I continue a series of materials on how we can avoid a stroke – a disease that, according to statistics, takes away millions of lives every year, and in Russia every 1,5 minutes someone gets a stroke, and 80% of patients become disabled if help is not provided on time. A stroke, or an acute circulatory disorder in the brain, develops gradually, and we must pay attention to those circumstances in our control that slowly but surely lead to it. Let me remind you that last time it was about how excess weight affects the development of stroke.
According to doctors, one of the significant factors in the aggressive spread of strokes is the lack of proper prevention. The most basic and mandatory measures here are to regularly (at least once a year) control blood sugar and cholesterol levels, especially for people over 40 years old.
Cholesterol Is a “fatty alcohol”, an organic compound found in cell membranes. A healthy body produces about 80% of cholesterol itself, and the rest is obtained from food. There is an opinion that cholesterol is evil. But it is not so. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is harmful. Another type of cholesterol associated with high density lipoproteins (HDL) is necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous and immune systems, the synthesis of vitamin D and hormones (steroid, sex). An excess of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) in the body leads to atherosclerosis – deposits on the walls of blood vessels, which, in turn, increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Most sugar (glucose) a person receives with food (sweets, fruits, cereals). Sugar is a source of energy for the body, including the brain. A healthy body itself is able to regulate blood sugar (glycemia) levels. However, if this ability deteriorates (due to improper nutrition, for example), then the sugar level can greatly decrease or increase. With a persistent increase in it (hyperglycemia), diabetes mellitus develops, which often affects the vessels.
Of course, none of us wants to go to the clinic and donate blood for analysis. But this is extremely important: the sooner you notice that cholesterol and / or sugar are out of the range, the more chances you have to prevent stroke (and other cardiovascular diseases, as well as type II diabetes). After all, these indicators directly depend on our lifestyle. And don’t wait for them to get out of hand, start changing your habits now:
- Reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet, make safer desserts;
- Eat healthy fats (primarily foods containing unsaturated fatty acids, such as avocados) and avoid trans fats.
- include more fiber in your diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans);
- Cleanse your arteries by consuming these 8 foods regularly
- lead an active lifestyle: 20-30 minutes of daily physical activity reduces the level of “bad” cholesterol and sugar; jog regularly if possible.