High blood pressure, also called hypertension is a medical condition when the pressure of the blood moving through your veins is consistently high. The abnormally high pressure exerted against the artery walls causes hypertension.
The best way to tackle a majority of high blood pressure issues is by following a regimented, doctor-prescribed diet. The DASH diet is one such diet developed by researchers specifically to prevent and treat high blood pressure.
DASH Diet in a Nutshell
DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is a diet that focuses on increasing consumption of whole fruits, vegetables and whole grains- and reducing consumption of foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium and sugar to treat high blood pressure.
DASH Diet Tips
It can be difficult to stick to any diet in the long run. Below, we have listed some tips that can help guide you on the DASH diet.
- Add at least one serving of vegetables and fruits to all meals.
- If you love cooking with butter and oil, try to use only half of your usual serving.
- Stick to low fat or skim dairy products on a DASH diet.
- Try to limit meat consumption to 6 ounces a day.
- Replace sugar and sodium-laden snacks like cookies and chips with healthier alternatives like cucumber slices, raisins and nuts.
DASH Diet
A high blood pressure diet menu for DASH lists the following daily servings of food. This handy high blood pressure diet chart can be used as a reference when making daily food choices.
Grains: 6-8 servings a day
Vegetables: 4-5 servings a day
Fruits: 4-5 servings a day
Low-fat or fat-free dairy products: 2-3 servings a day
Meat, poultry, and fish: 6 or fewer servings a day
Nuts, seeds, and dry beans: 4-5 servings per week
Fats: 2-3 servings per day
Sweets: less than 5 servings per week
How Much is a Serving?
A serving size is different for different kinds of foods. Here we have listed what constitutes one serving for various kinds of foods. This will help you make more prudent food choices while on the DASH diet.
- Dairy foods
- 1 cup milk or yoghurt
- 29 grams natural cheese 56 grams processed cheese
- Bread, Cereal, Rice, Starchy Vegetables and Pasta
- 1 slice of bread
- 1 small potato
- 1/2 cup cooked cereal or pasta
- 1/3 cup cooked rice
- Protein foods
- 85 gram cooked lean meat/poultry/seafood
- 2 egg whites
- 14 grams unsalted nuts
- Vegetables and Fruits
- 1 cup raw vegetables
- 1 cup fruit
In Conclusion,
Please remember that much like any other diet, the DASH diet is not a quick fix. In order to see real changes, you will need to stick to the regimen in the long run. And in addition, reduce alcohol consumption, add daily exercise and practise stress management.
Note of Caution: This article is for information purpose only. Always consult your doctor in case of any blood pressure or other health-related problems.
