Good fruit choices include bananas, apricots, oranges, cantaloupe, and apples. High-potassium vegetables include potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, zucchini, and tomatoes.
1. Fruits and vegetables
Foods high in potassium, such as sweet and white potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, prunes, melon and soybeans, can help you maintain a healthy blood pressure — the leading risk factor of stroke. Magnesium-rich foods, such as spinach, are also linked to a lower risk of stroke.
To recap, your best choices are hydrating beverages that contain minimal calories, sugar or salt. Reach for water, coffee or tea most often. And keep a water bottle handy – the visual cue reminds you to keep sipping.
Highlights. Milk products, including those that are higher in fat, do not increase the risk of stroke, but instead may reduce the risk; Cheese, in particular, appears to decrease the risk of stroke; Calcium from dairy foods has been associated with a 31% reduction in stroke risk.
No significant inverse association between egg intake and stroke risk was observed (RR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.84–1.01).
Avocados. The addition of avocados in daily meals is another good way to help with stroke recovery. The fatty acids in avocados help reduce the risk of inflammation in the body, improve fine motor skills and mental wellbeing.
Apples and pears were the majority of the white fruits and vegetables consumed in the study. Apples and pears may keep strokes away.
You should limit sweets, cakes, biscuits and processed and fatty meats. It's important to also switch the saturated fats in your diet for unsaturated fats and to reduce your salt intake by avoiding high-salt foods like processed meats, salty snacks and ready-made soups, as well as not adding salt to foods.
Eating carrot everyday reduces the risk of stroke by 68%. Lutein, a carotenoid present in carrots, has been positively linked to improved brain health according to a clinical study. High cholesterol is a common heart disease causing factor.
Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and grains. Change dairy products to fat-free and low-fat products. Choose lean meats and poultry, and try to bake, broil or roast meats instead of frying them. Avoid seasoning meats with seasoned salts, marinades or sauces.
When communicating with a stroke survivor who has communication problems (aphasia), it is helpful to: Be patient. Eliminate distractions. Turn off the TV, limit extraneous noise.
Choose whole grain buns, bagels, English muffins, crackers and bread instead of enriched or white varieties. Purchase whole-wheat pasta and brown rice instead of enriched or white varieties. Top yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh fruit or nuts.
Eating one serving of dark chocolate per day can increase brain cell growth. The compounds found in this food source repair cells and shield them from further damage. The cocoa powder in dark chocolate can give arterial function a significant boost and lower the risk of a recurrent stroke.
Eating tomatoes and tomato-based foods is associated with a lower risk of stroke, according to new research published in the October 9, 2012, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Tomatoes are high in the antioxidant lycopene.
Low-Fat Dairy
Low-fat dairy products such as yogurt are also good food choices for senior stroke survivors. Rich in calcium, yogurt and other low-fat dairy products, such as ricotta and cottage cheeses and 2 percent milk, are well tolerated by most people, and they're easy to swallow.
If your loved one is really craving some sweets such as ice cream, it is ok for her to have reasonable quantities each day. As you try to manage the diet of your loved one, be sure that she is making her regular doctor visits and his or her orders are being adhered to as much as you can.
Dehydration causes your blood to thicken, making flow to the brain difficult. When your blood tries to get through blocked blood vessels, a stroke can occur. Studies show that those who are well hydrated when they suffer a stroke have a greater chance of a better outcome.