One thing that you would agree on is that nutrition plays a crucial role in our overall wellbeing and quality of life. Understanding the best foods that help stroke recovery can help you create a diet rich in healthy foods for your brain. If you have just gone through a stroke, you need to learn more about nutrition affecting your recovery. There are several fruits and vegetables that you should consider including in your diet plan as they are rich sources of antioxidants and flavonoids which play a crucial role in stroke recovery. 

It is always essential to consult with your doctor or dietitian before making any changes to your nutrition plan after a stroke. Eating well after a stroke is very important for recovery. Choosing healthy foods rich in nutrition can help manage blood pressure and body weight, minimize your risk of another stroke, and help with the demands of stroke therapy, besides other activities.

How Does Eating Well or Food Rich in Nutrition After Stroke Help Recovery?

Whenever you visit a stroke rehabilitation center, you would have heard a term that you should eat well after your stroke. It is because food rich in vitamins and minerals helps manage your blood pressure, and making healthy food choices is a crucial step. A dietitian can help you choose the right food for your recovery.

At the stroke rehabilitation center, you can come across a dietitian who will can help you learn how to prepare and plan meals to improve your health. The educational tool is also available to get you started on the recovery road. Your dietician will help you in achieving healthy body weight, maintaining blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels and other important metabolic parameters of your body. 

During your recovery phase, your dietician will plan your diet as per your ability to chew and swallow food. Your Speech Language practitioner/ swallow therapist will assess your ability to swallow food. Your diet consistency and texture will have to be modified for you to be able to consume adequate amount of food, which is necessary to prevent malnutrition and dehydration. Good nutritional management is going to be paramount for you to achieve faster recovery, reduce loss of muscle mass and prevent nutritional deficiencies. Your dietician will help you to deal with any dietary concerns that you may encounter during the recovery phase.

Food rich in nutrition helps stroke recovery and promotes brain-derived neurotrophic factors. Brain-derived neuropathic factor plays a crucial role in brain stroke recovery as it supports the growth of new brain cells and promotes neuronal connection with your brain. It is essential for the process of neuroplasticity, which is the ability of your brain to rewire itself after it sustains any injury, including a stroke.

Neuroplasticity helps in recovering all the lost skills after the stroke. You can learn everything about the missing skills at stroke rehabilitation; you can activate neuroplasticity through consistent practice and eating the right foods. Additionally, you need to check with the dietitian or the doctor before making any changes to your diet for your brain-stroke recovery.

Include the following Best Foods for Brain Stroke Recovery

Besides foods that increase your brain-derived neurotrophic factor, you also need to consider the best nutrition foods for stroke recovery, which are rich in brain-boosting vitamins and minerals. Even the experts offering stroke rehabilitation will suggest you get nutrients from your diet whenever possible and only use supplements if there are any gaps.

Flaxseeds

One of the best food items that you can consider eating is flaxseeds. They are a great source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that can be obtained through diet, as your body cannot produce alpha-linolenic acid all by itself. Experts Offering post-stroke rehabilitation suggest that these seeds are essential for stroke patients at a considerable risk of another stroke.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are a great source of both omega 3 fatty acid and vitamin E which  and are linked with lowering the risk of cognitive decline with age. Vitamin E is entirely beneficial for stroke recovery as it has antioxidant elements that protect the cells from any free radical damage. Vitamin E also enhances your cognitive function.

Salmon

Professionals offering post-stroke rehabilitation suggest that  Salmon is loaded with Omega three fatty acids that help maintain brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels, promoting neuroplasticity. Salmon is fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and the body produces some EPA all by itself, but increasing the EPA levels can help during stroke recovery. In short, it is one of the best nutrient vitamins for stroke patients that can be consumed through your diet naturally.

Olive oil

Olive oil also helps in enhancing the amount of apolipoprotein in the body, which is a protein that is found in the blood. Vast amounts of protein can help in minimizing the heart disease ailment risk. You should not over-consume olive oil because anything in excess does more harm than good. Olive oil can make a perfect salad dressing. You can also use olive oil for cooking your primary meals.

Greek yogurt

Yogurt is one of the best calcium and protein sources you can use or include in breakfast. Greek yogurt is also one of the best probiotic sources, promoting gut health and reducing the risk of stroke. Greek yogurt is also a soft food option for several stroke patients who might experience difficulty chewing or swallowing. But if you struggle with swallowing, you need to work closely with the speech-language practitioner pathologist so that they can give you a list of foods that are appropriate for you to eat. You can also go for post-stroke rehabilitation if you find challenges with recovery.

Eggs

Eggs are an entirely beneficial protein source for patients going through a stroke. Eggs are very soft and can be cooked in different ways allowing them to be devoured by people having difficulty swallowing after a stroke. Furthermore, eating eggs can also prevent another stroke, as per experts.

Pulses and Legumes

Vegetation is one of Pulses and legumes are essential parts of a balanced diet. Still, legumes are also a type of vegetable which are great during your stroke recovery, and  You should consume them because they are excellent sources of potassium, protein, soluble and insoluble fiber and various other micronutrients and iron. Some of the best types of legumes that you can include in your diet after the stroke includes lentils, chick peas, red beans, white beans, and peas. Beans, in particular, are very rich in magnesium, and they help in neuroprotection. legumes are pretty versatile and can be made in a meatless burger. 

Parting Thoughts

There are plenty of food items that you can include in your diet to recover faster. Consider eating healthy and nutritious food after a stroke. 

If you are struggling with swallowing, you need to work closely with the speech-language practitioner pathologist  and dietician who will help you to formulate a balanced diet plan that  you can eat and which will help you recover faster. You can also go for post-stroke rehabilitation if you find challenges with recovery.