Diabetes is not just a blood sugar problem. It is a blood vessel problem. And that means it is a brain problem too. People with diabetes have around a 1.5–2 times higher risk of stroke compared with people without diabetes. Some studies show the risk is even higher depending on age, duration of diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking and other risk factors. But the problem often starts before diabetes is officially diagnosed. First there is insulin resistance (your body needing to produce more and more insulin tio achieve the same goal), then there is pre-diabetes (blood sugar starts creeping up as the ability to produice enough insulin is overwhelmed), then diabetes (blood sugar crosses a certain threshold). Over time this insulin resistance causes other problems: ❌ Higher blood pressure ❌ More abdominal weight gain ❌ Higher triglycerides (bad fats) ❌ Fatty liver ❌ Inflammation ❌ Damage to blood vessels ❌ Higher risk of full type 2 diabetes And for Stroke Proof, this matters because healthy brain arteries need healthy metabolic health. High glucose, high insulin, high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol do not politely stay in separate boxes. They overlap and amplify each other, each contributing to blood vessel damage and narrowing and helping the other factors to do so too. For example, high blood sugar damages the glycocalyx (think of this as a teflon lining for the arteries), meanwhile high blood pressure makes little cracks in the artery walls. Both of these make it easier for LDL cholesterol to get through the artery's inner lining and get into the artery wall. The more LDL cholesterl there is floating around the more gets in. That is also why diabetes is also one of the recognised modifiable risk factors for dementia as those little blockages int he brain affect memory as well as causing full blown strokes. So what can you do? Not everything is in your control, and nobody should be shamed for developing diabetes. Genetics, medication, deprivation, sleep, stress, ethnicity, hormones and environment all matter.

8ú modern sense. It's not about: ❌ Calorie counting ❌ Cutting out entire food groups ❌ Drinking expensive green powders ❌ Surviving on lettuce Instead, it's a pattern of eating traditionally seen in countries such as Greece, Spain, and parts of Italy. It typically includes: ✅ Lots of vegetables ✅ Fruit ✅ Beans and legumes ✅ Nuts and seeds ✅ Whole grains ✅ Extra virgin olive oil as the main fat source ✅ Fish and seafood regularly ✅ Moderate dairy (often yoghurt) ✅ Limited ultra-processed foods ✅ Limited sugary drinks and sweets ✅ Less red and processed meat ✅ Social eating One of the most important studies ever performed on diet was the PREDIMED trial. Researchers studied over 7,000 people at high cardiovascular risk and put them on either: 🥄 A Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil 🥜 A Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts 📋 A control low-fat diet Crucially, the nuts and Olive oil groups received a supply of the nuts or oil every month so we can be confident they ate more of these than their usual. After around 5 years of follow-up, the Mediterranean diet groups experienced roughly a 30% reduction in the combined risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death compared with the control group. Stroke reduction was one of the strongest signals seen in the trial at nearly 40% reduction. And this isn't just one study. A major BMJ systematic review and network meta-analysis (essentially a study pulling together data from all the high quality research on the topic that could find to give very reliable results) examining randomised dietary programmes found that Mediterranean dietary programmes reduce death, heart attacks, and cardiovascular events in people at increased cardiovascular risk. Importantly, they also reduce stroke risk. Why might it work? The Mediterranean diet appears to improve many of the key drivers of stroke and cardiovascular disease: 🩸 Blood pressure 🧈 LDL cholesterol 🔥 Inflammation 🍬 Blood sugar control

Interested to know and it might be a silly question but is there a point when progress following stroke that progress stops. People at the group ask that question and my answer is take small steps to move forward .

This is week’s challenge is to choose one of 3 things that “future you” will thank you for. Pick one of: 1️⃣ Do one short burst of intensity Not a full workout. Not a huge time commitment. Just one moment in your week where you push a bit harder than usual: Brisk walk up a hill Climb a few flights of stairs Short fast-paced walk Only if your at a place in your recovery where this is safe. 💡 Why this matters: Cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂ max) is one of the strongest predictors of survival we have. Even small doses of intensity can move the needle and significantly reduce stroke risk. 2️⃣ Check something you’ve been avoiding Be honest—there’s probably something you know you should check but haven’t. The longer you put it off the more it's slowly eating away at your health. This week, pick one: Blood pressure Weight or waist circumference Step count / activity levels Cholesterol Track your meals 💡 Why this matters: You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Most stroke risk builds silently—knowing your baseline is step one. 3️⃣ Go to bed 30 minutes earlier (twice this week) Just twice! 💡 Why this matters: Sleep affects: Blood pressure Blood sugar Appetite Energy to exercise It’s one of the most powerful—and most ignored—health levers. Just a couple of early nights can set you up to be much healthier. It's but about perfection. Not a complete lifestyle overhaul. Just 3 small actions that shift your trajectory very slightly in the right direction. 👇 Your Turn Comment below with: Which 1 thing you’re committing to this week. Future you is watching 👀

This week's tip was inspired by my 5 year old son. I was watching him happily devour a load of grapes and strawberries—then casually tell me he prefers them to sweets. Okay, so eating grapes by the box load may not be perfectly healthy, but It got me thinking about other things we could swap to better alternatives. 💡Embedding a small change that you stick with for years will be far more powerful than any short-term fad diet or exercise regime. And that’s where healthy swaps come in. 🔄 This week’s challenge: Make ONE simple swap Pick something easy. Something realistic. Something you’ll actually stick to. Here are a few ideas: 🍓 Swap sweets or chocolate → fruit 🥕 Swap crisps → carrots, peppers & hummus 🥜 Swap biscuits → a handful of nuts 🥙 Swap processed snacks → roasted chickpeas 🍞 Swap white bread → wholegrain or sourdough 🚲 Swap driving --> Cycling or walking 🛋️ Swap sitting on a sofa watching TV --> A short walk listening to a podcast or sitting in a squat position watching TV Why this matters: These small changes help to: • Stabilise blood sugar • Reduce excess calories • Improve cholesterol and blood pressure • Lower long-term risk of stroke and heart disease And crucially—they all add up. 💬 Your turn What’s ONE swap you’re going to try this week? Message in the comments below —I’d love to see what you come up with 👇