For those who have had a serious chronic health problem, such as stroke, it is well known that it is important to do all of the basic things to make your overall health as good as possible – exercise, eat a better diet, and cut down on stress. But did you know there are five specific things you can do to reduce your chance of stroke? Here they are:

• Eat fish: By turning down the hamburger and steak and throwing the salmon on the grill, you will be eating a lot less saturated fat and cholesterol. It has been found that eating fatty fish such as salmon up to four times weekly can reduce your risk of stroke by nearly 30 percent. This is due to the reduction in red meat intake, and also the healthy omega-3 fatty acids that are in fatty fish. And as you are improving your diet with fish, try to add more healthy foods with plenty of anti-oxidants, such as berries and apples. Also note that drinking one glass of red wine per day also can help to reduce your stroke risk.

• Take a walk: Any type of exercise helps to prevent stroke and to improve your health overall. Take your dog for a longer walk, take a quick bike ride, or walk the last few metro stops to work.

• Get a dog: Pets really do reduce stress, which reduces your stroke risk. Also, dogs need to be walked :), which always gives you motivation to get outside and exercise. Think about getting an adult dog because they usually do not require as much care and maintenance as a puppy.
• Drink a lot of water: You should drink at least five glasses of water per day, and this will reduce your risk of stroke by 53%, according to a recent study by Loma Linda University. Improve the taste of the water by tossing a slice of lemon, lime or orange in the glass.
• Do things for yourself: Doing projects in the home yourself can be as beneficial as getting exercise. A study in Sweden found that gardening, home repairs or mowing the grass can cut stroke and heart attack risk by 27 percent.

Food Prep Products for Stroke Patients

As you are improving your health with the tips above, you will probably need to adapt how you eat. Preparing food with limited use of the hands can be a challenge, so we offer some really helpful products that make food prep much easier:

Multi-Function Food Preparation Board

Mixing Bowl Holder