'My stroke inspired a menu change'

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By Jane Elliott Health reporter, BBC News

Dean has changed his style of cooking

Chef Dean Tarleton prides himself on cooking the freshest food for his customers.

Where possible his fish is poached, grilled and steamed and his vegetables are seasonal.

It used to be very different. Dean, aged 45, from Southport, used to cook and eat more creamy and less healthy foods such as peppercorn sauces with steaks and chicken champignon.

But these are now off the menu, as are deep fried dishes like chicken kiev and goujons of plaice.

Because last year Dean had a stroke and now is on a mission to keep himself and others as fit as possible, as stroke is linked to an unhealthy lifestyle.

"We are very much into local produce, fresh fish, cutting out sauces and having grilled and poached and steamed things.

Food changes

"The fatty products cream and butter are out. We source things from farm shops in and near Southport.

"Everything is fresher and it brings the enjoyment back to cooking.

I would like to do a Jamie Oliver to get people cooking properly Dean Tarleton

"You do still get people saying they would like battered cod and chips though rather than jersey potatoes and you still have to go by some customer demand," he said.

But Dean says he does want to see the public eating better - he has lost four-and-a-half stones (28.5kg) himself since his stroke.

He says the new healthy approach has given him a new zest for cooking.

"It helped me to find the excitement of food again, the flavours and how to approach it differently.

"I would like to do a Jamie Oliver to get people cooking properly.

"You go into the supermarkets and you see them piling their trolleys up with bought things like mashed potatoes and prepared vegetables."

Supervisory role

Dean's stroke happened in the early hours of the morning and he knew something was wrong as soon as he started to get up.

"I had got out of bed to go to the toilet and the floor was not there I started to fall and it seemed like my arm was made of foam," he said.

"I fell onto the floor. My wife heard the clatter and came to see what was happening. My speech had gone and I was talking like a gibbering idiot."

As Dean's wife is a trained first aider she spotted it was a stroke.

She put him into the recovery position and called the ambulance. Within half an hour he was in hospital, where he stayed for two months.

Although Dean has made a significant recovery he said he still has a weakness down one side of his body and his role at work is now restricted to supervising the menus in the family-run hotel.

"I still have dexterity problems with my left hand. I walk with a limp and have a lack of sensation down my left side. I struggle tying shoe laces.

"I supervise now because I can't really carry a pan.

"I can peel spuds and carrots and if there is a problem I can help though."

Homaira Sofia Khan, stroke prevention officer for the Stroke Association, said that by simply eating healthily, people could slash their stroke risk.

"There is no specific stroke diet, but what we say is that if you have a healthy diet you can reduce your risk factors.

"Fatty foods salts lead to high blood pressure which is the single biggest risk factor for stroke.

Dean has five daughters

"About 40% of ischaemic stroke (a blockage in an artery in the brain caused by a clot) can be prevented if blood pressure is monitored and controlled.

"A lot of people do not realise the link between diet and stroke and that is the thing we are trying to raise.

"Having a healthier lifestyle and part of that healthier lifestyle is having a healthy diet would lead to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of stroke," she said.

She added that adopting a healthier life style could also help to prevent haemorrhagic strokes (brain bleeds).

"There is a link between what they put in their stomachs and what happens to their brain and at the moment people are not necessarily making that link," she said.

Andrea Lane from The Stroke Association added: "Studies have shown that people who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables have a lower risk of stroke.

"An estimated 150,000 people have a stroke in the UK each year and it is important that people do all they can to try and reduce their risk of stroke."