Healthy eating and lifestyle habits lower your risk of stroke by affecting a variety of risk factors.

The two basic types of strokes are ischemic strokes, which are caused by a blocked blood vessel to or in the brain, and hemorrhagic stokes, which are caused by a burst blood vessel in the brain. For either type, brain cells die when they don't receive the oxygen and nutrients they need.

The following steps can reduce your risk of this dangerous problem occurring:

• Avoid tobacco.
• Eat a diet low in saturated fat that includes a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans that keep blood vessels to the brain clear.
• Watch the size of your portions and the proportions of the foods you eat to control both your weight and blood sugar levels, because both affect the risk of stroke.
• Limit your sodium intake and boost your consumption of potassium with vegetables and fruits, to help keep your blood pressure under control and further reduce your risk.
• Stay physically active.

By taking these steps to lower the possibility of a stroke, you will also lower your risk of heart disease and cancer.

Source: “Nutrition Wise” by Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN, American Institute for Cancer Research, www.aicr.org. Reprinted by permission.