30-Second Summary
● According to the CDC, high blood pressure or hypertension affects over 116 million Americans.
● The DASH diet, proven by clinical trials, is known and recommended by health experts for its promising results.
● DASH dietary guidelines are based on science, and it is one of the best diet plans with multiple health benefits.
● Besides correcting eating habits, it stresses the benefits of exercise and other lifestyle modifications for promoting better health.
● The DASH eating plan promotes the consumption of fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products and restricts added salt and sugar-rich foods and trans fat to lower blood pressure.
● With the DASH eating plan, you learn to embrace a healthy lifestyle without compromising your taste palate.
Introduction
The typical American diet, especially the popular southern-style diet, is full of saturated fat, refined carbs, and processed and packaged foods with added sugar and salt. The calorie-dense, popular American diet lacks fibers and nutrients. Intake of too much sodium, trans fat, and sugar leads to hypertension, a severe health disorder that affects 47% of the American population. The DASH eating plan is one of the best diet plan designed to lower hypertension and promote overall health. Here we tell you all the DASH diet tips you need to know.
Dash Diet Tips – The Eating Plan For A Healthy Life
The DASH dietary guidelines are designed to provide the users with a balanced, healthy diet with the right foods in the right amounts. The plan recommends consuming:
Whole Grains
Unlike refined grains, whole grains are full of nutrients that promote health. They are loaded with fiber, essential minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. The DASH diet plan recommends 6 to 8 daily servings of whole grains. You may include brown rice, barley, quinoa, wild rice, oats, or bulger on the menu.
Benefits of Consuming Whole Grains:
● Diet rich in whole grains promotes satiety and decreases hunger.
● Diet rich in whole grains help lower blood pressure and triacylglycerol and LDL-cholesterol levels.
Fruits
The DASH diet encourages 4 to 5 servings of fresh fruits. Grapefruits, melons, oranges, apples, apricots, pineapples, strawberries, and dates are some fruits you can consume. You may make delicious smoothies or fruit salads or desserts, or snacks with fruits. Health Web Magazine can tell you the best fruits for weight loss and other effective weight loss tips that you may follow alongside the DASH diet.
Benefits Of Eating Fruits:
● The SAD (Standard American Diet) lacks fiber, and low-fiber diets are linked to type-2 diabetes, constipation, and other health issues. Eating whole fruits provide the body with fiber and nutrients.
● Fruits are low-calorie, lower inflammation, and help improve immunity.
Vegetables
The DASH dietary plan suggests taking 4 to 5 servings of vegetables daily. The diet plan allows you to experiment with impressive textures and flavors. You may eat whole-grain sandwiches loaded with vegetables, make fresh salads with fruits and vegetables, create interesting side dishes, etc. Approved vegetables include kale, arugula, cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes, celery, asparagus, cauliflower, and more!
Benefits of Eating Vegetables:
● Higher consumption of vegetables promotes gut health.
● They are rich in fiber and have high nutritional value.
● Vegetables are naturally low in sodium and are ideal for lowering hypertension.
● It may help manage blood sugar.
● Consumption of vegetables improves cardiovascular health.
Low Fat Dairy
The DASH eating plan allows daily 2-3 servings of low-fat or zero-fat dairy products. You may consume low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Fish, Meat, and Poultry
Though the DASH dietary strategy emphasizes the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, it does not restrict proteins. So you can cook tasty recipes with skinless chicken, turkey breast, fresh fish, and extra-lean ground beef. Remember to limit the amount to 6 ounces and 2 to 3 servings per day.
Healthy Fats and Oils
Monounsaturated fats are allowed in the DASH diet plan. Taking inspiration from the Mediterranean diet, it approves using olive, avocado, canola, and peanut oils in cooking or salad dressings.
Legumes, Seeds, and Nuts
The DASH diet approves consuming weekly 4 to 5 servings of legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Benefits of Eating Legumes:
● Legumes are a rich source of proteins, fiber, and minerals.
● They are low fat and cholesterol-free.
● Clinical trials prove the consumption of legumes significantly lower blood pressure, body weight, and triglycerides.
Benefits of Eating Seeds and Nuts
● Nuts are a powerhouse of healthy bioactive compounds, including unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and vegetable proteins.
● They have cholesterol-lowering abilities.
● They are nutrient-dense foods.
● Physicians’ Health Study data indicate that nut consumption decreases incident hypertension.
Sweets
The DASH diet does not deprive you of sweets. The diet plan allows occasional indulgence and approves sorbets, maple syrup, cookies, donuts, or muffins. However, the diet plan restricts it to a maximum of 5 servings (the less, the better).
DASH Diet Restrictions You Should Follow
● Eat no more than four egg yolks per week.
● Limit or eliminate foods that contain added sugar and salt.
● Limit your alcohol intake to 1 or 2 drinks daily.
● Limit your daily sodium intake to less than 2300 mg.
Lifestyle Modification During and After Dash Diet
Unlike other fad diets, the DASH eating plan is based on science. The diet plan focuses on tackling health issues that lead to hypertension. It helps the dieters with healthy weight loss and maintains it long-term. However, in addition to altering eating habits, it requires additional lifestyle modifications that include the following:
● Exercise – Along with healthy eating, the benefits of exercise are also emphasized in the DASH guidelines. Regular exercise, especially aerobic activities, such as brisk walking, swimming, running, and cycling, should be a part of your everyday living. As a beginner, you may start with 20-30 minutes of brisk walking and gradually increase the time.
● Quit Smoking – The DASH lifestyle recommends refraining from tobacco products.
● Manage Stress – Stress directly impacts blood pressure. Chronic stress is linked to hypertension. Regular exercise, meditation, and yoga can help you minimize stress.
● Get Enough Sleep – A good sleep routine is vital for healthy living. Lack of sleep may increase your nocturnal BP. Focus on creating a relaxing nighttime routine that helps you sleep better. If you need tips, Health Web Magazine has a wealth of information on improving sleep quality.
Medications Along with Dash Diet – What You Need to Know
Is it possible to lower blood pressure without medication? While only a physician can determine if you need prescription medications for decreasing blood pressure, the DASH diet has shown promising results in lowering blood pressure. Hypertension, obesity, poor cardiovascular health, and type-2 diabetes are closely linked. High blood pressure is somewhat common in the obese population. Obesity also aggravates cardiovascular problems. Being overweight makes you sensitive to salt, which raises blood pressure. Many obese persons try to accelerate weight loss by taking supplements such as Modere Trim. Such dietary supplements help burn fat by boosting metabolism. However, such products are not evaluated by the FDA and should not be taken without consulting a physician.
Conclusion
Though the DASH diet was created to combat hypertension, its dietary principles improve overall well-being. The disease-fighting and health-promoting ingredients are more effective in causing safe weight loss than supplements like Modere Trim and would be wise to follow. Moreover, you can still create mouth-watering dishes while sticking to the DASH eating rules.
Reference Links:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19643157/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12740068/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5391775/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2640451/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18615099/
Alternate Titles: Lower Hypertension And Improve Heart Health As You Lose Weight With The DASH Diet
The DASH Diet – The Proven Strategy To Lower Blood Pressure And Boost Well Being
Meta Description: All you wanted to know about the DASH diet and how to incorporate the dietary rules into your living.
