You've suffered a stroke. Now it's time to start on the long road to recovery. You've got doctors to take care of the medical aspect of your recovery. There are also things that you can do at home to reduce the chances of having another stroke. Even small changes in your lifestyle can help improve your health and speed up the recovery process. The first places you should make changes are to your daily diet and exercise routines. Here are five things you can do to improve your post-stroke health and diet.
Exercise
Once your doctor clears you to exercise, go ahead and get active. If you weren't physically fit prior to your stroke, you'll want to start slowly. Go for a 15 minute walk each morning. Gradually increase your morning walks until you're walking for 30 minutes at a time. If you don't have anywhere to walk where you live, consider investing in a treadmill. The treadmill will allow you to exercise in the comfort of your own home. With a treadmill, you'll be able to program the amount of time you want to walk, as well as the difficulty level.
Eat a Good Breakfast
According to research, a healthy diet is one of the easiest ways to prevent strokes. When you skip breakfast, you set yourself up for dietary problems all day long. Skipping breakfast will make you hungrier sooner, which means you'll eat more at your next meal. Not only that, but skipping breakfast can cause your blood sugar to fluctuate. Eating a good breakfast each morning will help improve your health. It will also help you recover from your stroke.
Make Your Diet High-Fiber
Strokes are often associated with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. You can help reduce your cholesterol by adding heart-healthy fiber to your diet. Try adding nuts, whole-grains, and oily fish – such as mackerel and salmon to your diet. If you like bread and butter, you don't have to do without it altogether. Simply switch to a whole-grain bread and use olive oil-based spreads instead of margarine.
Keep Healthy Snacks Nearby
Another way to improve your diet post-stroke, is to add healthy snacks to your daily routine. In fact, you should keep healthy snacks available throughout the day. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit and vegetables near you at all times. Worried about a bowl of snacks when you go back to work? Simply place your snacks in resealable plastic bags and keep them near your workspace.
Eat Smaller Portions
If your stroke was associated with obesity, your doctor may have told you to lose weight. That can be difficult when you're used to eating large portions. Instead of feeling like your depriving yourself of food, try tricking your brain into thinking you're full. Put away your large dinner dishes and replace them with smaller salad plates. Go ahead and fill your plate. Your brain will see that your plate is full, but you'll be eating smaller portions.
You can improve your health and reduce the chances of having another stroke by making changes to your diet and exercise. The tips provided above will help you improve your diet and recover from your stroke.
For professional stroke recovery services, contact a company such as Project Walk.