Eat to beat stroke

Stroke is Australia’s second greatest killer after coronary heart disease and a leading cause of disability. In 2010, we’re facing around 60,000 strokes – that’s one stroke every 10 minutes.

What surprised me was to learn that stroke kills more women than breast cancer. Your risk of having a stroke is influenced by risk factors such as your age, gender and family history. Your chance of a stroke further increases if you’re carrying excess weight, smoke, have high blood pressure (hypertension) and a sedentary lifestyle. These you can change!

So aim to cut back on salt – it’s the hidden salt in everyday foods such as bread, cheese, ham, stock and soy sauce that goes unnoticed. Fill your plate with vegetables and salad. These add potassium, which can counteract salt and helps fill you up for few kilojoules.

Cook up two fish meals a week for their beneficial omega-3 fats and keep your alcohol intake to no more than two standard drinks a night, with some days free of alcohol. Eat for health and exercise as often as you can.

Recipe
Two fish meals a week will provide you with beneficial omega-3 fats, so try this delicious Pan-fried fish fillets with asparagus and potatoes recipe.