salt and smoking; medical risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, or sickle cell anemia; and uncontrollable risk factors such as age, gender, and ethnicity.
While some risk factors for stroke such as genetics cannot be controlled, research suggests you can reduce lifestyle and some medical risk by following the DASH diet.
What is the DASH diet?
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet is a flexible and balanced eating plan that emphasizes vegetables, fruits, and whole grains; includes fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils; limits foods that are high in saturated fat like fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils.
For some individuals, following the DASH diet can be just as effective in lowering blood pressure as taking high blood pressure medication. Studies have found the more you can follow the DASH diet the greater your chances are of preventing a stroke. DASH is rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium, protein, and fiber. These are all nutrients that will help to lower blood pressure—a major risk factor for stroke.
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Following DASH
The following tips will help you ease into the DASH-style of eating. Changing your eating habits is not easy so go slow and give yourself a chance to adjust and make DASH part of your daily routine. You’ll get the
