How do
you respond when someone very close to you informs you they have recently had a
stroke? Someone of your vintage and generation. Someone who
embodies healthy living and has been a rock in your life for decades. Someone
with whom you share childhood memories that are as strong and colourful as if
they happened yesterday.
What do
you say to this person?
What do
you think?
What do
you do?
The
stroke was momentary; a full collapse of the left side of the body with a quick
rebound, all over in a few seconds, but unsettling. Many would have
shrugged it off as a simple absent minded slip or a brain fart. Fortunately, my
friend didn't shrug it off. Two MRI's later confirmed the good news and
bad; it was indeed a stroke, but not an aneurism. The stroke occurred in a
part of the brain that doesn't cause lasting damage, but had it occurred
elsewhere the results would have been devastating. Aside from the initial
scare there is no residual damage, at least none that can be detected at this
point. It turns out that this person is probably genetically predisposed
to strokes and has been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood
pressure). The best doctor advice?
1) Keep your weight down.
2) Exercise.
3) Reduce your salt intake.
Salt by
the numbers * ...
- 1,500: Recommended daily sodium
intake in milligrams for people between 9 and 50.
- 2,300: Maximum daily sodium
intake in milligrams compatible with good health.
- 3,400: What the average
Canadian consumes daily in milligrams.
- 85: Percentage of Canadian
men aged 19 to 70 consuming MORE than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily.
- 60: Percentage of
women aged 19 to 70 consuming More than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily.
- 77: Percentage of Canadian
children aged 1 to 3 consuming more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily.
- 93: Percentage of
children aged 4 to 8 consuming more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily.
- 1: Level teaspoon = about
1,500 milligrams of sodium.
So good
friends and readers of this blog keep on running and keep an eye on your salt
intake. The consequences could be serious.
It's a
good day to be alive.
Mike
* Source,
Statistics Canada
6 comments:
Salt. My demon. I love it. I'm guilty of consuming too much. Even though I have low blood pressure I need the reminder that it's still not healthy. Thanks, Mike.
Oh, and I'm sorry about your friend. I hope everything goes o.k. for him and he's able to fix it before something worse happens.
Eye opening and scary stuff indeed! The Heart and Stroke website also has lots of great info on sodium, hypertension and the like.
Best wishes to your friend for a quick and full recovery.
Shel
So sorry about your friend Mike - i eat so much fresh food that my salt intake was LOW when i had a hair test i had a low sodium balance - but have not really increased a lot but feel less guilty about putting salt on chips...
I know my fiance doesn't eat as healthily as me Yet but when we move in together - your post is a big inspiration to cook healthy food for him all the time instead of taking the easy option....
Thanks Shel. I'm going to link to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. It was a real scare... way too close to home! Mike
Thanks Jen, Yes, I love salt too! Mike
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