The Self Care Series : Different Strokes

"Nearly six million die and another five million are left permanently disabled. Stroke is the second leading cause of disability, after dementia. ... In the developing world, however, the incidence of stroke is increasing."

I lost a 59 yr. old uncle yesterday to a stroke. This was my mother's younger sister's husband. He had the symptoms of a stroke - Sudden numbness of his leg on the left side, trouble walking & loss of balance and severe headache. He ignored it for 2 days...he was rushed to the ICU on the third day and they found a large brain clot on the 5th day and did a brain surgery to remove the clot on the 7th day...he spent the next 30 days in a hospital, half the time on a ventilator and finally drew his last breath yesterday at 4.30 AM.

Did you know?

• Nearly 800,000 (approximately 795,000) people in the United States have a stroke every year, with about three in four being first-time strokes.
• Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds.
• Every four minutes, someone dies of stroke.
• Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and the leading preventable cause of disability.
• More women than men have strokes each year
• South-East Asians are more at risk than other races

Who is more at risk?

• People with high Blood Pressure
• People with Type 2 Diabetes
• High Cholestrol (especially high LDL)
• Obese or Overweight People
• Desk Jobs or leading a sedentary lifestyle
• Bad Food Habits - red meat, eating too much carbs & sugar to your diet

What can you do about it?

• Sleep Well - 7-8 hours every day
• Manage your stress - meditation, yoga, read books, take quiet walks, listen to music, practice gratitude
• Managing your weight - ensure your BMI is in the healthy range
• Diet - this is a topic I am very passionate about - making sure you eat healthy is No.1 to keeping a lot of these diseases at bay. Eat more fruits and vegetables, Eat legumes and lentils (sprouted if you can sprout them at home), Limit Dairy & Meats, Eat more nuts and seeds, Consciously add more fiber to your diet, Cut down on fat, carbs and sugar in your diet.
• Regular Exercise - Try Shruthi's Bolly X Class in the Oracle Gym!
• Smoking & Alcohol - No smoking and either no alcohol (or alcohol in moderation!)
• Recognize the symptoms of a stroke and go immedietely to a doctor if you suspect that you are having stroke symptoms

                                                                                             circa 2002

I know it's easier to give advice and very hard to follow in real life...it has taken me years to get disciplined about exercise, sleep and food...it's second nature now. I am putting a picture up from 15 years back...I loved...no love... food ( fried food, chips, cookies and indian sweets)....and I didn't really like exercising and it shows in this picture of mine. I don't believe in "before and after pictures"...the reality is the After is "Work in Progress"...it's still a journey and the key is I am learning to live life happier, healthier...sharing this information with the hope that you do something positive for your health today!