DASH Diet

Posted by on September 19, 2010

DASH stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.” This particular diet plan targets to lower blood pressure, reduce your cholesterol count and improve insulin sensitivity. For those who don’t know what insulin sensitive is it means it’s the condition in which normal amounts of insulin (protein hormone) are adequate to produce a normal insulin response from fat, muscle and liver cells.

The DASH diet plan is a dietary food management guide recommended by The Lung, Heart, and Blood Institute, The American Heart Association and US Guidelines for Treatment of High Blood Pressure.

This hypertension targeted diet plan concentrates on foods that are low in fat, consumption of an abundance of fruits, vegetables and daily low-fat or nonfat dairy products. Substitute olive oil or canola oil for butter. Do not use lard or animal fat for cooking.

DASH diet plan guideline as follows:

  • 7-8 servings of whole grains per daily
  • 4-5 servings of fresh vegetables daily
  • 4-5 servings of fresh fruits daily
  • 2-3 servings of low-fat/nonfat dairy products daily
  • 2 or less servings of meats, poultry or fish daily
  • Salt intake no more than 1150 mg daily
  • 2-3 servings of fats and oils daily
  • 4-5 servings of legumes, nuts and seeds weekly
  • 5 servings of snacks or sweets weekly

The total DASH diet plan calorie count per week ranges between 2000 and 2100. Your daily menu will consist of foods high in dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, and magnesium and moderately high in protein.

Hypertension is called the “silent killer.” Over 50 million Americans suffer from hypertension but only about 18% have their high blood pressure under control.

Medical studies have proven that the DASH diet plan assists in lowering both your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels. In sample studies conducted by doctors through the DASH diet plan patients were able to lower their blood pressure within two weeks.

Limit the use of tobacco and consumption of alcohol for both great deter the positive results you can have with this diet plan even if you follow the strict guidelines daily.

The DASH diet plan recommends baking, broiling, roasted or grilling protein meats rather than frying. If you are unsure what a “single serving” of foods are here is a simple guideline:

  • ½ cooked grains such as pasta, rice, oatmeal or cereal
  • 1 slice of whole wheat or multigrain bread
  • ½ -1 cup raw vegetables
  • ½ cup of fresh, cooked, frozen, canned, or dried vegetables
  • 1 cup of dairy products
  • 1 ½ ounces of cheese
  • 3 ounces of cooked protein
  • ½ cup cooked beans
  • 1 teaspoon of oil

If you couple the DASH diet plan with 30-minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week studies show that not only do you lower your blood pressure and improve your cardiovascular health, you also may experience a 30% increase in brain function.

While the DASH diet plans is suited for those who are concerned with hypertension, this high fiber bursting with minerals and protein daily intake diet plan is beneficial to any individual to maintain solid blood pressure and cholesterol levels.