There more than 100,000 strokes each and every year in the UK. Just let that sink in. Not only are strokes a leading cause of death, they’re also one of the main causes of disability within the UK as almost two-thirds of those who survive end up with some form of disability.
Thankfully, there are ways to reduce your chance of stroke with your general lifestyle, such as to:
– Reduce your blood pressure through eating a natural diet, exercising regularly, and implementing some de-stressing techniques such as meditation and journal writing
– Give up or at least cut down on any smoking
– Drink alcohol in moderation and avoid binge drinking at all costs The easiest way to make sure that your blood pressure says in check is to keep a healthy diet and activity level. Although the government recommend to eat 5 sources of fruit and vegetables a day, the real target should be 7 and higher.
That might seem like a lot of fruit and veg, but all it takes is being more mindful about what you eat. If you include two sources at each meal and then have another as a snack, that’s your lot done! It’s important to make the main focus of your diet on being natural as possible. Focus on minimally processed items or thing you could find in nature. Nuts, seeds, lean meats, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables should make up the base of your intake, but you can still have a less healthy item every now and again if you’re keeping healthy regularly. That’s the idea behind something known as the ’80/20 rule’ where 80% of the time you eat healthy foods, saving 20% of the time for less healthy items. This allows you to balance easily between health and enjoyment without any difficulties.
Sleep is another huge health factor that frequently gets neglected. Not only do we need sleep to rest and recover, it helps us stress less and remain calm. Aim for at least 8 hours of quality sleep each night. Plus, an hour before 12 is worth two afterwards, so it’s vital to get into bed before midnight. Getting into bed at 10 is a good target, and then you can always sit and read. Just avoid anything with a screen as the blue light can trick your brain into thinking that it’s daytime.