How to Prevent a Stroke

by Hakimah Raziya A. Mumin

Strokes can happen to anyone; it is not particular to age, race, or gender. It is the leading cause of death in the United States. There are approximately 795,000 strokes that occur yearly in the United States. Studies show that on an average day, one American every four minutes has a stroke.  

During a stroke, one or several areas of the brain may become damaged.  A person could experience temporary or permanent paralysis.  About 40 percent of strokes occur in men, and 60 percent in women. A stroke can alter your life permanently. There are many reasons why strokes occur – here are a few: overeating, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, processed foods, various medications, high blood pressure, constipation, lack of proper nutrition, drugs, alcohol, and lack of exercise.  

Two different types of strokes are Hemorrhagic stroke and Ischemic stroke. However, 90 percent of all strokes are Ischemic. During an ischemic type stroke, blood clots block blood vessels, which cut off the blood and oxygen to the brain. When experiencing a hemorrhagic stroke, blood vessels in the brain leak or rupture. This causes bleeding around the brain. About 20 percent of strokes are hemorrhagic. Increased amounts of blood in the brain cause pressure, which in turn causes the brain tissue to swell. 

Chinese researchers believe that the main causes of strokes are a toxic build-up. Constipation is the main cause, stagnant, undigested food, blocks and poisons the system. When you think about the 30 foot stretch of the digestive tract, you can see the theory of constipation having strong validity.  Even if you move your bowels every day there are still enough nooks, crannies, curves, folds, and wrinkles in the colon that will not be eliminated. High blood pressure is often caused by toxic build-up in the colon. Toxic blood contains poisons that cause autointoxication. When this poisoned blood circulates through the arteries, veins, and capillaries, they become brittle;  pieces break off and clog arteries. The artery wall can then burst under pressure, causing a hemorrhagic stroke, or because it is clogged, causing an ischemic stroke.

When you ponder illness in general, there are really not that many places to search when looking for reasons why. We get sick from the food we eat, the air we breathe, toxic chemicals we use, lack of exercise, and now radiation poisoning (which you can get just by going into any supermarket). Here is a list of other known causes:

The human body was created by Allah Ta Ala to heal itself. With the permission of Allah Ta Ala and smart food choices, it can continue to do so. Many people want to believe in the illusion of good health without any effort on their part. The world is full of illusion and deception. Why should we surrender to the deception?   

If you do not make it yourself, you do not know what is being put into your food. You are eating fake GMO, non-nutritional garbage.  The foods we eat affect our health. The majority of the foods we purchase and eat contain plastic (coffee creamers, margarine, cakes, and candies), pus and blood  (milk and dairy), and are contaminated (pasta, junk foods, pre-packaged sweets). But most importantly, these foods are a dead, de-vitaminized waste of our health and money.  They look good, smell good, and taste good, but they are destroying our health with each mouthful. The sad state of affairs is we pollute our internal environment with toxins and then use more poison to treat our diseased condition.  Does this sound right to you? 

The brain is 90 percent water.  We can start cleansing our systems with fresh, pure water. Adding apple cider vinegar to it cleans the blood and neutralizes acid.  There are many herbs that help the brain and the circulatory system do its job. Here are a few:

1.   Bilberry- It increases circulation, herbal blood thinner, helps prevent stroke and heart  attack

2.  Dong Quai- it is a known tonic for female disorders, however, it is a blood purifier and           dissolves clots

3.   Cayenne- thins the blood and increases circulation

4.   Gotu Kola- improves brain function, normalizes blood pressure, purifies the blood, high in magnesium

5.   Adzuki Beans- Aids heart and small intestines, tones the kidneys, removes heat from the body detoxifies the body

The National Institute of Health (N.I.H) has found that red palm oil fruit can help reduce the effects of stroke by 50 percent because palm oil protects the brain’s nerve cells.  It also removes plaque, improves cholesterol, is high in antioxidants and keeps inflammation under control.  Herbs can be a part of an overall stroke prevention program. Also good to know are the warning signs of stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

Other herbs that are very helpful are; garlic, cinnamon, olive leaf, grape seed, cayenne, ginger, periwinkle, mullein leaf, cod liver oil, turmeric, hawthorn and milk thistle. Vitamin D deficiency is very prevalent in this day and age. Vitamin D helps prevent many illnesses including stroke.  You can receive natural vitamin D through the ultraviolet rays of sunshine daily, between the hours of 10: 00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. Sunscreen and staying out of the sun are harmful to your health.

References: 1. Murry Michael, N.D and Pizzorno Joseph, N.D Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine 2. Mayo Clinic.com 3.   American Heart Association 4. National Stroke Association 5. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 6. www.stroke.org 7. Kallet Arthur, 100,000,000 Guinea Pigs, Dangers of Everyday Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics 8. www.strokedoctor.com 9. Campbell Colin T, PhD, and Campbell Thomas M II, The China Study, referring to the famous Framingham study.