In life sickness is inevitable events that can happen to anyone if we are not careful of our lifestyle such as foods we consumed. It can be you, who is reading right now, your family, friends or other acquaintances. Some people begin to watch their lifestyle and starts a modification when they experience signs and symptoms that is already impossible to prevent from occurring, thus we need an early health education how to promote health and prevent disease to enjoy a productive life. One of this disease is Stroke in layman’s term, or what we called Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA).What is CerebrovasculAccident (CVA)Ischemic
CVA or Stroke happens when their is a significant reduced or cutting off of blood flow to parts of the brain resulting to oxygen depletion into the brain cells causing them to die quickly and may result to permanent brain damage. Stroke could cause a minor or major damage to the brain, the consequence may lead to partial & complete recovery to fatality.
There are 2 major types of Stroke, Ischemic Stroke the most common form of stroke, happens when the blood vessels supplying the brain becomes narrow due to hardening, fat deposits and blockage of blood clots. It will cause a decrease blood flow to the brain, blood clots may travel through your blood stream and lodge into the blood vessels which cut the supply of oxygen into the brain causing death to the brain cells.
Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a weak vessels in the brain which ruptures and cause bleeding in the surrounding area causing compression and accumulation of blood to the brain tissue. There are other types of stroke such as TIA or Transient Ischemic Attack, also called mini Stroke caused by a blood clots, Brain Stem stroke which occurs in the brain stem affects both sides of the body.
Healthy Eating after a Stroke
After a Stroke it might be harder to get all the nutrition that a person may need. A professional dietitian will be needed to prescribe a diet needed, and calculations of appropriate nutrients depending on the nutritional status of a stroke victim.
Fresh Fruits and vegetables which contains most of the anti-oxidants will help reduce damage to the blood vessels and potassium contents will be useful in controlling blood pressure. Plenty of vegetables of different types such as legumes & beans, some cereal foods mostly whole grains and high fibers like bread, milk, yogurt, cheese-mostly of reduced fat.
The Fiber in fruit vegetables can lower cholesterol. Folate found in green leafy vegetables may reduce risk of stroke. Wholegrain and cereals also contain fiber and folate. Dairy foods are another source of potassium, along with calcium, which can also help control blood pressure. Alternative to dairy include calcium-enriched soy or rice milks. Other sources of calcium includes fish with bones, almonds and tofu.
Mechanical Soft Diet
Stroke is usually accompanied by difficulty of chewing and swallowing and other factors that may decreased nutritional intake, a Mechanical diet is prescribed to help people recovering from stroke ensure a required daily requirement is achieved and food is safer to consumed. A mechanical soft diet consist of foods that can be blended, mashed, pureed or chopped using a kitchen tools like blender or knives breaking down foods to make it soft and easy to eat without biting or chewing.
Sample Meal Plan for a 2246 Daily kcal Requirement
Conclusion
A proper nutrition is very important for stroke recovery, but many stroke survivors has difficulty getting the nutrition they need, struggles of chewing and swallowing foods is one reason, loss of appetite, limited mobility of arms and hands, forgetfulness when is the time of eating. If your loved one has recently had a stroke, following these diets and nutrition tips may aid their recovery. Some few ways’ family caregivers can make sure their loved ones eat are the follwing:
-Paying attention to what foods the stroke person finds palatable.
•Set specific times for meals to form a routine.
•Serve food when your loved one has the most energy. This is typically earlier in the day.
•Encourage the patient to eat higher calorie and more substantial, nutrient-dense foods first.
What other foods should I avoid if I had a history of Diabetes after a mild stroke?
This is a very good question, in addition to lowering the intake of Sodium which makes your blood pressure high, limiting saturated fats and bad cholesterol is also vital. If you have a history of diabetes, it is important to choose foods with low glycemic index. It includes fruits such as apples, berries, lemons, grapefruit, non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, tomatoes and whole grain such as quinoa, barley, buckwheat and oats.
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