Moving on from Stroke

Day Therapy Unit

Outpatient Stroke Service

WELCOME!

Week 1:

What is a Stroke?

What is a TIA?

The signs

The risk factors

Nutrition for stroke

Label reading

Week 2:

Pharmacy; Medications

Physiotherapy; Exercise Recommendations

Speech Pathology; Communication

Neurological Council of WA

Week 3:

Occupational Therapy; Driving and Fatigue

Social Work; Mood and Emotional Support

Dietitian; Australian Guide to Healthy Eating

Every 10 minutes, an Australian will have a stroke.

1 in 6 Australians are affected by stroke.

In Australia stroke kills more women than breast

cancer and more men than prostate cancer.

Stroke events are likely to increase in the future.

Good news: more people are surviving a stroke than

previously and disability caused by stroke is

improving.

Statistics

WHAT IS A STROKE?

A TRANSIENT ISCHAEMIC

ATTACK (TIA)

“Mini-stroke”

Same symptoms as a stroke but they will go

away within 24 hours

Always seek medical attention immediately if

you have any signs of stroke

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF

STROKE / TIA?

Weakness or

numbness

Difficulty speaking

or understanding

Dizziness, loss of

balance

Loss of vision

Headaches

Difficulty swallowing

The signs of stroke

may occur alone or in

combination.

Any signs require

medical attention.

Stroke is ALWAYS

a medical emergency.

Effects of a Stroke

RISK FACTORS FOR STROKE Uncontrollable Controllable

Age Smoking

Gender High blood pressure

Previous stroke/TIA High cholesterol

Family history heart disease Poor diet

Personal history of heart disease Excess weight

Alcohol and/or other drug

consumption

Low activity levels

Stress

Diabetes

WHAT IS YOUR STROKE RISK?

REDUCING YOUR RISK OF STROKE

Know your personal risk factors: high blood pressure,

diabetes and high cholesterol (know your numbers!)

Be physically active and exercise regularly

Maintain a healthy body weight by following a healthy

diet

Limit alcohol consumption

Avoid cigarette smoke. If you smoke, seek help to

stop.

Learn to recognise the warning signs of a stroke and

act FAST

Smoking increases blood pressure and the risk of blood

clots forming

GP or Community Pharmacist

QUITLINE - 13 78 48 (13QUIT)

Visit www.quitnow.gov.au

QuitCoach online service

Smoking Cessation

Normal BP is 120/80 – Do you know yours?

Lower salt intake by:

Choosing low salt products with <120mg sodium per

100g

Do not add salt to food in cooking or at the table

Choose less convenience foods

Flavour foods with spices and herbs instead of salt

Avoid high salt foods – what are they?

Lower Your Blood Pressure

High Salt Foods – to LIMIT:

Lower Salt Choices:

Lower Your Cholesterol LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) builds up on the arteries

HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) removes the cholesterol

and sends to the liver for processing

Saturated fats increase LDL “bad” cholesterol and

increase stroke risk:

Fatty and processed meats

Full cream dairy

Most takeaway foods

How to lower your saturated fat intake:

Choose lean meats

Trim visible fat off meat and skin off chicken before

cooking

Limit processed meats e.g. sausages, salami, bacon

Choose low fat dairy products

Use low fat cooking methods; grilling, baking,

steaming

Avoid frying food or cooking with butter/cream

Limit takeaway meals and processed foods

Choose healthier snacks; unsalted nuts, fruit

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats increase

HDL “good” cholesterol and lower LDL “bad” cholesterol:

Margarine spreads

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils e.g.

canola, olive, peanut, sunflower, safflower, soybean

Nuts e.g. cashews, peanuts, almonds, walnuts,

hazelnuts, brazil nuts

Avocado

Fish

Be a Healthy Body Weight

What can we do to ensure we are a healthy weight?

Being overweight or obese can contribute to: High blood pressure

High cholesterol

Lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease

Refer to a dietitian for individualised advice

1.Gradual weight loss of 1-4kg per month

2. Regular meals to avoid overeating; 3 main meals or smaller, more frequent meals

When trying to achieve a healthy weight, aim for:

Moderation and Variety

3. High-fibre breads and cereals, fruit and vegetables

4. 6-8 glasses water daily to assist with hunger

5. Eat less fat, especially saturated fat

6. Alcohol in moderation

Alcohol in Moderation Recommendations: no more than two standard alcoholic

drinks per day, with two alcohol-free days per week

Be Active Think of movement as an opportunity, not an

inconvenience

Be active every day in as many ways as you can e.g. gardening, housework

Recommendations: put together at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all days.

Ingredients list

Nutrition information panel

Nutrition claims

‘Use by’ date

Nutrition symbols

How to Choose Healthy Products

Listed in order by weight from the largest to the smallest

Ingredient’s List

Nutrition Claims

Low fat/low salt

Reduced

fat/reduced salt

Lite/light

No added sugar

Cholesterol free

Diet

Products contain less than 3g

per 100g

Products contain 25% less fat

than the original product

May be describing taste, texture,

colour

No sugars have been added

however it may be high in natural

sugars

Does not mean low fat

Usually means artificially

sweetened

NUTRITION TIP OF THE WEEK

Slow and steady wins the race. Make small diet

and exercise changes gradually over time for

your best chance of sustained weight loss.

Thankyou for attending! See you next week!