I was able to interview the amazing Kelly Hill, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, who suffered a stroke at age 44 and was able to make a remarkable recovery because of her nutrition. What a wonderful example of how our diets can affect our brains.
A little bit of the facts first. Over 610,000 women die a year from strokes because of heart disease. That’s more than ALL the cancers combined! Wow! This is obviously something we should be aware of and do all that we can do to prevent. So it’s good for us to know, if we or someone we love suffers from a stroke, how can our diet make a difference?
A little bit about Kelly’s story. She was getting ready to leave her house one day and went to call her dogs into the house. When she shouted for them, all that came out of her mouth was jumbled words, not thinking much of it she continued on with her day. After dropping her child off at school she was suddenly unable to swallow. Not knowing what to think she decided to record her voice but when she played it back she sounded drunk. Suddenly the entire left side of her face began to droop, soon after she was at the E.R. amidst the aftermath of a stroke.
When an MRI was first done on Kelly after her stroke, her doctors found several “dead spots” on her brain but only 1 year later an MRI showed new neuron growth with very little residual results left from the stroke. Kelly’s story has been studied by doctors worldwide, not only because of her survival but because of her rapid and complete recovery. They all attribute her recuperation to one thing…her diet.
So how did she do it? Kelly believes that 80% of our health is based on our diet and the life choices we make, leaving only 20% to genetics, chance, accidents etc. Something that cannot be understated is the importance of water intake, that all important H2O. If fact, by the time you feel thirsty, you are ALREADY dehydrated. Yikes! I agree with Kelly, water really is a “miracle cure” and is essential to a healthy body and brain.
Kelly is also a whole food expert and is certain that “real foods create real results” and that by giving our brain the type of food it needs it is then able to set what the body needs. She teaches about the biochemistry of the body and why some diets work for some people and not for others, what cravings are, and ways to create hormonal balance using nutritious foods. Something else she has discovered that helps a healthy brain is magnesium, just 100mg a day can help decrease the chances of a stroke by 10%.
~ Julie “Brain Lady” Anderson