Back in the swing

When keen golfer Gary Abbott was wracked with chest pains as he stepped off a plane at Manchester Airport, he thought he was having a heart attack.  A taxi took him straight to A&E where he was diagnosed with pneumonia and pleurisy. He is also living with diabetes and doctors warned his health would need closely monitoring over several weeks.

In the past, this would have meant an extended hospital stay, but Gary was able to go home the next day because he opted to be monitored using Telehealth technology. He submitted daily readings of his pulse, blood pressure and heart rate to the virtual ward while his wife Linda looked after him. Gary says he was able to rest, relax and recover because he was surrounded by his family: “I think relaxing would have been difficult for me on a ward. I knew I’d get well cared for at home and that someone else could benefit from the hospital bed”. Now, Gary is back on the golf course and living life to the full.

A professional chef - and with Gary’s diabetes in mind - Linda cooked tasty, nutritious meals to tempt him to eat and he was soon well on the way to recovery. “Gary got better quicker because we were at home together. We both felt so reassured by the support he was given.”

Good food, good health

When you’re recovering from illness, your body is working hard to repair and rebuild. Choosing foods with the right nutrients is essential for building yourself back up.  Linda’s chicken chipotle chilli, which she made for Gary, is full of vegetables and protein but low in salt and fat.  The chilli is just as tasty meat free - leave the chicken out and use any vegetables you have. It’s also perfect for batch cooking and freezing, which is great news when you are short on time.

Gary’s favourite chilli

Recipe ingredients to serve 4

• Spoonful of olive oil
• 3 or 4 chicken fillets cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped or minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 or 2 tablespoons chipotle chilli paste
• 2 x 400g cans tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 200g button mushrooms, cut into quarters
• 1 x 410g can green lentils in water (drained)
• 1 x 400g can kidney beans in chilli sauce
• 200g fat free fromage fraise
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• A pinch of smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper to season   
• 300g basmati long grain rice                                                                                                              
• Lime wedges to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and stir fry for 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and stir fry for about 5 minutes until cooked through. Add more oil if necessary.
2. Add cumin, cinnamon, chipotle chilli paste, tomatoes and tomato puree. Season to taste, bring to boil and simmer with a lid on for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the mushrooms, lentils and kidney beans, then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
4. Swirl in the fromage fraise and sprinkle with chopped coriander and paprika.
5. Serve with cooked rice and a wedge of lime.