Stroke Prevention

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. It occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, depriving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients. This can lead to brain damage and in extreme instances death.

Simulation depicting blood clot in the brain leading to low blood flow and damage to the brain tissue.

There are many risk factors for stroke, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and obesity. However, one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of stroke is to eat a healthy diet.

A healthy diet for stroke prevention includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It is also important to limit your intake of saturated and unhealthy fats, cholesterol, and sodium.

Here are some tips for eating a healthy diet to prevent stroke:

- Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Your plate should represent a rainbow of colors. Make sure to shop seasonal ingredients and variety of both fruits and vegetables. Venture to trying grains such as farro and barley instead of white rice.

- Limit your intake of saturated and unhealthy fats, cholesterol, and sodium. This means limiting and ideally removing processed foods, prepackaged meals and fast foods from your daily intake.

- Limit your intake of red meat. ( start by limiting red meat to once a week). Choose low-fat dairy products. Focus on health fats such as avocados, nuts and fatty fish.

- Choose lean protein sources, such as fish, poultry, and beans.

Include plant protein in your diet such as beans, lentils, flax seeds and hemp seeds at least few times a week.

- Limit your intake of added sugars. Eliminate soda from your

nutrition. Hydrate with water, which can be more appealing if mixed with lemon and mint leaves. Of course, if you have high blood pressure or congestive heart failure make sure to follow your doctors daily fluid intake recommendations.

In addition below are some helpful reputable resources for learning more about healthy eating and stroke prevention:

The American Stroke Association

The American Heart Association

The Mayo Clinic

WebMD

Dr. Sadikovic

Please note: This blog post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider for any questions or concerns you may have about your health.