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After a Stroke: Proper Diet & Nutrition
What you put into your body is important, especially if you've suffered from a stroke in the past or are hoping to avoid one in the future.
If you’ve suffered from a stroke at some point—or know someone who has—it’s common to find yourself having to make a few lifestyle changes in order to accommodate the residual effects of your condition. Since many stroke victims have a difficult time eating or drinking, changes may need to be made to the consistency of your food. With that, in order to reduce your chances of having another health setback, you may also be encouraged to make substitutions in your overall diet.
What Does a Post-Stroke Diet Include?
Proper recovery entails prevention, since the last thing you need is to suffer from another stroke. When it comes to keeping your body healthy and functioning properly, one of the greatest things you can do is to eat a clean diet. Generally speaking, consuming food that is low in fat and salt, and high in fruits and vegetables reduces your greatest risk factors for stroke since they go towards the mitigation of things like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes.
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Still, it’s important to consult with your doctor regarding what types of food work best in your situation because certain medications may interact with what you eat. If you’re working hard to find your way back to normal after a stroke, the last thing you want is to have a reaction to your food.
Once the recovery process begins, stroke victims may also struggle with poor nutrition because they may not be getting enough nutrients from what they eat. At times, this can be due to a simple loss of appetite, but it’s often the result of other issues such as problems with memory, swallowing, or the ability to use a fork or spoon. If you’ve found this to be a problem and you’ve lost too much weight, it’s important to realize that excessive weight loss can drastically slow down your recovery.
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Therefore, while I will reiterate the importance of working closely with your doctor when planning a proper diet for your situation, there are general guidelines which can help along the way.
To read more, please click here to view it on our website.
Dr. Joseph J. Ricotta II MD, MS, FACS
Vascular Institute of Atlanta
www.AtlVascular.com
470-355-3053
