DASH Diet Plan
Designed to help in lowering blood pressure
The DASH diet plan
has been proven to lower blood pressure in studies sponsored by the National
Institutes of Health. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is
an overall eating plan that focuses on what people should eat, rather than what
not to eat. The DASH diet features menus involves with eating more in fruits,
vegetables, complex carbohydrates and low-fat or non-fat dairy products as well
as whole gains, fish, poultry and nuts.
DASH compared three eating plans :
-
A plan similar in nutrients to what many
Americans consume.
-
A plan similar to what Americans consume but
rich in fruits and vegetables.
-
A combination plan to lower in saturated fat,
total fat and cholesterol, and also rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat
dairy foods.
Above three plans are used about 3,000 mg of
sodium daily. Results showed that both the fruit or vegetable and combination
plans reduced blood pressure but the combination plan had the greatest effect.
The DASH diet plan can decrease the blood pressure in just within 14 days by an
average of 6 mm Hg for systolic and 3 mm Hg for diastolic. It worked even better
for those people with high blood pressure. The systolic dropped on average about
11 mm Hg and the diastolic about 6 mm Hg.
The DASH diet used in the studies calls for a certain number of servings daily
from various food group. These are given for 2,000 calories per day. You should
be aware that the DASH diet has more daily servings of fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains foods than you may be used to eating. This makes it high in fiber,
which can cause bloating and diarrhea in some persons. Thus, to stay away from
these problems, gradually depending on your caloric needs, your number of daily
servings in a food group may vary from those listed. The DASH diet plan
based on 2,000 calories per day shown
below.
DASH DIET PLAN BASED ON 2,000
CALORIES PERDAY
|
Food Group |
Daily
Servings |
Serving Sizes |
Nutritional Benefits |
|
Grains and grain products
|
7 - 8 |
1 slice bread
1 cup ready to eat cereal
1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta or cereal |
Carbohydrates and fiber |
|
Vegetables
|
4 - 5 |
1 cup raw leafy vegetable
1/2 cup cooked vegetable
6 ounces vegetable juice |
Potassium, magnesium and fiber |
|
Fruits
|
4 - 5 |
1 medium fruit
1/4 cup dried fruit
1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit |
Potassium, magnesium and fiber |
|
Lowfat or fat free dairy foods |
2 - 3 |
8 ounces milk
1 cup yogurt
1 1/2 ounces cheese |
Calcium, potassium, magnesium
and protein |
|
Nuts, seeds, and dry beans |
4 - 5 per
week |
1/3 cup or 1 1/2 ounces nuts
1 tablespoon or 1/2 ounce seeds
1/2 cup cooked dry beans |
Magnesium, potassium, protein and fiber |
|
Lean meat, poultry, and fish |
2 or less |
3 ounces cooked lean meats,
skinless poultry, or fish. |
Protein and magnesium |
|
Fats and oils** |
2 - 3 |
1 teaspoon soft margarine
1 tablespoon lowfat mayonnaise
2 tablespoon light salad dressing
1 teaspoon vegetable oil |
This applies to added fat; all
other food choices should be low-fat |
|
Sweets |
5 per week |
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon jelly or jam
1/2 ounces jelly beans
8 ounces lemonade |
Make these treats low-fat
whenever possible |
How can you getting started on the DASH diet? The DASH diet requires no special
foods and no hard to follow recipes. It's easy to adopt the DASH diet eating plan. Here are the tips on DASH diet plan :
-
Gradually increase your use of
low-fat dairy products to three servings a day.
-
Compare or read food label
carefully to choose those lowest in unsaturated fat.
-
Treat meat as one part of the
whole meal, instead of the focus.
-
Increase servings of vegetables,
rice, pasta, and dry beans in meal.
-
Use fruit or other foods low in
saturated fat, cholesterols, and calories as dessert and snake.
-
Choose whole gain foods such as
minerals and fiber to get added nutrients.
-
If you have trouble digesting
dairy products, try taking lactase enzyme pills or drop with the dairy foods.
-
Use fresh, frozen, or no salt
added canned vegetable is suitable for DASH diet plan.
|
