Nutrition and diet after a stroke

Nutrition after ischemic stroke is the main component of treatment. The problem of a correct and complete diet is that many patients are immobilized, so the swallowing processes are disturbed. Also, patients refuse to take certain foods due to changes in consciousness and the death of brain regions. You should take into account the peculiarities of the diet, strengthen the immune system.

General recommendations

Diet after a stroke at home meets the following conditions:

• the absence of large loads on the organs of the digestive tract;
• prevention of hypertensive crisis;
• providing the body with the required micronutrients;
• preventing the formation of blood clots or plaques.

Food is served in crushed form, even if the patient's swallowing is not impaired.

Also, the diet after a stroke (ischemic) has the following tasks:

• reduce blood cholesterol levels. Due to the fact that the lipid structures in the veins and arteries increase in concentration, fat deposits appear on the vascular walls in the form of atherosclerotic plaques. Because of the plaques, the lumen of the blood supply structures is clogged, which inhibits normal blood flow. With such atherosclerosis, a second stroke occurs in a third of cases. First of all, it is necessary to prevent hypercholesterolemia;
• normalize calories. With an excessive intake of calories, the concentration of cholesterol increases. A large number of sweets contributes to increased insulin production;
• eliminate trace elements that excite the nervous system. These include mainly drinks that stimulate the activity of the central nervous system;
• reduce salt intake. Salt is contraindicated for hypertensive patients, as well as for patients who have had a cerebral infarction;
• stabilize the drinking regime. It is not recommended to drink more than 1.5 liters of fluid per day. Puffiness can increase blood pressure.

Nutrition after ischemic stroke at home should be based on these rules. But before building a diet, it is recommended to additionally consult a doctor to clarify what you can eat after a stroke in a particular case.

Nutrition Features

If the patient's consciousness is depressed or the swallowing process is disturbed, hospital or competent proper nutrition is carried out with a probe and special nutrients Nutrizon or Berlamin. These are high-calorie mixtures, the amount of which is calculated individually. The doctor independently calculates the daily amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to be administered.

With the help of a probe, whole dishes are also introduced. The use of boiled meat and fish is allowed, which must be rubbed through a sieve after a double pass in a meat grinder. It turns out a kind of puree, which is mixed with the same grated garnish. After that, the broth is added so that the consistency passes through the probe. The daily diet of a patient after a stroke consists of fish (50 g), lean meat 150 g and fermented milk products. Porridges are prepared, which are diluted in milk or broths. Vegetables are rubbed until creamy. But fruits and vegetables can be given as a smoothie or juice.

When the ability to swallow appears, the patient is transferred to food after a stroke during rehabilitation at home: cereals with broth, juice, mashed potatoes, meat soup. Sour-milk products, tea with the addition of milk and honey, cocoa, juice, herbal decoctions are given as drinks.

Proper nutrition after a stroke is compiled according to the recommendations of the 10C , which is prescribed for vascular atherosclerosis. Thanks to the intake of certain products, lipid metabolism can be normalized and the progression of atherosclerosis .
Sufficient protein and carbohydrate levels are maintained with the restriction of salt and animal fats. The diet is enriched with vegetable oils with polyunsaturated fatty acids with dietary fiber.

Vitamins and micronutrients

Principles of nutrition after a stroke at home:

• normalization of cholesterol to prevent atherosclerosis and lipid metabolism disorders;
• normalization of weight by reducing or counting calories;
• control of blood pressure due to the reduction of salt in products. It is permissible to take no more than 4 grams per day;
• enrichment with vitamins: folic acid, vitamins B and E);
• establishment of water balance;
• the introduction of oils into the diet, but in the amount of 20 g per day (sunflower) and 30 g (vegetable);
• so that the patient does not feel hunger, the number of meals consumed is distributed several times (about 5);
• exclusion of sugar, flour and cereal dishes;
• getting rid of bad habits.

