Reducing your risk of stroke with healthier foods doesn't necessarily mean a bland and boring diet. Here are two rich-tasting foods that fit the bill: pesto (see recipe below) and avocado.

          Pesto          Avocado spread

Use the pesto in place of cream-based pasta sauce and the avocado in place of cheese on your sandwiches and you'll be doing your body double favors. Reducing saturated fat and focusing on unsaturated fat are two great ways to lower your triglyceride levels. And it turns out that may be pretty important to your stroke risk.

Blood for the Brain

We know that high blood pressure is bad for our stroke risk. But high triglycerides? Yep, research confirms it. In a new study, people with the highest triglyceride levels had between a twofold and a fourfold higher risk for stroke compared to people with the lowest triglycerides. It's not clearly understood how triglycerides raise stroke risk, but the study authors think that triglycerides may contribute to artery clogging and that artery clogging is just as bad for your brain as it is for your heart. Because if the brain's supply of oxygen-rich blood gets cut off, you're looking at a stroke. 

More Stroke-Stopping Strategies

Enter pesto. And avocados. And nuts. And fatty fish. Replacing some of the saturated fat in your life with unsaturated fat is a good way to help lower your triglyceride levels. So is reducing the amount of sugar in your diet, eating sensible portions sizes, and eating high-fiber whole grains instead of refined grains. Keep in mind, though, that a healthy diet is just one part of the protect-your-brain-from-stroke equation. Follow these other noggin-protective steps, too:

• Watch your blood pressure. High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for stroke.
• Kick the habit. Like lovers who can't bear to part, smoking and the risk of stroke go hand in hand. 
• Resist gravity. The kind that keeps your butt glued to the couch. 
• Drop a few pounds.  Shed those excess pounds will also shed your risk for a stroke.

PESTO RECIPE

Ingredients for Pesto

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
• 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups good olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.