DASH Diet for High Blood Pressure

DASH Diet for High Blood Pressure

Starting the DASH diet may be one of the strategies your doctor recommends for lowering your high blood pressure.

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (high blood pressure). The diet is straightforward:

§  Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.

§  Reduce the amount of saturated fat, cholesterol, and Trans fats in your diet.

§  Increase your intake of whole grains, fish, poultry, and nuts. Sodium, sweets, sugary drinks, and red meats should all be avoided.

People on the DASH diet dropped their blood pressure in two weeks in study tests.

Another diet, DASH-Salt, recommends limiting sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day (about 2/3 teaspoon). People who followed the DASH-Sodium regimen had decreased blood pressure in studies.

Best approach to start the DASH Diet

The DASH diet requires a specific amount of servings from several food groups each day. Depending on how many calories you require per day, the number of servings you needed may vary.

You can make changes gradually. Begin by restricting your salt intake to 2,400 milligrams per day (about 1 teaspoon). After your body has adjusted to the diet, reduce your salt intake to 1,500 milligrams per day (approximately 2/3 teaspoon). These figures include all sodium consumed, including sodium from food products as well as sodium from other ingredients used in cooking or added at the table.

Essential Dash Diet Tips

§  At lunch and dinner, include a vegetable serving.

§  Fruit can be served as a side dish or as a snack. It's simple to utilize canned and dried fruits, but make sure they don't contain any added sugar.

§  Use half the amount of butter, margarine, or salad dressing you normally use, and low-fat or fat-free condiments.

§  When you would ordinarily use full-fat or cream, switch to low-fat or skim dairy products.

§  Limit yourself to 6 ounces of beef every day. Make some vegetarian meals.

§  Increase the number of veggies and dry beans in your diet.

§  Snack on unsalted pretzels or almonds, raisins, low-fat and fat-free yogurt, frozen yogurt, unsalted plain popcorn with no butter, and raw veggies instead of chips or sweets.

§  Read food labels to find goods with reduced sodium levels.

The DASH Diet Must Be Guided

The DASH diet recommends that you eat:

Ø 7-8 servings of grains per day

Ø 4-5 servings of vegetables per da

Ø 4-5 servings of fruits per day

Ø 2-3 servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products each day

Ø 2 or fewer servings of meat, poultry, or fish each day

Ø 4-5 servings of nuts, seeds, and dry beans each week

Ø 2-3 servings of fats and oils per day

Ø Limit yourself to no more than 5 servings of sweets per week.

Ø 4-5 servings of nuts, seeds, and dry beans each week

What Is a Serving Size?

It's helpful to know how much of a given type of food is considered a "serving" while trying to stick to a balanced eating plan. One serving consists of:

·       1/2 cup rice or pasta, cooked

·       1 piece of bread

·       1 cup raw fruits or veggies

·       a half-cup of cooked vegetables or fruit

·       milk (eight ounces)

·       1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (or any other oil)

·       3 oz. beef, cooked

·       Tofu (3 oz.)