Proper nutrition after a stroke includes a reduction in the consumption of animal fats with the exclusion of high-cholesterol foods. At the same time, dietary fiber and cereals, vegetables, fruits are increased. Thanks to dietary fiber, excess cholesterol is absorbed and excreted through the intestines.

Complex carbohydrates from natural vegetables, fruits and cereals normalize energy metabolism, which guarantees satiety. It is preferable to introduce purple and red vegetables and fruits into the diet, as they have anthocyanidins , which reduce capillary permeability :

• tomato
• grape,
• grenades,
• eggplant,
• purple cabbage,
• red pepper,
• beet.

If the patient has impaired cerebral circulation, has hypertension and atherosclerosis, there is a need for omega-3 . They are irreplaceable and cannot be synthesized in the body. You need up to 2 grams per day. It is recommended to eat flax seeds, and to replenish the reserves of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, you will need fish oil, fish meat, mainly sea. The day of eating meat in the diet alternates, and the day of fish. This is a complete replacement that replenishes the body with useful trace elements.

The patient will also need vitamin E , which is found in sea fish and vegetable oil, soy products, fermented milk, dill and parsley. The next most important is vitamin B6 , obtained by a person from fruits, vegetables and cereals. B6 acts by reducing homocysteine , which is involved in the appearance of ischemia.

B vitamins suppress homocysteine, but folic acid . It is taken in an amount of 400 mcg per day, which reduces the risk of a recurrence of a stroke. With an insufficient amount of this acid, homocysteine ​​​​will rapidly accumulate in the blood. You can find folic acid in cabbage, broccoli, legumes, lentils, and some citrus fruits.

A stroke can affect the patient in different ways: immobilization and rapid weight loss or gain. Surplus calories are found in baked goods. To reduce calories, it is recommended to replace wheat bread with bran bread. And instead of cookies, pancakes and other sweets, honey with fruits or dried fruits is chosen. The allowable rate of sugar per day is 50 g. In order to control weight, you need to compare the readings on the scales every two weeks. Permissible periodic unloading in the form of kefir or cottage cheese days, and, if the season allows - cucumber and watermelon.

If a person has a hemorrhagic stroke that occurs due to high blood pressure, the basic principles of the menu after a stroke at home remain the same, but with a more stringent restriction of salt, which binds and retains fluid in the body. This can lead to a frequent increase in pressure and stress on the cardiovascular system. The recommended daily dosage of salt is up to 2 grams per day.

Also, the diet after a stroke includes the conditions for drinking clean water in the amount of not more than 1.2-1.5 liters per day. Tonic drinks and decoctions are excluded. Slightly reduces the pressure of taking a decoction of diuretic herbs. Valerian, hawthorn, beet juice and chokeberry will also help. Potassium and magnesium in the blood should be at a normal level. For this, rice or wheat dishes are made. Foods useful after a stroke: prunes, dried apricots, raisins, oatmeal, cabbage, bran bread, nuts, beef.

What is allowed to eat

During treatment, it is important to know how to feed a sick person after a stroke. It is allowed to eat rye bread or bran. You can also bake your own with peeled or whole grain flours. "Flour" is allowed in the form of dry biscuits, homemade lean pastries from whole grain flour and the addition of bran. Cottage cheese, cabbage or fish are used as fillings.

Allowed recipes for dishes after a stroke: soup with pureed meat, borscht, beetroot. But these dishes are cooked on vegetable broths, and not on water. Meat is allowed low-fat and is served boiled or baked. Food after a stroke should be enriched with fish and seafood, replacing full-fledged meat dishes. When eating meat to reduce extractive substances in it, cooking is available first, then baking and roasting.

The following foods are acceptable after a stroke in the form of side dishes: cabbage, beets, eggplant, pumpkin, carrots and some potatoes. It is recommended to prepare the stew for mixing. Be sure to make salads, in which useful flaxseeds and vegetable oils are added, which change. Include fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet.

