The risk factors that arise from having a stroke include increased blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes, underscoring the importance of nutrition while recovering from a stroke. Eating foods that are low in fats, sugars and salt will keep risk factors away and limit the potential of a stroke from happening again. A healthy diet can help improve your overall health and also make your everyday life worth it.

 

Here are some ideas that might make it easier to eat a healthy diet during stroke recovery:

 

Reduce saturated fats: The primary goal of a healthy diet for a stroke victim should be to reduce consumption of saturated fats, which should be limited to 8-10 per cent of total caloric intake. Drink non-fat milk or skimmed milk instead of whole milk; cut down intake of butter and fatty cheeses; and eat white meat (turkey, chicken, and fish without the skin) instead of red meat.

 

Decrease cholesterol intake: Stroke victims should reduce their intake of dairy products and meat and eat more vegetables and fruits. Also, egg yolks should be avoided, but egg whites are perfectly healthy.

 

Cut back on salt: Limit the intake of salt. Use other methods that are salt-free to season food, like spices, herbs, and fruit juices such as orange and lemon. Make sure the stroke patient avoids eating processed foods such as processed meat, snacks and brine foods, which usually have high levels of salt.

 

 

Cut down on white bread, biscuits, pastries, pasta, cakes, and white rice: These foods are rich in calories which get stored in the body as fat when not used. This fat accumulates in the bloodstream, too, making the heart pump harder and making it more difficult for the brain to receive oxygen.

 

Shun alcohol: There is good chance that medications taken after a stroke will interact with alcohol, thereby altering their desired effects. Worse still, alcohol is known to increase blood pressure. For these two reasons, it should be avoided.

 

By ONYEKACHI KALU

The Punch