Diet Ups & Downs Series: DASH Diet (hypertension diet)

The DASH diet has been clinically proven to reduce blood pressure within 2 weeks in individuals following the diet. But are there any other benefits or side effects?

This is what we will discuss in this article…

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Overview

DASH stands for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension.

The DASH diet consists of foods that are low in sodium and a variety of foods that are rich in nutrients like potassium, calcium and magnesium are known to help lower blood pressure.

It built upon limiting the daily intake of sodium by:

-2,300 mg (1teaspoon) per day for a regular DASH diet.

-1,500 mg (3/4 of a teaspoon) per day for a lower-salt version of DASH diet.

There are no specific foods that you should be eating in the DASH diet, but here’s some recommended servings with some examples and tips:

Grains: 6 to 8 servings a day

Whole Grains like: whole wheat bread, pasta, brown rice, barley, oats, quinoa.. etc.

Tip: Processed grains lack most nutrients and should be avoided.

Dairy: 2 to 3 servings a day

Include fat-free or low-fat milk, yoghurt, Greek yoghurt, paneer in your diet instead of full-fat options.

Nuts and seeds: 4 to 5 servings a week

Nuts like: almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc.

Seeds like: the sunflower seeds, melon seeds, etc.

Tip: It would be wise to eat them in restricted amounts as they are high in calories. Also, avoid salted or honey roasted nuts for their high sodium and sugar content.

Lean meat: 6 or less Servings per Day

Lean meats like: Lean beef, chicken and fish in moderation rather than meats with high saturated fat content.

Tip: Processed meats such as bacon, ham, sausages, salami, etc contain a significant amount of sodium, hence restrict the intake, Occasional intake of red meat is permitted.

Vegetables & Fruits: 4 to 5 servings a day

All vegetables are allowed on the DASH diet. This includes broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green beans and cabbage, to name a few.

As for fruits, you will be eating a lot of them. Examples of fruits you can eat include apples, pears, peaches, berries and tropical fruits like pineapple and mango.

Tip: If you are one who is not fond of fruits and vegetables make the change gradually. Add an extra fruit or vegetable of the day in addition to what you are currently having.

Fats and oils: 2 to 3 servings a day

Use oils like olive oil, rice bran oil, mustard oil should be promoted in each meal.

Tip: trans fats which are commonly found in processed and fried food should be avoided.

Sweets: 5 servings or less a week

You don’t have to banish sweets entirely, just go easy on them. Examples of one serving include 1 tablespoon sugar, jelly or jam, 1/2 cup sorbet, or 1 cup lemonade.

Related: Get toned body in 2 simple steps

UPS

1-Reduce blood pressure

The regular DASH diet has been shown to lower blood pressure in both healthy people and those who already have high blood pressure.

As for low-salt version of it, the results were most impressive in people who already had high blood pressure, reducing it by an average of 11 points. In people with normal blood pressure, it reduced blood pressure by three points

2- Decreases the risk of heart disease

One recent review showed that in women, following a DASH-like diet was associated with a 20% lower risk of heart disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke

3- Decreases cancer risk

A recent review found that people following the DASH diet had a lower risk of some cancers, including colorectal and breast cancer.

4- Lowers diabetes risk

Following the DASH diet has been linked to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Some studies have also shown that it can improve insulin resistance.

5- Lowers metabolic syndrome risk

Some studies have shown that the DASH diet reduces your risk of developing metabolic syndrome by up to 81%.

DOWNS

1-not design specifically for weight loss

The DASH diet focuses on management of hypertension by limiting the sodium as I mentioned above, so you won’t be losing weight just from reducing sodium intake and eating foods that low in sodium.

In order to lose weight while following a DASH diet, you have to be in a caloric deficit (eating less than you burn daily).

2-you can’t eat out more often

Eating at a restaurant or a friend’s house can mess up your daily limit of sodium, as you don’t how much sodium is in the meal you have eaten.

Therefore, if you want to keep your sodium intake on point, you will end up cooking and eating most of your meals at home.

3-tasteless meals

The main reason that people add salt (sodium) to their meals is the TASTE, therefore limiting the intake of sodium to 1 teaspoon a day might be a huge problem for someone used to eating salty and tasty meals.

After all, if choose to follow the DASH diet. Here are some additional tips to get the most of it:-

1-Reducing alcohol intake may help reduce blood pressure. Hence, keep the alcohol intake under check.

2-Aerobic exercise along with DASH diet works faster in lowering blood pressure.

3-Read food labels to choose products that are lower in sodium.

4-Stress can raise blood pressure even if the diet is healthy. Hence, stress management techniques like meditation, yoga, etc will help keep the blood pressure under check.

5-Poor sleep increases blood pressure. So, 7-8 hours of sound sleep will help in keeping the blood pressure in control.

6-If you are someone who smokes , then quitting it would help lower blood pressure.

7-Take your medication as prescribed.

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The last tip I am going to give you is: Before getting on to the DASH diet, consult a nutritionist who can help you in chalking out an individual program for yourself.