About 75 million adults, or 1 in 3, suffer from hypertension and many say that the DASH diet is a great way to solve this health problem. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and is modeled to prevent or remedy high cholesterol, stroke, heart failure, and diabetes.
U.S. News and World Report has ranked it the “Best Diet Overall” for eight years in a row.
That was out of about 40 diets that they ranked. The DASH Diet also came in first for “Healthy Eating” and “Heart Disease Prevention.” The DASH Diet focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins.
“The consistent high rankings of DASH over the years bode well for the way the diet is received and adopted, not just by health professionals, but by the public at large,” said Janet de Jesus, M.S., registered dietitian and program officer at National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science.
“This is especially gratifying now that new research underscores the significant blood-pressure-lowering effects of a reduced intake of sodium in combination with the DASH diet.”
Some have even been able to get off their medications after starting the DASH Diet. It was even proven to lower blood pressure in just 14 days. The DASH Diet first determines how many calories you need to eat for your age and activity level and where those calories should come from and aims to reduce your intake of salt.
So, according to U.S. News and World Report, for a 2,000 calorie diet you can have:
- 6 to 8 servings of grains
- 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and the same amount of fruit
- 2 to 3 servings of fat-free or low-fat dairy
- 2 to 3 servings of fats and oils
- 6 or fewer servings of lean meat, poultry, and fish (1 serving = 1 oz.)
- 4 to 5 servings per week of nuts, seeds, and legumes
- 5 or fewer servings per week of sweets
- Cap your sodium at 2,300 milligrams a day and work toward getting at 1,500 milligrams
The diet isn’t necessarily made for weight loss but it’s likely to happen when you follow the plan and exercise. There are all sorts of information on the diet’s website (dashdiet.org) on how to alter your plan for weight loss or certain ailments like hypertension.
The diet does discourage alcohol consumption but you can drunk in moderation. The DASH Diet’s website gives you tons of ideas for alternatives and recipes. You can also find lots of info just by searching online.
