Stroke is third leading cause of death in United States and leading cause of serious, long-term disability in adults. Although stroke is a disease of brain, it can affect entire body. The effects of a stroke range from mild to severe and include paralysis, problems with thinking, difficulty with speaking, chronic pain, and emotional problems like depression.

The length of time to recover from a stroke depends, of course, on its severity. Fifty to 70 percent of stroke survivors regain functional independence, but 15 to 30 percent are permanently disabled. Four million Americans are currently living with effects of a stroke, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimate that 700,000 Americans will suffer a stroke each year.

In addition to lives that are drastically changed, stroke places a tremendous health burden on our society in terms of economic costs. The National Stroke Association estimates stroke costs U.S. $43 billion a year.

The best treatment for stroke is prevention. There are several risk factors that increase your chance of suffering a stroke. High blood pressure, heart disease, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and family history of strokes. If you smoke--quit! If you have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or high cholesterol, getting them under control--and keeping them at safe levels--will greatly reduce your chances of having a stroke.

If you or someone you know has already suffered a stroke, it is important to understand that many therapy options and medications are available to provide for a faster and more thorough recovery. The best start is to gain as much knowledge as possible about condition and treatments. Do your own research to obtain information you need to make intelligent stroke decisions. As has been said many times, "Knowledge is Power," and this is certainly true when you talk about strokes.

Additionally, juicing provides a lot of soluble fiber; therefore, nutrients that are contained in insoluble fiber of a fruit or vegetable are released so that body can make use of them. When fruits or vegetables are eaten whole, these nutrients would not be available to body as they would be contained within indigestible fiber. Since fiber is such an important factor in elimination of waste and toxins from body, and keeping colon and bowel cleansed, a high fiber diet is highly recommended for optimum health and wellness. Soluble fiber, as well as aiding in body’s elimination and detoxification processes, is also fiber that has been found to lower levels of cholesterol.

Most of bottled juices that are available in supermarkets, and even health food stores, have been pasteurized in an effort to eliminate harmful bacteria. Unfortunately, process of pasteurizing includes subjecting fresh juices to extremely high temperatures. There are valuable and fragile enzymes, phytonutrients, and other nutritional compounds that are destroyed with addition of heat. Cooking, refining and processing food strips it of its maximum nutritional value.

Freshly extracted fruit and vegetable juice also provides another, major key nutrient: water. Everyday factors like caffeine, over-the-counter medications, salt, cigarette smoking, and alcohol all act to dehydrate body. These factors, combined with fact that most Americans do not consume nearly enough water just to reach basic daily intake, never mind compensate for what’s lost, can contribute to ill health. Since fresh juices contain ample amounts of this vital substance, this is yet another reason that juicing could be such an important addition to an overall Optimum health and wellness plan.

The benefits of juicing are many, while downsides are few to nil. In a culture where number of people who get their daily requirements of fruits and vegetables, is dismally low, juicing should be an absolute necessity and priority. I have educated many of my clients in particulars of juicing, and every single one of them has returned to my office full of vitality, increased energy, and a great enthusiasm for fresh juice. They often go on to become staunch advocates of juicing themselves. When faced with skeptics, my question is usually, Why not juice?

Copyright Neesha D. Meminger, 2005. All rights reserved.