Dairy products are selected with low fat content. A low-fat cottage cheese product is suitable for breakfast, and low-fat sour cream is added instead of mayonnaise to salads. It is allowed to eat eggs in an amount of no more than 4 pieces in a few days. This is a fairly heavy food, which is better to limit. But protein omelettes are something you can eat more often after a stroke. Buckwheat, barley, oatmeal, millet groats are suitable not only for cereals, but also for casseroles. If the patient is obese, cereals, like flour, are limited.

Berries with fruits are what you need to eat fresh after a stroke, like compote or salad. Choose fruits that contain a large amount of potassium: apples or dried fruits.

You can drink tea, but not in its pure form, but with the addition of milk. And alternative coffee will be chicory or fruit drink. It is recommended to take rosehip decoction and wheat bran every day.

Limited quantity

What not to eat after a stroke: puff pastry and dishes from it, broths on fish or meat, and soups with beans should not be cooked. It is forbidden to use fatty varieties of pork meat, poultry, cooking fats, poultry entrails, which contain a lot of cholesterol products. Smoked meats, pickles and sausages are not allowed.

The consumption of fatty fish, canned food and caviar is limited, as they have a high cholesterol content. Salted and smoked fish should not be eaten, as it contains an increased concentration of salt. Nutritionists prohibit cheese, cream and fatty dairy products.

Some vegetables, as well as mushrooms, are difficult to digest, causing the intestines to swell, so they are not indicated for everyone. Sorrel with spinach is undesirable, as they have oxalic acid. The menu after a stroke excludes chocolate products, ice cream and other sweets. Do not drink pure tea or coffee. Sauces with preservatives are unacceptable (ketchup, mayonnaise). They are high in salt and cholesterol.

Beans, peas, beans that cause bloating, and egg yolks that increase cholesterol are not recommended. Pasta is not recommended for consumption, regardless of varieties.

How to make a good menu

In parallel with the recovery, the doctor negotiates with relatives how to feed the patient after a stroke. This is an important point that should not be missed.

In the first months of the rehabilitation period, a sparing regimen is prescribed. During this period, vegetables with meat are thermally processed and carefully chopped. This is done in stationary mode. With difficulty in swallowing, the patient stays longer in the hospital.

Many people who have had an ischemic stroke are already able to chew food on their own after discharge. An example of how to eat after a stroke:

Morning

• buckwheat porridge with low fat milk;
• finely grated apple;
• green tea and biscuits.

2 breakfast

• cucumber salad with herbs and cabbage;
• cottage cheese casserole with rice;
• freshly squeezed orange juice.

Dinner

• cabbage soup from vegetables;
• steamed turkey meat chops;
• mashed potatoes;
• compote.

Dinner

• fish meatballs;
• as a side dish, oatmeal is not made with milk;
• rosehip decoction;
• peach.

Night snack

• yogurt with fresh fruit.

According to the proposed sample, you can make a diet for several days. This will help diversify the menu.

Rules for eating

The question of what to eat after a stroke is decided taking into account the condition and appetite of the patient. Some may develop allergies, others feel unwell and cannot eat well, and some have an increased appetite. Food in short supply and overabundance is almost equally harmful. Recovery after an illness slows down or obesity begins to develop.

A person refuses proper nutrition due to poor health, insipid food offered. Before forming a diet, a comfortable psychological environment is created, and the finished dish can be slightly salted before serving or pick up foods that contain salt.

How to feed the patient:

• in a quiet environment. In the process of eating, irritants in the form of music and extraneous noise from people and TV are excluded;
• independence is encouraged. If the patient eats on his own, but more slowly, you do not need to force him. Thus, faith in recovery decreases and post-stroke rehabilitation becomes more difficult.
• own special utensils. Clumsy movements when tea or juice is spilled can burn or upset the patient. Until coordination is restored, it is recommended to use straws and non-spillers. And a deep small toe will serve as a plate.

It is necessary to talk with the patient, tell him the news and cheer him up after each sip.

Outcome

A doctor or nutritionist after a series of tests determines what you can eat after a stroke. Indications will be needed for a clear idea of ​​what goodies can be allowed to a person and what to limit. Proper nutrition contributes not only to external healing, but also internal.