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A stroke isn't something that just occurs during a golf game, it can be a life threatening situation if or when it happens to you. One of two things usually happens when you have a stroke, you either live or you die. In many instances, if you live you can be left with debilitating problems that can affect the quality of your life. Recent findings in scientific journals have discovered that the most likely moment to suffer from a heart attack or stroke is immediately following a high fat, high calorie meal. Why? Well apparently after you eat too much high fat food, the excess fat, cholesterol and triglycerides flood and course through your veins and can cause a sudden blood clot or heart attack. What amazes me is how many people are deluded into thinking they are eating far less than they actually are whenever they eat in a restaurant. Just to illustrate my point, I want to share some surprising facts and figures of common foods that people eat whenever they visit their favorite restaurants. By the way, I am not picking on these restaurants but rather just choosing a few that many people eat at on a regular basis. Let's imagine that it is a typical Friday night and you are out for a meal at Chili's. You decided to order an appetizer like Boneless Buffalo Chicken wings with no dressing or crackers. How many calories and grams of fat would you guess are in there? 350? 500? Nope! The buffalo wing appetizer you are about to scarf down contains a whopping 1250 calories and 89 grams of fat! Maybe you are a nacho fan instead and choose Chili's Classic Nacho's. Would it surprise you to know that you will be inhaling 1570 calories and 115 grams of fat? What about Chili's popular Southwestern Egg Rolls? They have 810 calories and 51 grams of fat! Perhaps you are at Outback Steakhouse and decide to try the Blooming Onion. If so, you will consume a staggering 2210 calories and 134 grams of fat! Now, let's look at a popular dessert item. Did you know that the Carrot Cake at the Cheesecake Factory has 1510 calories and 84 grams of fat per slice! I could go on and on showing you surprising amounts of fat and calories in basic restaurant appetizers and meals, but I hope at this point that you get my drift. Let's face it, most restaurants today don't serve you plates of food anymore, they serve platters.
I want you now to consider the ramifications of eating foods like these, so I am going to share a personal story with you about a dear friend of mine that ate some of those foods on a regular basis:
A typical Friday evening at my friend's house turned into a nightmare the following morning because no one recognized the warning signs of a stroke as it was happening. My friend, then a 34-year-old mother of two, had been playing Monopoly for hours with her husband and children. She began to notice that her vision was blurring and her speech was becoming somewhat slurred. She assumed that it was due to the wine she had enjoyed earlier. She rubbed her eyes and told the family she was tired and going to bed. As she got up, she mentioned that she must have been sitting in one place too long because her left leg had fallen asleep. She kissed the family good night and went to bed completely unaware of what was really happening.inside her brain.
The next morning, my friend's husband was surprised by how late she was sleeping in, so he checked on her and found her unconscious in bed. He quickly dialed 911 and the family physician. Soon he learned that his wife had suffered a stroke which took him by surprise because he assumed only older people had strokes. If only he and his wife had recognized the obvious warning signs and had known the risk factors of stroke?many of which she had. Maybe they would have recognized the need to go the hospital that night and may have then possibly prevented the severity of the situation at hand. Unfortunately, they did not. Seven years later, my friend has advanced to walking with a cane and has partial paralysis on the left side of her body including her face. She can no longer speak without drooling and must have assistance for even the simplest tasks. She was once a professional artist that painted the most beautiful paintings and was always active in every aspect of her children's lives. That was another lifetime ago for her. Her life was forever changed on that "typical" Friday night.
So, tell me.would you recognize a stroke in progress if one was happening to you or someone near you? Do you know what risk factors are that could potentially set you up for this potentially fatal brain attack? Do yourself a favor. Pay close attention to what I am about to tell you. It could be the very information you need someday to save someone else's life or even your own.
Here are the 5 major warning signs associated with stroke:
1. Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. Loss of voluntary movement or sensation that may be complete or partial and may include a tingling sensation.
2. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding what others are saying to you.
3. Weak facial muscles that may result in drooling or slurred speech.
4. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
5. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
6. Sudden severe headache with no known cause that often mimics a migraine headache.
Here are some of the risk factors that are associated with a stroke:
1. High blood pressure
2. Diabetes
3. Smoking
4. Family history of stroke
5. Heart disease
6. Prior history of stroke
7. Alcohol abuse
8. Increasing age
9. Drug use like cocaine, ecstasy, speed, ephredrine, too much caffeine.
10. Prescription drugs. Be sure to know the side effects of drugs prescribed to you.
11. Consuming a high calorie, high fat meal along with the potential risk factors.
The list of risk factors alone may have opened your eyes to your own vulnerability for a stroke. Many Americans have more than one risk factor in their medical history. What about you?
So what can be done to prevent a stroke?
First and foremost, the risk of a stroke, as well as, the risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease can all be decreased considerably by following a healthy diet that contains a good balance of fruits, vegetables, grains, lean proteins and a low fat diet. Studies suggest that individuals can protect their heart and circulatory system by consuming foods rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium which are essential in reducing blood pressure and have been associated with a reduced risk of stroke. Omega 3 fatty acids, the kind found in fish oil, have also been found to have anti-inflammatory and anti-blood clotting effects and may be significantly beneficial to the heart and thus help prevent stroke. And since vitamin E is also a blood thinner it too can help reduce the risk. In addition, studies have shown that folic acid reduces the levels of Homocysteine, an amino acid linked to increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer's. Also, moderate daily exercise of at least 30 minutes and refraining from smoking are beneficial. The unfortunate thing is that even with these useful guidelines, people are confused about how to put it into practice to insure the best protection through nutrition and exercise. Eating right and exercising moderately looks good on paper but what if you still eat too much of the "good stuff" (or too little) and can't seem to get to, let alone "maintain," a healthy weight. Also, did you realize that popping a bunch of pills in order to "cover all the bases" could lead to overdosing on certain vitamins and minerals? More importantly, did you know that some overdoses could have dangerous and potentially deadly implications? That is where we come in. Let us take the guesswork out of it for you. The nutritionists at IEM are trained to custom design an eating program to help you reach your personal health and fitness goals. Remember.losing weight is not just a vanity issue. It is vital to your overall health and wellness. If you are not convinced, just take a moment to think of my friend on your next "typical" Friday night. Then, I want you to fast-forward seven years. Would you really want to be in her shoes? | 
