Dr Nabeel Ahmed (Cardiologist), Baldeesh Rai (Dietitian) and Yasmin Quereshi (Presenter) on the set of Simply Health

An entertaining new health series offering practical tips on South Asian diet and lifestyle for the whole family will hit our screens on Sunday 17 May 2009. The programme, entitled Simply Health, is presented in a "Bollywood" style Hindi language and is jointly sponsored by HEART UK, Diabetes UK and the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The series is made up of 30 episodes and is being shown on the subscription satellite channel Sony TV Asia from May until November this year. Each show will be broadcast on Tuesday's at 6.30pm and then repeated on Saturday's at 9.00am. An 'open window' deal will allow non-subscribers to watch the show, therefore enabling up to 2 million Asians across the UK access to the programme.

During its 30 episodes, Simply Health will aim to teach and inform South Asian viewers about good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle particularly in relation to Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. It will have cooking demonstrations, offer practical tips on healthy South Asian dishes and dispel any commonly held myths. HEART UK's own dietitian Baldeesh Rai will advise the participants on how to improve their lifestyles and manage their conditions better, while celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala will look at how traditional South Asian cuisine can be made healthier.

Baldeesh said at the launch: "Most of us are aware of what constitutes healthy eating but we struggle when it comes to the practical ideas. Simply Health provides these easy, practical tips, giving great ideas which we can all incorporate without losing out on the taste. We are delighted to be working on this project to give accurate and up-to-date information suitable for the whole family on how to reduce saturated fat and energy intake and how to get more active to help maintain good health."

HEART UK's cholesterol helpline (0845 450 5988) which offers cholesterol advice is available in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi on Fridays between 10:00-12:00. Normal helpline hours are Tuesday 10:00 - 16:00 and Thursday 10:00 - 16:00. Please email any questions to

Read HEART UK's press release here
Read the Food Standards Agency press release here