Diet And Nutrition After A Stroke

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Diet and nutrition after a stroke

Content:

• Why does a stroke occur?
• If the cause of stroke is obesity
• How to make the right menu after a stroke?
• What must be present in the menu
• What to exclude from the menu after a stroke
• Proper food preparation for stroke survivors
• Diet with loss of chewing function

A stroke is a violation of blood flow in the brain, which leads to the death of nerve cells or damage to them. A ruptured or blockage of an artery occurs when it is blocked by a blood clot or plaque builds up.

A person is not always able to avoid a stroke, since there are factors that no one can change: heredity and old age. However, eating well, walking and getting adequate sleep can help reduce the risk of stroke in the people most affected by the disease.

Why does a stroke occur?

There are several causes of stroke, the main ones are:

• high blood pressure, it is believed that it is for this reason that about 40% of attacks occur;
• smoking, smokers in 50% of cases are at greater risk of stroke;
• obesity, excessive weight is the reason why the brain does not receive enough blood to function properly, in this case, proper nutrition and diet are required;
• disease of the cardiovascular system;
• the use of certain dietary supplements, amphetamines and other stimulants.

If the cause of stroke is obesity

If the cause of the first stroke was obesity, then in order to avoid a second one, it is necessary to lose weight. Moreover, this must be done correctly and in stages in order to minimize harm to the body. Review your diet and reduce the amount of fat consumed by 30%. Try to buy products in which the fat content is no more than 3%. During the day, fatty foods should not exceed 40-60 g (about two tablespoons).

How to make the right menu after a stroke?

When composing the menu, you must take into account that you need to cook food with rapeseed, soybean, olive and sunflower oil. The amount of lean meat during the day should be no more than 120 g. It should be remembered that fish and meat contain a lot of hidden fats in addition to protein, which everyone knows about.

During the week, seafood must be included in the menu at least twice, and it is also necessary to limit the number of eggs to no more than 3 pieces. You shouldn't be zealous with dairy products either.

Instead of flour products, give preference to black bread, which is baked from whole grains, corn flour, or oat bran.

Eat at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables daily.

You should drink purified water and at least two liters during the day, but it is better to completely refuse coffee - this is not the best drink after a stroke.

What must be present in the menu

When choosing vegetables for composing the menu, it is better to give preference to those that are rich in healthy fiber and folic acid. In the event that the amount of sugar in the blood is within the normal range, then each day you can eat one banana. It contains a lot of potassium.

Potassium reduces the risk of having another stroke by about 25%

The most useful berry for recovering the body after a stroke is blueberry. It is rich in antioxidants that help maintain and heal the body.

Potatoes and meat should only be eaten baked or stewed. It is better to refuse their daily intake. It is better to replace meat and potatoes with legumes or soy products. Potatoes and meat should be on the menu no more than 2 or 3 times a week.

Legumes are high in folate and are important for protecting the brain.

Foods high in folate can reduce your risk of having another stroke by 20%

Vitamins A, C, E will be no less important in nutrition. They help to eliminate the consequences of an attack and support the body during the recovery period. In order for the body to return to normal as soon as possible after an attack, it is necessary to include in the menu bran, brown rice, oats, as well as wheat, which contain very important elements (phytonutrients) for recovery.

RELATED: Best Stroke Foods

What to exclude from the menu after a stroke

It is necessary to completely exclude any baked goods, bread, rolls, cakes, margarine, sweet and butter. These foods are very high in fat that can increase cholesterol.

High cholesterol increases your risk of having another stroke by 30%. Find out your% risk from the SCORE table

The amount of salt consumed should also be limited if it is impossible to completely abandon it.

Give up alcohol in any form. The only exception that can be made is for natural red wine, namely natural. According to experts, red wine is good for the recovery of the body after a stroke. How much of such a drink can be consumed should be checked with the attending physician.

Proper food preparation for stroke survivors

Eating well after a stroke means avoiding fatty foods. Therefore, the diet should include only low-fat foods, as well as prepare food correctly.

With the right approach to cooking meat or fish, the amount of fat contained in them can be reduced by almost 2 times.

Avoid smoking or frying food. The meat will be more punchy if it is steamed or in the oven, do not add any oils while cooking. Remove any fat build-up on the surface during stewing or cooking.

You shouldn't eat the same meals every day, even if they are made with the recommended foods. This will quickly get bored and over time will become disgusting, moreover, the benefits from them will gradually diminish. There are many recipes that allow you to cook a wide variety of dishes from the same products that will be healthy and tasty.

Use mild spices, among the variety you can choose those that you can use, adhering to the necessary diet. They will help diversify the taste of even the most familiar dishes.

Diet with loss of chewing function

Some people have problems with chewing and swallowing after a stroke. Therefore, for this type of people, it is necessary to grind all food in mashed potatoes. In order for such food to have acceptable taste, it is allowed to add vegetable sauces that do not contain salt to it. Almost all foods can be prepared so that they are suitable for people with chewing problems.

The products are ground with a blender. Vegetable and fruit smoothies, meat purees are prepared from them. In this case, all products that are mixed should be of medium temperature. Canned baby purees can be used as an alternative spice meal for adults.

To add some flavor to a dish, try adding finely chopped cilantro or parsley.

Talk to your doctor if it is okay to add ginseng to your meal. It stimulates the body's resistance to disease and stress, as well as improves blood circulation, promotes memory recovery, dilates blood vessels.

With improper nutrition and the use of foods that are prohibited, dehydration, various infections and other diseases can occur.

It is necessary to select the correct nutrition after a stroke individually and only in agreement with the attending physician and an experienced nutritionist. Proper nutrition is the key to a speedy recovery and recovery of the whole body, as well as reducing the risk of recurrent stroke.

The author of the article: Kuzmina Vera Valerievna | Endocrinologist, nutritionist

Education: Diploma of the Russian State Medical University named after NI Pirogov with a degree in General Medicine (2004). Residency at Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, diploma in Endocrinology (2006).