Stroke strikes every five minutes in the UK. It can happen to anyone, of any age, at any time. It’s vital to know how to spot the warning signs of a stroke in yourself or someone else. Act FAST to beat stroke.
Signs of stroke
- Face: Can the person smile? Has their face fallen on one side?
- Arms: Can the person raise both arms and keep them there?
- Speech problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? Is their speech slurred?
- Time: If you see any of these three signs, it’s time to call 999.
There is no way of knowing if symptoms will pass or get better when they first start, so you need to seek immediate medical help. A stroke is a medical emergency. Always dial 999. The quicker the person arrives at a specialist stroke unit, the quicker they will receive appropriate treatment.
Studies show that up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented.
From a dietary point of view, the following guidelines reduce the risk of a stroke:
- eating a healthy diet
- taking regular exercise
- following the recommended guidelines on alcohol intake (not drinking more than 14 units a week)
- not smoking
The recommended daily levels of sodium: 2,300 milligrams (5 ml salt); and 1,500 milligrams for those who are especially at risk from the dangers of high blood pressure.If you have a condition that increases your risk of a stroke, it’s important to manage it effectively, such as by lowering high blood pressure or cholesterol levels with medication, for example.
If you have had a stroke or TIA (transient ischaemic attack ) in the past, these measures are particularly important because your risk of having another stroke is greatly increased.
Our Slender Wonder plans will help you keep these risks low.
| Slender Wonder Plans (no added salt/cheese) | Sodium (mg) |
|---|---|
| SW Activate & Simeon B | 550 |
| Go Moderate | 650 |
| Stabilisation | 780 |
We advise you to be particularly mindful of some cheeses as the light versions sometimes have a high content of sodium per mg but do not confuse salt and sodium figures! The NHS explains that adults should eat no more than 2.4g of sodium per day, as this is equal to 6g of salt.
If you want to convert sodium to salt, you need to multiply the sodium amount by 2.5. For example, 1g of sodium per 100g is 2.5 grams of salt per 100g.
If you want to cut down on salt, there are some foods that can vary widely between different brands or varieties, that means that you can check and control the amount of salt that you are eating just by looking at the label of these foods:
- Bread products such as crumpets, bagels and ciabatta
- Pasta sauces
- Crisps
- Pizza
- Ready meals
- Soup
- Sandwiches
- Sausages
- Tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and other sauces
- Breakfast cereals
For further information, see our sources for this article: