6 Lifestyle Changes You Should Make to Prevent Stroke and Heart Disease

We have all been affected by stroke and heart disease in some way, so there’s no doubt you worry about your loved one’s risk of being affected by one of the two. In fact, since our current generation of seniors is living longer than any generation in history, there’s a high chance they, and we may develop these illnesses as time goes on.

One way to possibly prevent these terrible diseases from affecting you in the future is understanding how to care for and protect your brain.

Illnesses like stroke and dementia are normally caused by plaque buildup in the blood vessels leading to the brain. When this happens, it stops or slows down the blood flow and oxygen to the brain. This leads to attacks that can take a toll on your health and quality of life over time, or cause severe damage or even death instantly.
Although plaque buildup is caused by high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar, a stroke can affect even the healthiest of people – even young adults.

Make sure you follow these easy steps to get ahead of the game and protect yourselves!

1. Please, oh please, do not smoke! If you do, talk to your doctor about quitting in a healthy way.

2. Be physically active at least 30 minutes per day or at least 150 minutes per week. If you’re concerned about your senior loved one, be sure to go on walks as often as possible. If they have trouble getting around, chair workouts can be highly effective! Try this clever workout here!

3. Eat-in moderation, and eat fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, mono and unsaturated fats, fish and legumes.

4. Sleep is one of the most underrated ways to dramatically improve your health, mood, and quality of life. Yet we all love it, no? However, be sure you are getting an adequate amount of sleep for your age. Adults between 26-64 should get between 8-9 hours of sleep. Interestingly enough, seniors that are 65 and over only need between 7- 8 hours of sleep each night.

5. Be social and active. Try new things with friends every weekend, preferably something athletic that will get your heart rate up!

6. Stay curious about your health and work with your doctor to maintain a healthy weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.