Stroke, America’s No. 3 killer, soon to become No. 1, a recent worldwide conference on the subject surmised. In the past year there has been a planned push to educate everyone on the dangers of stroke by the American Heart and Stroke Association.

For the past nearly 25 years, my associates at the American Nutritional Council have been conducting studies to show how comprehensive lifestyle changes can often halt, and even reverse heart disease and stroke. Instead of getting worse and worse, patients that followed our program got better and better, without drugs or surgery. While many programs stop at the physical level, ours addresses the emotional and the spiritual aspects of healing as well.

Whether or not you’ll ever have a stroke or heart disease, (termed cardiovascular disease), this program will empower you to live a healthier, more enjoyable life. The basic fundamental components of the program are:

MINDFUL EATING

Being overweight increases the likelihood of developing the cardiovascular risk factors of developing a stroke; losing weight reduces it. Most diets are based on what you can’t eat; yet if you change the type of food you eat, you don’t have to be as concerned about the amount. You can eat more and weigh less. The diet I recommend provides a spectrum of choices, and focuses on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and some soy products. It’s not an all-or-nothing plan. To the degree you eat more healthfully, you feel better, lose weight and gain health.

EXERCISE

You don’t have to go for the gold to be healthy. Even 30 minutes of moderate walking a day can reduce chances of a premature death by 50 percent of more. Turning exercise from a “workout” to a “leisure activity” — doing activities you enjoy — will provide ample health and longevity benefits without the risk of intense exercise with possible injury.

STRESS

MANAGEMENT

Emotional stress can constrict your arteries and make your blood clot faster, as well as contribute to such unhealthy behaviors as smoking and excessive work. Stress management methods should be considered, such as: yoga, tai chi, qi gong and meditation, as powerful tools for both improving cardiovascular function and transforming lives.

SOCIAL SUPPORT

Isolation — either from us, or from others — may lead to stress and untimely illness. Through improving your communication skills and cultivating compassion, forgiveness and group support, we can transcend the sense of separateness to feel more connected to others.

Why should the average American be concerned about stroke?

Stroke kills about 150,000 people each year. Stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Roughly, 750,000 people have a stroke each year … one every 53 seconds! There are over 4.5 million stroke victims in the U.S. today. I haven’t taken the time to track down the statistics for the world, but I’m sure if you look up the World Health Organization on the Internet you could find the statistics. Some of the world’s leading authorities now say, in the next decade or two, stroke will become the No. 1 killer of all mankind! Yet CVD is completely preventable for nearly everyone, simply by changing his or her diet and lifestyle.

What makes our approach to preventing and treating CVD and Stroke

so different?

The terms CVD and CVA are confusing at times. CVD is the disease process itself, and cardiovascular accident CVA is a stroke incident.

I am certainly not the first to espouse treating CVD naturally. Many researchers proved that this could be done decades ago, and Dr. Dean Ornish is continuing much of the research today. Many thought that halting or reversal of CVD was impossible, or that patients wouldn’t make the lifestyle changes necessary. Now after decades of research it has been proven CVD can be stopped, and people will make the changes if they know what to do and how to do it. This is where our program comes in.

What are the program’s main components?

Stop eating processed food (canned, boxed, or packaged) eat more vegetables, fruits and less red meats. Quit tobacco; exercise more, practice Asian founded yoga, tai chi, qi gong stress-management techniques and meditation and breathing control techniques. The more people adhere to these components, the more the risk factors diminish. Ultimately, however, the program is not about trying to improve longevity, it’s about improving the quality of life.

What mechanisms affect blood flow to the brain?

Most people imagine blocked arteries look like a blocked kitchen pipe, when they think of a stroke. But that’s just one mechanism. Arteries can constrict, reducing blood flow. Blood cells called platelets can form clots that may partially or completely block the flow. Small arteries called collaterals can grow like bypasses around blocked arteries, which increase flow but can also easily clot or get clogged with plaque.

All of these mechanisms are influenced by diet, exercise, stress, smoking and other lifestyle behaviors. Even a single high-fat meal may cause your arteries to constrict and blood to clot. Because these mechanisms are dynamic, improvements may occur very quickly when you change your lifestyle. The only known side effects are good ones. This program empowers people with information about the range of choices available to them for experiencing a healthier, happier life.

Why does being

overweight increase your risk of stroke?

Overweight people, young and old, are more likely to have high blood pressure, higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats). Being overweight also contributes to added stress to the cardiovascular system, sometimes causing heart attacks and strokes without any signs or symptoms. The good news is that reducing your weight by more than 10 percent will also reduce the risk as well.

How does stress affect stroke symptoms?

There are two types of stress: acute, such as when a barking dog suddenly lunges at us; and chronic, the accelerated pace of today’s world. We don’t have time to bounce back before another stressful situation hits us. With chronic stress, the hormone levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline remain high, causing anxiety and insomnia, arteriole spasm and increased blood clotting. Excessive steroids are produced, causing arterial blocks to build up more rapidly and exacerbating depression, impotence and other health issues. This is why it is important to address why we’re stressed and how to handle the situation.

How can we motivate ourselves to make such deep changes?

Change is hard, but suddenly it becomes more interesting when we’re in enough pain. Pain is there to say, “Hey, listen up. You’re not doing the right thing.” When you begin changing your diet and lifestyle and notice how much better you feel, then those changes become easier from your own experience.

I have written this article on stroke in order to attempt to alert the public to join this worldwide crusade against ever letting stroke (CVA) gain the No. 1 position among the killers of mankind and to reduce the incident of CVD all at one time. This is a man-made disease. We can halt and reverse it. It may take a great deal of effort and time, but it can be done. Take the time and make the effort to begin to change your lifestyle to help reduce your CVD profile. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please write me at any of the following e-mail addresses: bamashogun@aol.com or www.alternative-concepts.com.