orange juice then mix again. Your pudding mix should come together in the hands when lightly squeezed.
  4. Divide puddings into 6 small puddings. The best way to do this is to line the base of your desired mould with glad wrap and press the pudding mixture into it firmly.
  5. Invert the pudding and remove the glad wrap. Repeat until all the puddings are formed.
  6. Melt white chocolate in a small bowl that is set over a simmering pot of water.
  7. Spoon a little white chocolate over the tops of the puddings if using and garnish. You can use goji berries, fresh cherries or anything you fancy. Alternatively, omit the topping if you wish.
  8. Arrange onto a serving plate and set aside until needed.
  9. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

PLEASE NOTE: YOU DO NOT NEED TO BAKE THESES PUDDINGS

NOTES AND INSPIRATION

Garnish with fresh red cherries or raspberries.

Top with thick yoghurt in place of custard.

Serve with sour cherry compote or smashed raspberries.

As an alternative to white chocolate combine 100 g melted cacao butter with 100 ml coconut cream and 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix well and drizzle over the puddings then allow to set.

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MyMarathon

Staff (and family members) of Melbourne Heart Care have been participating, as a team, in the National Heart Foundation’s MyMarathon challenge. During the month of October, we will have completed 42.2 km’s per person (a team total of 590.8 km) to help fight the single biggest killer of Australians – heart disease.  Please support our team who have already exceeded their goal and are currently at 790 km and still going.

https://mymarathon2018.everydayhero.com/au/melbourne-heart-care

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