High blood pressure, which is anything over 120/80, is a leading cause of stroke. The document provides 5 easy steps to cut salt intake: 1) ask for sauces on the side, 2) water down soy sauce, 3) use herbs instead of salt, 4) watch out for hidden salt in foods like turkey subs and frozen meals, and 5) limit frozen foods which often contain added salt. It then lists 4 additional lifestyle changes to further reduce stroke risk: limiting alcohol, quitting smoking, exercising regularly, and monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

1. High blood pressure –
anything over 120/80 – is one
of the leading causes of
stroke. Cut your salt intake
in 5 easy steps.
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2. Always ask for sauces on the side and dip your fork –
1 rather than the food – in the sauce.
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3. 2
Water down your teriyaki or
soy sauce – even if it’s a
low-sodium version.
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4. 3
Use herbs instead of salt.
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5. Don’t assume that food that is low calorie or low fat is
4 healthy. A Subway foot-long turkey sub has 1,000
milligrams of salt – without the cheese!
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6. Limit frozen foods. Even a Lean Cuisine can have
5 500 mg of salt—one-third the daily recommended amount.
Frozen chicken breasts are often salted as
a flavor enhancer and preservative.
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7. Want to reduce your risk of
stroke even more?
Take 4 more steps.
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8. Ease up on the alcohol. Cutting down to one drink
1 a day can cut your risk of stroke by 50%.
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9. 2
Ban tobacco. Smoking
causes a fatty build-up in
your arteries that can
block blood from getting
to your brain, doubling
your chances of a
stroke. Quit smoking and
your stroke risk returns
to normal in 5-15 years.
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10. 3
Take a hike.
Moderate exercise
can lower your risk
by 35-50%. Studies
show the more you
exercise, the more
you reduce your
chance of having
a stroke.
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11. 4
Watch your numbers:
Blood pressure, high
cholesterol and diabetes
increase your risk of having
a stroke. Get these
checked regularly and keep
them in the healthy zone.
Want to learn your risk of
stroke? View our
online Stroke Risk
Scorecard.
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