1. What is meant by eating something in moderation? I fully…

Hello. I had a stroke in august that left me with no deficiency except that the skin on my left arm is a little less sensitive with the difference being miniscule. There is no other symptom and the stroke had no signature on a ct scan.

Thank you for your enquiry. Eating a healthy diet is important in stroke recovery and in reducing your risk of having another stroke, you have asked some great questions. Here is some information to look over on the weekend and we will be posting again on Monday with a more detailed response to your enquiry.

Unpack the Salt provides helpful information about foods high in salt and tips on reducing your salt intake.

The Food for Health link provides the dietary guidelines for Australians, it is a great resource to learn about nutrition and health.

The Better Health Channel provides some good health guidelines on eating in moderation. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/salt . The National Health and Medical Research Council advises that Australian adults should aim to consume no more than one teaspoon (5g) of salt or 2000 mg of sodium a day to prevent chronic disease.

The adult body normally needs around 1-2g of salt (460-920mg) per day to function. Salt causes to the body to hold onto water to dilute the sodium. As sodium accumulates in the body, this increases the volume and pressure in your blood vessels. Over an extended period of time, the prolonged pressure on your vessels from high salt can lead to high blood pressure, damage to your heart, kidneys and bone health.

The kidneys role is to remove unwanted fluid by filtering the blood in your kidneys to draw out excess water. A high salt diet will alter your sodium balance, causing your kidneys to remove less water. For someone who is suffering from kidney problems, high salt intake can further decline kidney function.

People with high blood pressure can also excrete more calcium in their urine, which affects bone health.

Salt intake above 2,000 mg per day is considered excessive.

Salt reduced wheat bread purchased in supermarkets still contain about 150mg of sodium, so I understand it can be difficult to cut down on your salt intake! https://www.healthyfoodguide.com.au/articles/2008/october/buyers-guide-bread. If you want to further reduce your salt intake, you might want to consider making your own bread at home, where you can regulate how much salt you add.

Getting some individual advice from a dietitian when you are not sure if you are eating in moderation can help. A dietitian can provide specific dietary advice to help manage your overall health better. You can access subsidised dietetics sessions through a Chronic disease management plan with your GP http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/mbsprimarycare-chronicdiseasemanagement

Best Wishes

Carol Pham, Strokeline