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Stroke Prevention

"A man too busy to take care of his health
is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools."
-- Spanish Proverb

Save Your Brain - Learn to Recognize a Stroke

Stroke is a medical emergency. Knowing the warning signs and teaching them to others can save lives. Every second counts. Here are the basics: 

Know your risk factors:

• Shared risks - Both coronary heart disease and stroke share many of the same risk factors such as high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, physical inactivity, and being overweight or obese. Find out more about Heart Health.
• Non-modifiable risks - Some risk factors for stroke can not be changed such as age, family history, race, gender, and prior stroke, TIA or heart attack. The chance of having a stroke approximately doubles for each decade of life after age 55. Your stroke risk is greater if a parent, grandparent, sister or brother has had a stroke, and African Americans have a much higher risk of death from a stroke than Caucasians do.     
• Special risks for women - Stroke is more common in men than in women. However, more than half of total stroke deaths occur in women. Use of birth control pills and pregnancy pose special stroke risks for women.

  "Give Me 5" is a quick stroke check:

• WALK - Is their balance off? The warning sign: sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• TALK - Is their speech slurred or face droopy? The warning sign: sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• REACH - Is one side weak or numb? The warning sign: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
SEE - Is their vision all or partly lost? The warning sign: sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
FEEL - Is there headache severe? The warning sign: sudden, severe headache with no known cause. 

Learn more about our alliance with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Dear Dr. Terri K: My doctor just told me that my cholesterol is high. Now that I'm in my 40s, I'm trying to pay more attention to my health - especially since my father had a stroke when he was in his 50s. I rather not rely on medicine the rest of my life. What can I do to get my cholesterol down? - RAY

Ray: First, congratulations for wanting to take control of your health. The key is to start small and be consistent. Here are some basic lifestyle suggestions:

1. Cut down on foods high in saturated and trans fats - Limit your intake of whole milk, butter, ice cream, egg yolks, cheese, fried foods, high-fat processed meats such as sausage, saturated oils like palm oil and solid fats like shortening. Use unsaturated vegetable oils such as canola, olive and safflower.
2. Focus on lean, whole foods - Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Since cholesterol is in all foods from animal sources, use fat-free and low-fat dairy products and aim to eat no more than six ounces of lean meat, fatty fish and poultry without skin per day. High-quality proteins from vegetable sources such as beans are good substitutes for animal sources of protein. 
3. Eat strategically - Serve smaller portions of higher fat dishes, and serve bigger portions of lower fat dishes such as brown rice, beans and vegetables. Snack with fruits and limited amounts of nuts and seeds.
4. Read the labels - Look for the amount of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and total calories in a serving of the product. Also check how much a serving is. Choose products where fats and oils appear later in the ingredient listing.
5. Make water your drink of choice - Keep hydrated with filtered water. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. If you drink coffee, begin to drink green tea as a substitute.
6. Get moving - Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity 3-5 times per week to improve your general health and lose weight. Go for a walk. Take a friend dancing. Do some yard work. Regular physical activity increases HDL (good) cholesterol in some people.   

Honor your body. Today, take control of your health. Use the power of choice to change your lifestyle. You can make it happen. Start Power Living® today!

- T

• American Stroke Association - The American Stroke Association is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is: "Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke." The website offers a host of tools to help you eat healthy, exercise and understand your risk factors. 
• MedlinePlus: Stroke - This site offers comprehensive information on all aspects of stroke prevention and treatment. It is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - The CDC website offers a range of information for consumers and health professionals on stroke from fact sheets to the latest research news.   

Do you have questions about managing a specific stressful situation? Are you confused about certain foods or herbs? Do you need some insights regarding a career shift and discovering your Purpose? Then... Ask Dr. Terri K. Email your questions to askdrterrik@power-living.com.  If you still desire on-going, individualized attention, then try out our one-on-one coaching. For more information, email coaching@power-living.com or call 212.901.6913.