•Ask them toSMILE. If the smile is lop-sided, if only one half of the mouth smiles, call for emergencyassistance.

•Ask them to TALK – just speak a simple, coherent sentence. Ask them to repeat a phrase. Slurred or garbled language, or lack of ability to speak, is a classic sign of stroke.Callforemergencyassistance.

•Ask them to close their eyes and RAISE both arms. Weakness in one arm, or difficulty in raising one arm is a sign of a stroke.Callforemergencyassistance.

Remember,thesooneryouseekemergencycare,thebettertheoutcome.

Healthy Blood PressureDid you know that up to half of all strokes are related directly to high blood pressure? Nutrients that reduce blood pressure also greatly reduce your risk for stroke, TIAs, and vascular problemsfollowingstrokes.

Olive Leaf Extract (Oleae europaea L.):By now, everyone has probably heard about thebenefits of olive oil. A recent study made theconnectionbetweenoliveoil andstrokeprevention,too. In fact, the study author considers olive oil tobe“aninexpensiveandeasywaytohelppreventit.”

In the course of the study, researchers noted howmuch olive oil was consumed by three differentgroups. Theywere divided into “no use”, “moderateuse”, and “intensive use” – which meant that theyusedoliveoilforcooking,asadressing,orwithbread.

The people in the “intensive use” group had a41% percent lower risk of stroke compared tothose with no olive oil in their diet. When theresearchers looked at oleic acid levels inthe blood, those with the highest levels had a 73% reduced risk of stroke!

And, while practitioners, dieticians, and scientistsare still piecing together the reasons why olive oilis so beneficial, one of the phenolic compounds,oleuropein,isanimportantfactor.

Oleuropeinisfoundinoliveoil,butleavesfromtheolive tree are a rich source aswell. The fact thatthe leaf material can be standardized and madeintoaconvenientsourceofthiscompoundisaplusfor researchers, practitioners, and anyone who isinterestedinprotectingtheircardiovascularsystem.

Stroke Prevention and Recovery... Naturally!

www.TerryTalksNutrition.com

Toyourgoodhealth,Terry... Naturally

THISSTATEMENTHASNOTBEENEVALUATEDBYTHEFOODANDDRUGADMINISTRATION.THISPRODUCTISNOTINTENDEDTODIAGNOSE,TREAT,CUREORPREVENTANYDISEASE.

Strokes are terrifying. When you have a stroke,a portion of your brain dies. This is a profoundinjury thatcanchangemood, thoughts,memories, speech, perceptions – the very ideas we use todefine ourselves and lend meaning to our lives.For those who have been through it themselves,or have seen friends and loved ones altered byits effects, it can seem insurmountable. It is the third leading cause of death in the United States,and is the leading cause of serious, long-termdisability.AfricanAmericansandmenhavehigherrates of stroke, but in women they are more deadly. In fact, strokes kill more than twice as manywomenasbreastcancer.

Grim though this disease may be, there is good news. First, obtaining emergency care within thefirst few hours of a stroke can greatly reducedamage done. Second, with patience, hard work,and luck, many victims of strokes recover some – or all – of their lost abilities. Third, and perhaps mostimportantly,strokesarelargelypreventable.

In this Terry Talks Nutrition I will share with youproven nutrient interventions to help you preventstrokes,orhelpyourecoverandpreventarecurrenceofthisdangerousproblem.

Defining a StrokeStrokes occur when blood vessels to the brainare either blocked by a clot, or burst. When thishappens, the blood and oxygen flow to the brain is interrupted and the affected sections of the brainbegintodie.

A “mini-stroke” or “warning stroke” is caused by atemporarybloodclot,andforallappearances,seemsjust like a stroke. Known as a “Transient IschemicAttack”, itcanbe theprecursor tosomethingmoreserious.Itshoulddefinitelybetakenveryseriously.

