DASH Diet - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports high blood pressure is the number one cause of stroke and heart disease, the leading cause of death in Americans. 67 million Americans are affected wherein 1 in every 3 American adults have hypertension.
It is very threatening knowing that no one is exempted with this disease. What is DASH Diet? Starting a diet plan can alleviate your medications and may lower your blood pressure. Web MD also states that Hypertension Diet should be accompanied by calorie control and limiting portion sizes.
DASH Diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The diet focuses on three principles: Achieving the right amounts of nutrients, eating variety of food sources and portion size. It is made not only to treat hypertension, but also to help people prevent the disease.
Mayo Clinic reveals that through DASH Diet, you can lower blood pressure in some weeks. It is also not just designed to treat hypertension, but it is also a good diet that helps prevent diseases including osteoporosis, stroke, cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
An ideal DASH diet highlights on limiting sodium intake. Standard DASH diet limits intake of sodium to up to 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day while in Lower sodium DASH diet, a person can only consume up to 1,500 mg of sodium a day.
A person suffering from hypertension must eat fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods, moderate amounts of whole grains, poultry, nuts and fish in DASH diet.
Here is the list of foods that could lower blood pressure for a standard 2,000 calorie DASH Diet:
Lean meat, poultry and fish: 6 or lesser servings per day
A regular meat can still contain hidden cholesterol and fats. The best way to follow the diet is trim skin and fats from chicken and meat. You can also change your mode of cooking by baking, broiling, grilling and roasting than the usual frying.
Salmon, herring and tuna are heart-healthy fishes that are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids that help lower total cholesterol. Meats are rich sources of B vitamins, iron, protein and zinc so it must be consumed in right amounts to avoid deficiencies.
Grains: 6 to 8 servings per day
Grains are low in fat and cholesterol. It is also high in fiber and nutrients. Consume healthy grains such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta and whole grain breads. When you go to the grocery, make sure to pick those that are labeled "100 percent whole wheat or "100 percent whole grain."
Fruits: 4 to 5 servings per day
Fruits are powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, potassium, fiber, and magnesium. They contain low or no fat. Eat a serving of fruit per meal. One serving could be 1/2 cup fresh or 1 medium fruit, frozen or canned fruit, or 4 ounces of juice.
Dairy: 2 to 3 servings per day
One must be careful in choosing the right kind of dairy product to consume in a day because dairy contains fats that could add risk to your blood pressure. Hypertensive patients must drink or eat dairy products that are labeled low fat or fat-free.
Dairy products include Milk, cheese and yogurt. It is source of nutrients including calcium, vitamin D and protein.
Vegetables: 4 to 5 servings per day
Vegetables are rich sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals including potassium and magnesium. For hypertensive people, it is good to eat vegetable in every meal. Frozen or fresh vegetables are considered good but ensure that frozen ones don't contain much sodium.
Sweets: 5 or fewer a week
You don't have to be cruel to yourself by not eating your favorite desserts. But make sure that you eat sweets that are low in fat or are fat-free. Be careful in adding sugar in your food or drinks as it can add up calories.
Nuts, seeds and legumes: 4 to 5 servings per week
Nuts, seeds and legumes such as Almonds, kidney beans, lentils, sunflower seeds, and peas are good sources of potassium, fiber, phytochemicals, protein and magnesium. Patients must consume only about 1/3 cup (1 1/2 oz.) nuts, 1/2 cup cooked beans or peas or 2 tablespoons seeds.
This food group is high in calories so it must be consumed in moderate amounts.
Fats and oils: 2 to 3 servings per day
Fats must not be avoided in DASH diet or for person with hypertension because fats are essential for fat-soluble vitamins to be absorbed by the body. It also helps the body strengthen the immune system.
In DASH diet, limit intake of meat, butter, cheese, cream, whole milk, eggs and same with foods made from solid shortenings, lard, palm and coconut oils as they are rich sources of saturated fats that increases blood pressure.
As much as possible, avoid trans-fats that can be found in baked goods, crackers, and fried foods.
In DASH diet, a person must also avoid alcohol because it increases blood pressure.