Hand’s up who binged both seasons of Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing in iPlayer? It was a hoot of a show and so relaxing to watch. What struck me about it though was the reason for this hidden gem of a TV show.

Both Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse have had heart problems. In the second series, there’s a funny but thought-provoking scene where Mortimer lies on a table while his surgeon talks through what exactly he did throughout heart surgery. It’s very light-hearted in the moment, but I think the show has done a lot to highlight more around men taking care of themselves; especially when it comes to having a healthy heart.

There’s so much misinformation and (in my opinion) a lack of general knowledge about how to take care of your ticker. That’s something we can hopefully bring some clarity to in this short blog post. I’m going to highlight some signs to look out for that may be indicators, and it all starts with knowing how old your heart age.

How old is your heart?

You might know what your metabolic age is if you pay to use those fancy scales at the chemists or gym, but do you know what your estimated heart age is? Well, it doesn’t have to be a big guessing game. The NHS has a great little quiz/tool that can give you a rough idea of what your heart age. It’s the first step in being to get an understanding of what condition your heart may be in before going to see a doctor.

Speaking of doctors, you can go to your GP if you want to get a rough idea of how your heart is, especially if you think you have some of the warning signs.

What are the warning signs?

We’ve all experienced a little pain around the heart whenever a bit of food doesn’t go down as we’d hope, but what should someone be looking for or keep an eye out on as signs they should get their heart checked?

Some of the warning signs the British Heart Foundation says you know about include:

• Chest pain when sitting about (i.e. when you’re not doing anything)
• Feeling clammy/sweaty after doing something mundane
• Cramps in your calves when out walking, especially if you’re a smoker
• Swollen ankles if you aren’t taking any medication that causes swelling
• Your heartbeat feels erratic
• Pains in your left arm that you’d have regularly

If you experience anything like this, it’s an excellent idea to visiting your doctor who may then refer you on to consultant cardiologists to get some sort of diagnosis.

Everybody’s got a hungry heart

Take the words of The Boss into consideration when having dinner every day. In the TV show I mentioned, there’s a recurring segment where dinner is cooked using heart-healthy foods. Simple substitutions (and additions) to your diet can help your heart work at peak performance.

I’ll presume you already know all the ”bad” foods that should be avoided, and you’ll read about having to avoid saturated fats like the plague, but there are some excellent foods with unsaturated fats that can be seen as healthy fats. These include:

• Avocados
• Fish (hence why cod liver oil has always been popular)
• Plain nuts
• Olive oil

Obviously, it helps as well to keep your alcohol consumption down too.

Supplement yourself

Are you the kind of person who will walk right by the health store on the high street without ever checking out the endless rows of tablets and supplements? If you want to give your heart the best chance possible of working as wondrously as it does, research supplements that include omega oils and garlic.

Get smart and act healthy

If you’d like to read more articles on men’s health and how it’s essential to stay in good nick as a father, take a look at other health posts on the blog here.