Take advantage of tools to help stroke patients.
The weakness and paralysis that may occur with your muscles can make it difficult to do your own shopping, prepare and cook your own food, or hold plates, glasses, and utensils. In this instance, it is essential to ask for help, from loved ones or medical professionals, in getting and making healthy meals. It can be not only difficult to feed yourself, but embarrassing when things do not go the way you’re used to.
Luckily, there are items specifically made to help those recovering from a stroke manage better. For example, some stroke-friendly utensils have larger handles or straps so that you can get a grip on them more easily. If you’re struggling from paralysis of one side of the body, special knives are made with a curve in them to make cutting food easier, and you can attach special guards around your plate to keep your food stabilized. There are also special rubber mats to keep plates still, although it may be cheaper to look for simple place mats or cupboard liners for those with financial difficulties.
Did you know...
- A hearty laugh is good for the heart. Laughing can increase blood flow by 20%. Additionally, looking on the bright side can help you live longer. Studies have shown that a more optimistic outlook is linked to a healthier heart, lower blood pressure, and a lower risk for coronary artery disease.
- Have you ever told your husband something and he promptly forgets it? It's not his fault, actually. It really is because he's a man. The hippocampus (the part of the brain that deals with memory) begins to shrink with age faster in men than it does in women. That's why you can remember everything, and he can't!
- Need a quick cool down? Try drinking some hot liquid. It's true! As counterintuitive as it may seem, the heat from hot liquids will raise your body temperature. This will heat you up and cause you to sweat. The increased perspiration will wind up helping you feel cooler as it evaporates. Try it out!
- Does your job make you stressed? We all know that stress is psychologically bad for you, but it also has an effect on…your allergies? A Harvard Medical School study has shown that stress causes your allergies to become worse because your body's defense response loses efficacy when repeatedly triggered by stress. Then, when you really need to physically fight something off, you're less able to!
- Are you currently or often tired? As contradictory as it may sound, one of the best things you can do is exercise! It gives you more energy by improving your blood flow and increasing your oxygen throughout your body. You don't need to do much; a brisk walk is all it takes!