Stroke Awareness

Stroke is the second biggest killer of women in South Africa. It is estimated that about 150 women suffer a stroke in South Africa every day. That is a stroke every 10 minutes. These statistics alone highlight the massive impact of stroke on women. 

By acting FAST, a stroke can be managed…

Studies show that up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented.

From a dietary point of view, the following guidelines reduce the risk of a stroke:

• Keep your body mass at an ideal weight – excess weight strains the circulatory system. 
• Exercise regularly. 
• Maintain a diet low in calories, saturated, trans fats and cholesterol. 
• Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
• Reduce the salt content of the diet:

The recommended daily levels of sodium: 2,300 milligrams (5 ml salt); and 1,500 milligrams for those who are especially at risk from the dangers of high blood pressure.

South Africans eat 7g (6 ml) of salt per day (2700 mg sodium)

SA Government aims 2020, 5g per day via legislation for fast and processed foods

This is what the Slender Wonder Plans look like without any added salt or cheese.

Watch out for (some of the) cheeses!

Where are the salt coming from?

As per the table below, we can see that the salt problem is not from what we add to food, but from what is added in processed foods, as shown in the last table.

As mentioned before, South Africans eat 7g (6 ml) of salt per day (2700 mg sodium) – and here are the top sources of sodium as per world-wide data.