1. Eat Your Veggies
How many times did you hear that as a kid? And now you find out that Mom was right all along. Studies show that kids who eat their vegetables are less likely to suffer from a strokes once they reach adulthood. You may not be able to go back in time and finish your brussel sprouts, but you can encourage your kids to eat their vegetables and feel good knowing you're helping them prevent stroke. Of course, it's never too late to start setting a good example. The best way to get your kids to take you seriously is by finishing the veggies on your own plate.
2. Vegetables in the Nude
Fresh vegetables have always been part of a healthy diet, and you know you need to eat more of them. But studies now indicate that you can significantly reduce your chance of stroke by consuming 5 servings of vegetables each day. A serving is considered to be 1 cup of vegetable juice, 1 cup of leafy vegetables, or a 1/2 cup of smaller vegetables, like peas. So it's not as difficult as you might think to get all your recommended servings a day. It's thought that dark green vegetables like broccoli, brussel sprouts and spinach are most effective in preventing stroke, but all fresh vegetables help.
3. Steam Your Vegetables
Raw vegetable recipes are a better option than vegetables covered in butter, cheese or heavy cream sauces. Avoid canned vegetables as they're loaded with sodium. Opt for frozen or fresh veggies instead. Choose a variety of vegetables to get the health benefits each variety has to offer. Steam your vegetables rather than boiling them. When you boil veggies, particularly leafy green vegetables, some of the nutrients leech into the water.
4. Simple Choices
Find ways to add vegetables work vegetables into the foods you already enjoy to start taking advantage of their nutritional benefits. You can add cucumber slices and spinach leaves to your sandwiches, fresh peas to pasta salads, and serve fresh-sliced tomatoes instead of chips or fries with dinner. Try experimenting with large salads rather than ordering pizza. You can set out a variety of veggies like broccoli, baby tomatoes, carrots and cauliflower to vary the flavor and make it even healthier. Go for a glass of vegetable juice instead of a soda. With a few simple changes, you can easily increase your veggie intake and cut back on unhealthy foods to decrease your risk of stroke.
