A lot of us have heard either on TV or from your family doctor, but what is a stroke. Well, there are two kinds, mainly. The first and more common kind is the ischemic. That is when your artery leading to the brain is blocked usually by a blood clot. It is the most frequent cause of a stroke and accounts for eight out ten "brain attacks".

The second type which is less common is the hemorrhagic in which a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds into the brain. Bleeding strokes are usually more severe and more fatal.

Keep these risk factors in mind to ward off both types of strokes.

• History of stroke If either you had a stroke or it is common in your family, consider yourself a higher risk. Pay close attention to other risk factors.

• High blood pressure The worst factor of all is hypertension. It increases the pressure on your arteries and makes a hemorrhage much more likely.

• Heart disease An unhealthy heart that works harder and less effectively can put you in much greater danger of a stroke.

• Diabetes This disease may destroy your blood vessels all through your body, including your brain. If your blood sugars are too high when you stroke, the damage may be more severe. Keeping your diabetes under control is your best bet as far as preventing a stroke.

• Unhealthy lifestyle Too much salt, a poor diet, smoking and the lack of exercise will help set up the stage for a stroke as well as for the disorders that often lead to a stroke.

• Race African-Americans are statistically higher risk for a stroke. Some studies have shown that other minorities are at risk too.

To guard yourself from having a stoke you must do more then avoiding triggers that are known to cause them.  By taking charge of two things, first is your diet and second is your lifestyle will lower your odds of having a stroke even more so.

Choose your fats wisely Some fats are much healthier than others and some may even protect you from strokes.  For your best defense of this silent killer choose soybean oil, canola oil and walnuts.  These varieties all contain alpha linolenic acid, which studies have found to lower stoke risks.  Just a handful of walnuts or a tablespoon of soybean or canola oil daily will be enough to give you this important benefit.

Drink your milk Researchers have learned that milk drinker are less likely to suffer from strokes.  In fact, non-milk drinkers have double the stroke rate then people who drink at least 16 ounces every day.  Researchers are not sure why milk has this effect since calcium from non-dairy products does not produce the same result.  I could mean that there is an unknown ingredient in milk that helps prevent strokes.Drinking at least four cups a day will also satisfy your daily requirement for calcium and that my fortify your body against strokes as well.

Go A Little Bananas Bananas are an excellent source for potassium.  In an eight year study, the American Heart Association found that men who ate the most potassium had the lowest incidence of stroke.  Like with milk and calcium, potassium supplements won't have the same effect.  You got to eat your veggies and fruit!  For a good dose of this stoke preventing mineral try to include bananas, spinach, tomatoes, and oranges.

Have a glass of wine Studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption may reduce your chance of a stroke.  Also, recent studies have shown that if you do drink, make wine your beverage of choice.

Dr. Thomas Truelsen of the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen found during a study that people who drink wine every day have 32% less strokes.  They found no such benefit to those who drank beer or liquor.

Exercise Although exercise is one of the building blocks for good health, it is not always the better.  As a matter of fact, when it comes to strokes, it can only lower the risks so far according to a Harvard report.

In a 20 year study of 11,000 men, researchers found that simply burning 1,000 to 3,000 calories per week did indeed lower the risks.  But working out longer and harder no longer lower it any further.  In order to be the most effective, the study showed that the exercise had to be moderately strenuous - for instance walking instead of bowling. You can burn  1,000 calories by walking briskly for 30 minutes five or six times a week.