Reducing Your Risk of Stroke
Because May is Stroke Awareness Month, the last column discussed stroke and what to do if it struck someone near you, introducing the acronym F-A-S-T. We promised to next write about what you can do to reduce your risk of stroke. First, a quick health history.
At the start of the 20th century infectious disease was the major cause of death, especially among children. These diseases included pneumonia and influenza, tuberculosis, and gastrointestinal infections. Diphtheria was another cause.
By the end of the century science had delivered solutions for infectious disease, but they were replaced by a new way of death—chronic disease. These were more about lifestyle with the top three heart disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular disease (including stroke). The solution for chronic disease would be a tough prescription—not just taking a pill, but reforming our modern way of life.
Regarding stroke, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion within the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services recommends eight steps to reduce our risk: 1. Keep your blood pressure in the normal range.
2. If you smoke quit (helped in Laguna by the ban on public smoking).
3. Keep your blood glucose in a normal range.
4. If you have heart disease, treat it.
5. Keep your cholesterol levels in the normal range.
6. Stay at a healthy weight.
7. Get active.
8. Eat healthy.
Other lists include moderation in alcohol use for those who drink.
Five of the first six involve working with your medical professional, with keeping blood pressure and blood glucose in the healthy range deserving more serious attention. The last two—get active and eat healthy—are this week’s topic.
Over the last century labor-saving devices took much of the work out of life. Now we’re told that hard work was good and we should exercise more, at least 30 minutes most days, to reclaim the benefits. The good news is you couldn’t find a better place than Laguna to do it, surrounded by ocean, beaches and 22,000 acres of greenbelt. We’re blessed.
A word about our dietary habits. Historically, famine stalked mankind. In our time, in the U.S., there’s a cornucopia though not evenly distributed. The challenge for most is to pick wisely from the abundance. If you check the passing grocery carts in the supermarket, a habit of mine, it seems that few do.
I’ve been an avid student of diet and nutrition and once wrote a blog about healthy eating. Digging through all the confusion I reached this simple conclusion: Eat a variety of foods as close as practical to the way they were created. This includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legume, and sparing meat. It takes a bit of work—the exercise called home cooking—but it tastes better and will reduce your risk of stroke and other chronic disease. There’s meaning in that.
Skip fell in love with Laguna on a ‘50s surfing trip. He’s a student of Laguna history and the author of “Loving Laguna: A Local’s Guide to Laguna Beach.” Email: [email protected]
