St Mary Cray Practice

18/01/2026

Don’t do it!

16/01/2026

🤰 Vaccines in Pregnancy: Protecting You and Your Baby 💙

The image below shows the vaccines recommended during pregnancy - and alongside these, the flu vaccine is also really important.

Pregnant women and young babies are at higher risk of serious illness from flu. Having the flu vaccine during pregnancy helps protect you and passes protection to your baby, helping keep them safe from birth.

✅ Free on the NHS
💙 Available in every pregnancy and right up until birth
📅 Available until 31 March

If you’re pregnant and registered with a Crays practice, please book your flu vaccine as soon as possible.

Speak to your GP or midwife for more information.

15/01/2026

Reminder to add diversity to your diet.
Aim for 30 different plants a week with a variety of different colours.
This includes fruits, veg, seeds, nuts, grains

The variety of different plants feeds a more diverse microbiome which is great for overall health

14/01/2026

Isometric exercises:

These are strength training exercises which holds a muscle or group of muscles in contraction.
They’re great for building strength, stability and rehabilitation.
Examples are wall sits, glute bridge, plank, side plank, bicep hold, any exercise can be turned into isometric by holding them in contraction.

The exercises can be done anywhere and do not need special equipment, if working, try it during your breaks!

A recent large study analysed the effects of various exercises (aerobic, HIT, combined exercises, dynamic strength exercises etc) on reducing BP and found they all reduce BP, however, isometric exercises were the most effective.

On further analysis, the best exercises for BP were wall sits (or wall squats) and running.

The studies showed the most improvement in men with borderline high BP aged over 45years.

To have a sustained effect the exercises would need to be done regularly at least 3 times a week and was reversible, BP would rise again if stopped.
For BP, The wall sits should be 4 rounds of 2 minutes each, with 2minute break in between, at least 3 times a week.
Depending on your ability you can build up, hold the position for 10 seconds and gradually lengthen the time.

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/20/1317

11/01/2026

Try this if you have autoimmune hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

07/01/2026

Ageing is a universal process of physiological decline.
Can we biohack the process and slow it down or reverse it?
Humans have been in pursuit of longevity since ancient times.
The modern longevity medicine sector is worth billions of pounds.
What is the evidence behind the possible interventions?
How do we age well?

06/01/2026

High BP is when BP is consistently above 140/90.

Stage 1 -
Systolic 140 - 159
Diastolic 90-99
Managed with lifestyle changes (unless other risk factors like diabetes or kidney disease)

Stage 2 -
Systolic 160 - 179
Diastolic 100 - 120
Managed with Lifestyle changes and medication

Stage 3
Greater than 180/120
Needs urgent assessment

Lifestyle changes:

🥦 Diet (reduce caffeine, low salt, low fat diet, plenty of fruit, veg, oily fish, wholegrains)
The best diet for hypertension is the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which emphasizes eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, fish, poultry, beans, and nuts while limiting saturated fats, sugars, and sodium. This diet has been shown to effectively lower blood pressure and improve heart health.

🍺 Reducing alcohol
🚬 Stopping smoking
⚖️weight loss
🛏️Stress management (get enough sleep, practice relaxation techniques)
🏃🏽‍♀️Exercise (150 min of moderate activity a week such as swimming, cycling, dancing, brisk walking)

Isometric Exercises
Isometric exercises are particularly effective for lowering blood pressure. These involve holding a position that engages specific muscles without movement. Examples include:
* Wall Sits: Lean against a wall and slide down until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
* Planks: Hold a push-up position, keeping your body straight and core engaged.
Research shows that isometric exercises can lead to significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

05/01/2026

Cold weather and health
The cold weather can affect vulnerable people.
There are things you can do to prepare and keep well and look after any vulnerable members of the family or friends/neighbours.

Prepare your home

Longer term improvements to your house can greatly improve your comfort but can be expensive. You can check your energy performance certificate (EPC) if available for potential improvements and consider speaking to a professional depending on the kinds of changes that are suggested. Depending on what you can afford, options may include:

regular servicing of your heating appliances can keep them working efficiently and for longer, saving you money
insulation for water pipes to prevent them from freezing in cold weather
loft insulation
internal, cavity or external wall insulation
double (or triple) window glazing
Find out more about eligibility for support with energy efficiency improvements through ‘Help to Heat’.

The Energy Saving Trust has tips on things you can do, including advice on more efficient ways to heat your home and improving insulation.

If you have mould or damp at home, find out what is causing mould or damp and how to address it. New guidance outlines what private and social rented landlords should do to respond to damp and mould and take preventative action.

It is important to make sure that household appliances are safe and working properly as demands on them during the winter are usually greater. To do this you can:

have your heating and cooking appliances checked by a Gas Safe® registered engineer to make sure they are working safely
have a carbon monoxide alarm (EN 50291 compliant) fitted
have things like boiler flues and chimneys checked for blockages and cleared if necessary
contact your water and power suppliers to see if you can be on the Priority Services Register, a free support service that helps people in vulnerable situations
Information taken from:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keep-warm-keep-well-leaflet-gives-advice-on-staying-healthy-in-cold-weather/top-tips-for-keeping-warm-and-well-this-winter

04/01/2026

Always seek medical advice before taking supplements.
As a menstruating woman I am chronically anaemic but only recently started taking iron supplements regularly.
Iron levels need to be checked before taking supplements to prevent iron overload.

If you have underlying medical conditions please seek advice before taking magnesium- this is best taken at night and separate from other supplements which may affect absorption.

02/01/2026

27/12/2025

Realistic goals for 2026
How many of these can you also implement?
Any other ideas?

24/12/2025

Seasonal greetings to all from everyone at St Mary Cray Practice.
However you wish to spend the day, we hope it’s a joyous one.

For some, this time of the year can be difficult so please do reach out for help if needed