Stroke is the result of a pathological process that occurs over many years. The trinity of modern pathology: hypertension, high cholesterol and arteriosclerosis, comprises the pathological foundation that eventually contributes to the occurrence of a stroke. Like a braid, these diseases are interlocked with each other, feeding their mutual development in a vicious circle of destruction of blood vessels.
The nutritional history of stroke
Nutritionally speaking, hypertension is usually caused by a high consumption of meat, chicken, eggs, cheese and sugar. Normally, a high intake of salt and baked flour products is also involved. These dietary habits cause the arteries to become rigid, narrow and blocked, as the heart swells up and gets enlarged following the effort to push the blood through the narrowed arteries.
Cholesterol is a fatty molecule which is produced in the liver and is present in food from animal sources. It participates in many metabolic processes in the body, including myelin membrane formation,it’s a componentin the gall-bladder fluid, a component of lipid solvent vitamins and a component of various hormones and steroids. Despite its importance, high blood cholesterol levels for a prolonged period of time constitute a risk to the heart and blood vessels. Excessive intake of foods which are rich in saturated animal fat, such as meat, chicken, eggs, dairy products, seafood, fatty fish (salmon, tuna), increase the cholesterol levels in the blood beyond what’s considered safe levels.
Arteriosclerosis is a disease that causes gradual arterial blockage due to accumulation of fatty matter under the internal lining of arteries, and due to an inflammatory response whereby plaque composed of LDL cholesterol, fatty content and white blood cells sink into the artery’s lining.
In the past, arterial plaque accumulation was considered an inevitable and natural phenomenon that occurs around midlife, with age progression. Arteriosclerosis is now considered a slow and accumulative process which starts at a young age and is directly related to modern nutrition, which is mostly based on foods thatare high in saturated fat and cholesterol. The process begins in infancy with microscopic injuries from free radicals in the endothelium tissue in the blood vessels, and continues in the intensified consumption of fat during adolescence, which causes fibrotic plaque to accumulate in the aorta, coronary arteries and the blood vessels in the brain. Around our 30s and 40s, the blood vessels begin to calcify, which is the final stage in the arteriosclerosis process.
In a world afflicted with air pollution, chemicals and industrially processed food, we are bombarded by hordes of free radicals. Our body has natural defense mechanisms against these oxidants, which include specific vitamins and minerals that act like antioxidants that neutralize the destructive effects of free radicals on tissues and cells. A deficiency in vitamins and minerals, which are extracted in the actions of industrial food processing, is the main reason for arteriosclerosis.
Diagnosing the condition of the heart and the state of the blood vessels in the brain
The nose, generally, reflects the conditions of the nervous system, the cardiovascular system and the digestive system. The size of the nose, its shape, color and other characteristics may give an indication about the different conditions of these systems.
The shape of the nose is indicative of the quality and size of the brain tissue.
The tip of the nose represents the condition of the heart, and in our context, the qualitative condition of the blood vessels in the brain.
When the nose is swollen mostly at the tip, it’s due to excessive intake of fluids, sugar, tropical fruit and vegetables (nightshades/Solanaceae), and over consumption of lipids and fats. This condition is indicative of damage to the vascular system.
When the tip of the nose is stiff and looks “chiseled” on its sides it’s due to over consumption of saturated fat from animal sources, like meat, cheese and eggs, and it points to rigidity and accumulation of saturated fat and cholesterol in the veins and accumulation of fat around internal organs.
Rigidity and swelling of the tip of the nose are a sign of a forthcoming heart attack or stroke. A rigid and purple tip of the nose constitutes a strong warning sign.
When the tip of the nose is red from expansion of the capillaries, caused by excessive consumption of fluids, alcohol, energizing and aromatic drinks and spices, juices, fruits and sugar, this color indicates an abnormal condition of the heart and hints towards a tendency for hypertension. Purple color at the tip of the nose is considered more extreme and is usually indicative of hypertension and riskof cardiacinjury.
Through Chinese eyes: excessiveness, deficiency and in between
Many of the diseases that characterize rich countries stem from excessive heat and dampnessin the body. This internal climate of heat and dampnessis a result of over consumption of rich, fatty, spicy and processed food such as meat (mostly red meat), eggs, cheese, fried food, a lot of salt, lots of sugar, processed and moldy flour products, refined oils, chemical food additives, alcohol drinking and drug use. When the body can no longer deal with the excess, functional impairments and failures begin to develop that eventually lead to deficiencies (in parallel with excess), which are expressed in the deterioration of various body systems, as apparent in diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other degenerative diseases.
A state of excess which is caused by a rich diet and a fast and edgy lifestyle, causes blockage in the arteries and energetic channels. Prolonged blockage causes composting heat which leads to development of hypertension, constipation, overweight, heart disease and strokes.
The solution to accumulated heat is cleansing and emptying the excessiveness and avoiding the foods that created the excess in the first place. A physically strong structured patient can undergo an aggressive and fast cleansing process, as compared to someone with a weaker structure who needs a more moderate and gradual cleansing process.
Generally speaking, bitter foods and plants have a cooling and drying effect that drain and evacuate heat and dampness downwards and outwards. The bitter taste cleans the arteries from fatty plaque and cholesterol accumulation, lowers the blood pressure and is therefore the most suitable for decreasing bodily excessiveness.
Modern medicine has developed powerful techniques and treatments for treating excessiveness (drugs, radiation, chemotherapy) and there are important nutritional methods that promote eating vegan raw foods and various vegetable juices that clearaccumulated phlegm and toxic waste and are suitable mostly for people with a strong physical structure.
When treating conditions of excess, it’s important not to over cleanse and empty ones energies. Maintaining the patient’s real Qi is essentialfor avoiding depletion, Â deficiency and weakness.
Foods that clear accumulations
In order to reduce accumulations of heat and dampness, the nutrition should mostly be fresh or slightly cooked (steaming, cooking shortly in water, stir frying without oil). The nutrition should emphasize green and bitter foods, consuming hordes of green leaves. Suitable bitter foods include alfalfa sprouts, celery stalks, lettuce, asparagus, wakame seaweed, blue-green algae, wheat grass/barley drink, millet, quinoa, rye, amaranth, mung beans, green lentils, dry peas and chamomile.
The ultimate treatment
The best treatment for stroke in Chinese and Western medicine is preventative medicine. Early treatment of under lying illnesses such as constipation, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, heart disease, diabetes, along with a change of life habits that exhaust the Qi, such as smoking, lack in sleep, hard work, excessive sexual activity, alcohol and drug consumption, will improve the chances of preventing strokes. Hypertension, high cholesterol and arteriosclerosis are reversible conditions achieved through home cooking, respect for the impact nutrition has on our health and a diet rich with dietary fibers, vitamins and minerals available in whole grains, legumes and vegetable.