When I started researching healthy diets, the information was much more in-depth than I anticipated. I ended up going down a rabbit hole and landed on raw vegan diets… which scared the crap out of me.
Surprisingly, according to webmd.com, the diet offers many benefits but is nutritionally inadequate. I’m sure some people out there are flourishing on this diet, and I wish them the best, but it’s not for me.
Since my main objective is to keep my blood pressure down, I decided to simplify my search and focus on titles related to such.
I came across a mayo clinic article titled Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease. The eight steps, according to them, are:
1. Control your portion size
a. Use small plate or bowls
b. Eat fewer foods high in calories and sodium
c. Eat recommended servings
2. Eat more vegetables and fruits
a. Mostly fresh or frozen
b. If canned, eat low-sodium veggies and fruit packed in juice or water
c. Limit canned with heavy syrup or sugar added
3. Eat more whole grains
a. Brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain pastas, and bread
b. Limit pastries and white, refined flour
4. Limit unhealth fats
a. Choose lean meats with less fats
b. Choose olive oil, nuts, seeds, etc.
c. Use less butter, gravy, cream sauces, etc.
5. Choose low-fat protein options
a. Fatty fish, skinless poultry, lean ground meats, and eggs
b. Low-fat dairy products and beans
c. Limit processed meats, fried or breaded meats, full-fat dairy products
6. Reduce salt
a. Substitute with herbs and spices
b. Limit table salt, canned foods, condiments
c. Be mindful of the sodium in restaurant meals
7. Create daily menus
a. Watch your portion size
b. Add variety
8. Allow yourself an occasional treat
a. Allow yourself an indulgence occasionally
The word that stuck out to me in this article was “prevention” because as the saying goes, prevention is better than a cure.
For those that don’t have hypertension, I urge you to take the necessary precautions right now to avoid dealing with issues related to high blood pressure in the future, and a healthy diet is one of the keys.
What If You Already Have Hypertension?
It probably comes as no surprise that diets for hypertensive people are pretty much the same for those trying to prevent it. According to www.webmd.com, doctors often recommend using the DASH diet to help lower blood pressure. Studies have shown that the popular diet has been able to lower some people’s blood pressure in as little as 2 weeks.
DASH fittingly stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It consists of eating:
· More fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy
· Fewer foods high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats
· More whole-grains, fish, poultry, and nuts
· Less sodium, sugar, and red meat
Conclusion
The information above is simply a guide for how we should eat to help control or prevent hypertension. The term ‘healthy diet’ is subjective, what works for one person may not work for the next. As I stated earlier, some people eat raw vegan diets. So, for them, that is a healthy diet.
Here is a list of some other diets to consider for heart health :
· Keto Diet
· Paleo Diet
· Pescatarian Diet
· Mediterranean Diet
· Vegan Diet
· Gluten-free Diet
· Whole-food Diet
· The South Beach Diet
If you’ve tried one of these diets, I’d love to hear how it worked out for you. Leave a comment below and share your healthy diet experience.
