The DASH Diet – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension The DASH Diet continues to be the leading diet, beneficial for more than high blood pressure. Easy to follow while eating real food, join the crowd and see what DASH is all about.
Five Years in a Row
The DASH diet has been named the best overall diet for the fifth consecutive year! Outranking popular diets such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and the Mediterranean diet. The focus of the DASH diet is on fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. Lower in sodium, high in potassium, magnesium, and calcium. This combination has been shown to help blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose levels, and even weight loss.
The DASH Diet – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension The DASH Diet continues to be the leading diet, beneficial for more than high blood pressure. Easy to follow while eating real food, join the crowd and see what DASH is all about.
14 Days
The DASH diet has been shown to lower blood pressure in just 14 days, without really lowering sodium intake. In just two weeks you could lower you blood pressure, and may even see a decrease in your scale. Start following the DASH diet by trying these tips: adding fruit to your lunch, choose fat-free milk or yogurt, take a second portion of vegetables at dinner, and aim for more whole grain starch products; such as whole wheat bread, quinoa, and whole wheat couscous.
The DASH Diet – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension The DASH Diet continues to be the leading diet, beneficial for more than high blood pressure. Easy to follow while eating real food, join the crowd and see what DASH is all about.
Make it a Habit
At the end of the day, can you answer yes to all these questions? Did you eat fruit today? Did you eat vegetables today? Did you drink milk or eat yogurt today? Every day you should be able to answer yes to all of these questions. As you are increasing your fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, remember you will also be increasing your fiber intake. Make sure you are having enough water, and slowly increase your fiber over several days; opposed to in one day.
The DASH Diet – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension The DASH Diet continues to be the leading diet, beneficial for more than high blood pressure. Easy to follow while eating real food, join the crowd and see what DASH is all about.
Servings
The daily goal is to aim for 2-3 milk products per day; one serving of milk equals one cup, or one yogurt. Remember you want to also choose low-fat or fat-free milk products whenever possible. Aim for at least three servings of fruit per day; remember not necessarily three pieces, but three servings. For example: one cup raspberries, 4 oz. apple, 4 oz. banana equal one serving. Aim for at least five servings of non-starchy vegetables per day, ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw equal one serving.
The DASH Diet – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension The DASH Diet continues to be the leading diet, beneficial for more than high blood pressure. Easy to follow while eating real food, join the crowd and see what DASH is all about.
Small Changes
Going from zero to five servings of vegetables a day will not happen overnight, and doesn’t have to. Simply aim for more vegetables than you would have normally. Remember, replacing high salty processed foods such as chips and crackers with more fruits and vegetables will not only cut sodium, but decrease your calorie intake which can allow for weight loss. The DASH diet is something that you can follow long-term, and is truly beneficial for multiple disease states.
To learn more about the DASH diet check out our blog here.