Because a stroke is so dangerous and so serious,it’s something that, understandably, people fear.Even if you have no medical training, you can do a simple assessment for a stroke and possibly savesomeone’slife:

Olive leaf extract has been shown to reduce bloodpressure,which in turn, reduces the risk of stroke.In a clinical trial, administration of a special olive leaf extract lowered systolic pressure (the topnumber) by 11 points and diastolic pressure (thebottomnumber)by5points.Beyonddirecteffectsonbloodpressure, theextract reducedLDLcholesterollevelsaswell.

Researchers believe that the combination of oliveleaf’santioxidantactivity(muchmorepowerfulthanvitamin E) protects the walls of the blood vessels, andthatithelpswidennarrowbloodvessels,actingasamildvasodilator,sothatbloodflowsmoreeasilyandwithlesseffortbytheheart.

WhileI’mahugefanofoliveoilinthediet,foranyonewith concerns about blood pressure, cholesterolbalance,andstroke,I’drecommendanextractofoliveleafstandardizedtocontainatleast18%oleuropein.Thiswillmakethebenefitsconsistent,andiseasiertoincludeinyourdailyregimen.

Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa): Hibiscus is much more than a beautiful flower. Inmanyplacesintheworlditisbrewedasatea,andlikesomanynatural foods, ithasamedicinalvaluethatresearchersarejustbeginningtoappreciate.

Clinical studies show a lot of promise for hibiscus forloweringbloodpressure.Inonestudy,participantswith mildly elevated blood pressure consuminghibiscus tea experienced a 7 point drop in systolicblood pressure. Participants with higher bloodpressurelevels(over129)haduptoa14-pointdrop!Ifyou’veeverstruggledwithelevatedbloodpressure,youknowthattheseareamazingnumbers.

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When in doubt, always consult your physician or health care practitioner. This column is to provide you with information to maintain your health.

711.TTN072

KEy WORDS

olive leaf, oleuropein, hibiscus, amla, Indian gooseberry, stroke, heart disease, blood pressure, warning signs, cholesterol, LDL, HDL, lipoprotein, arteries, brain, blood flow, vasodilation, TIA, CVA, cerebrovascular accident, ischemic stroke

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Heart HealtH

Stroke Prevention and Recovery... Naturally!Indian Gooseberry (Emblica officinalis):In terms of effectiveness, Indian Gooseberry, alsoknown as “Amla”, is excellent for getting yourcholesterol levels into balance. Indian Gooseberryhasbeenused inAyurvedicpractice forover2,000years. In fact, earlyAyurvedicmedical texts datingback to 200 to 400 BC considered it “one of thebest rejuvenating herbs.” Practitioners noted that ithelped rebuild tissues throughout the body, reduceinflammation, strengthen vision, and make bonesstronger. It has more recently been the subjectof intensive research regarding cancer prevention,inhibitingcancergrowthinhumanlungcancercells,melanoma cells, and cervical cancer cells. Oneof the ways it can do this is simply though anintense antioxidant power. Indian Gooseberry hasthe ability to increase our levels of the enzymeglutathione-S-transferase (GST), which detoxifiescarcinogens including ionizing radiation, carbontetrachloride, and arsenic. It also boosts cancer-fightingNK (natural killer) cell activity and prevents DNA mutations caused by aluminum, lead, andchromium.

And these are just some of Indian Gooseberry’samazingbenefits!

Asforcholesterolbalance,oneclinicalstudyshowedthat participants taking 500-1,000 mg of IndianGooseberry before bedtime increased HDL (good cholesterol) by 14% and significantly decreased LDL cholesterol by 21%. Total serum cholesterolwasreducedby17%andtriglyceridelevelsdroppedby24%withinonlythree months.

These are all impressive numbers. EspeciallywhenyouconsiderthatraisingHDLlevelsbyeven1%canreduceyourriskofheartdiseaseby2to3%,andmakeabigdifferenceinyouroverallcholesterolbalanceandriskofoxidizedLDLcholesterol.Remember,thehigheryourHDLcholesterol,thebetteritisforyourheart!

IndianGooseberry also reduces inflammation– oneof the primary causes of all disease, especially heart disease and stroke. On this count it is quiteimpressive:researchshowsthatitcanreducelevels

ofCRP(C-reactiveprotein)by over 30%.Thismarkerof inflammation in the cardiovascular system isroutinelymeasuredtodetermineanindividual’srisk.

