DASH Diet Plan
Designed to help in lowering blood pressure
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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 |
Serving Sizes |
Nutritional Benefits |
|
|
7 - 8 |
1 slice bread |
Carbohydrates and fiber |
|
|
4 - 5 |
1 cup raw leafy vegetable |
Potassium, magnesium and fiber |
|
|
4 - 5 |
1 medium fruit |
Potassium, magnesium and fiber |
|
|
2 - 3 |
8 ounces milk |
Calcium, potassium, magnesium and protein |
|
|
4 - 5 per week |
1/3 cup or 1 1/2 ounces nuts |
Magnesium, potassium, protein and fiber |
|
|
2 or less |
3 ounces cooked lean meats, skinless poultry, or fish. |
Protein and magnesium |
|
|
2 - 3 |
1 teaspoon soft margarine |
This applies to added fat; all other food choices should be low-fat |
|
|
5 per week |
1 tablespoon sugar |
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.