Dietary lessons to keep in mind after Dan Gilbert's stroke (2024)

Susan Selasky|Detroit Free Press

With this week's startling news of Detroit business magnate Dan Gilbert’s stroke, many people may be wonderinghow to prevent or reducetheir risk of having one.

One of the leading risk factors for stroke is high blood pressure or hypertension according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). It’s also one the most treatable of risk factors, the MDHHS says.

More: Dan Gilbert's stroke: How spotting the warning signs is crucial for recovery

More: Luke Perry died of a stroke: Why they can happen at any age

And if you do have high blood pressure, health experts say, diet and exercise are ways you can lower it.

Eat more fruits and vegetables. Load up on fiber-rich whole grains. And cut down on the salt, especiallyin processed foods. That's the consistent message from health sources,including the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA) as well as dietitians.

Diets that consistently measure up as the best for hypertension arethe DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and Mediterranean diets. Both diets were ranked best overall diets by U.S. News and World Report.

“The DASH eating plan is a good place to start and starting and making small changes is important," Allison Taormina, registered dietitian and lead dietitian at McLaren Macomb in Mt. Clemens said. "Reducing sodium and salt in your diet is one of the best things you can do to reduce your risk factors for hypertension."

The DASH diet gets nodsbecause it’s low in fat and sugar, and especially low in salt. Those who follow a Mediterranean diet, typically load up plenty of fruits and vegetables, leanmeats and fish,lots of whole grains and healthy fats.

Salt,which is combination of sodium and chloride, intakemany health experts say, is anissue with high blood pressure.And it’s not the salt shaker that’s the total culprit. More than 70 percent of salt intake comes from processed foods. Think frozen items like pizzas and entrees and snacks foods like chips and crackers.

It’s estimated that American’s consume 3,500 milligrams of salt daily, far more than the recommended 2,300 milligrams (or about 1 teaspoon) in the current 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For those who already have higher risk factors, the recommended amount is 1,500 milligrams.

A key recommendation to reducing sodium, Taormina said, is to start out using fresh products.

“Fresh fruits and vegetables are going to be naturally low in sodium,” she said. “They are typically naturally low in fat and cholesterol, and with that they are also high in fiber, so they are also filling.“

Taormina also recommends swapping out seasonings with different herbs and spices.

“Experimentand see what flavors pair well,” Taormina said. “We still want the foods that we are eating to have a lot of flavor, but we also know that salt can add a lot of unnecessary sodium.”

At stores,Taormina said, there are many salt-free seasoning blends, like Mrs. Dash, you can buy.But you also should pay attention to food labels.

"When you are looking at sodium, you want low-sodium or no-salt added meaning that no salt was added during the preparation of the product," Taormina said. "If it says light is typically means 50% less than regular product."

The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says if a food list 5% or less for sodium content under the daily value on the label are low in sodium. Foods with 20% of the daily value or more for or sodium are high.

Here are 7 foods the Center for Science in the Public Interest says you shouldpay attention because of their sodium content.

BREAD

  • About 100 to 200 milligrams of sodium per slice is typical.
  • The American Heart Association lists 140 milligrams or less per serving as "Low Sodium.".

CHEESE

  • Most have 150 to 250 milligrams of sodium per ounce, typically one slice.
  • Lower sodium options include Swiss (just 40-60 milligrams) or fresh mozzarella (80-100 milligrams. Many brands also now offer a thin or slim cheese slices.

POULTRY

  • A salt solution is often added to raw chicken or turkey can add 120 milligrams of sodium to the poultry’s naturally occurring sodium.
  • Avoid poultry with labels like “Contains up to 15% of a solution.”

DELI MEATS

  • A 2-ounce serving can have 500-700 milligrams of sodium. Look for store and national brands that offer lower sodium varieties.

SOUP

  • Most soups have 600-900 milligrams of sodium per 1 cup.
  • Choose brands such as, the CSPI says, Imagine, Pacific, Dr. McDougall’s, Amy’s Organic, or Trader Joe’s “Light in Sodium” or “Reduced Sodium” soups instead with 200 to 400 milligrams.
  • With broths and stocks, choose the reduced sodium or no-salt added versions.

PIZZA

  • Who doesn’t love pizza?But the CSPI says 2 slices can easily have 1,000 milligrams of sodium in 2 slices. They recommended going light of the cheese, replacing the meat with veggies other than olives.

RESTAURANT ENTREES

  • The CSPI is notorious for singling out restaurants that have entreesloaded with sodium. Some have 1,000-2,000 milligrams of sodium they say. Some can have an entire days worth of sodium.
  • The CSPI recommend saving half the entrée for later, while adding a side salad or other veggies to boost potassium.

Contact food writer Susan Selasky at 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

Dietary lessons to keep in mind after Dan Gilbert's stroke (2024)
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