Traditionally, Indian Gooseberry – like so manytraditionalbotanicals–wasusedasaningredientinfoodsaswellasbeingconsideredahealingherb.ButIbelievethatgettingawell-prepared,strongextractiskeytogettingtheresultsyouwantfaster.Forthatreason,Irecommendastrong25:1extractofIndianGooseberry. This concentrated powerwill help youbalance your cholesterol levels more effectively,whichcanhelpreducetheriskofstrokedramatically.

A Stroke is Not InevitableInthevastmajorityofcases,strokesarepreventable.Eat a healthy diet, maintain your weight, avoidsmoking, get regular physical activity, don’t drinkalcohol to excess, and use supplements to loweryour risk. With a combination of clinically studiedingredients, you can help ease your blood pressurenumbers back to where they should be, get yourcholesterollevelsinbalance,andreduceyourriskofstroke. It’s so simple to incorporate these nutrientsinto your daily regimen – and definitely worth thetime.

Finally, getting a rich source of omega-3fatty acids should also be a part of any heartor brain health regimen. For more informationabout a whole food form of omega-3s bound tophospholipids, (and not triglycerides, like you’llfind in fish oils), read my article, “The First Major Omega-3 Breakthrough in 40 Years.” Protectyourbrainandprotectyourlife!

www.TerryTalksNutrition.com THISSTATEMENTHASNOTBEENEVALUATEDBYTHEFOODANDDRUGADMINISTRATION.THISPRODUCTISNOTINTENDEDTODIAGNOSE,TREAT,CUREORPREVENTANYDISEASE.

Pg. 2

Terry recommends a product with these ingredients.

Indian Gooseberry 500 mg (Emblica officianalis) Fruit Extract standardized to contain greater than 30% polyphenol content with emblicanins >20%.

©2011

Oneof the reasons for the blood pressure loweringability of hibiscus is the presence of beneficialanthocyanins. In thecaseofhibiscus,anthocyaninsworkasnaturalangiotensin-convertingenzyme(ACE)inhibitors,moderatingtheactivityofanenzymethatcausesbloodvessels tonarrowandbloodpressureto increase. This natural ACE inhibitor helps keepbloodvessels relaxedandopenand thereforebloodpressuregoesdown.

For the most optimal effects, I’d stress using aconcentrated extract daily to get the most fromhibiscus.Ipreferastrong25:1extractwhichsimplymeans that25poundsofhibiscusareconcentratedinto 1 pound of extract. Getting a combination ofhibiscusandoliveleafextractisoneofthebestwaystonaturallylowerbloodpressurelevels,whichinturngreatlydecreasesyourchanceofsufferingastroke.

Healthy Cholesterol BalanceArteriesbecomecloggedorclottedfortworeasons:oxidationand inflammation.WhenLDL (low-densitylipoprotein) cholesterol becomes oxidized, it tendsto get “stickier”, forming clots in the arteries. Thisoxidation(andclotting)alsosendssignalstothebodythattriggeraninflammatoryresponse.Leftalone,thiscombination of conditionswill damage arteries andcontinuetoattractmoreLDLcholesteroltotheclot.Itcansetupaspiralthatisdifficulttoovercome,butone that needs the right natural ingredients to getyourcholesterollevelsbackintobalance.

Also, keep in mind that most serious cholesterolproblems have far more to do with not havingenough HDL (“good”) cholesterol. After all, ourbodies produce up to 1,000 mg of cholesterol aday, and we need cholesterol for many crucialprocesses. When cholesterol is not in balance,the odds of oxidation and inflammation are muchgreater.

So, while I don’t believe that cholesterol is “the enemy” as we’ve been taught, I believe thata balance of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) thatscavengesexcesscholesterol,andLDLisimportant.AndIbelievethatplantextractscanhavetremendousbenefits–withoutthedangersofstatindrugs.

Terry recommends a product with these ingredients.

Proprietary complex 750 mg Olive Leaf (Oleae europaea L.) Extract standardized to contain 18% Oleuropein, Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) Extract (25:1)