DASH Diet: Eating Whole Foods to Lower Blood Pressure

By Kamilah Howard

There are so many diets out there that make you count calories or buy pre-made, processed foods. This can be tiring after you’ve been told by your doctor that you have hypertension and you need to start a medical regimen that includes taking your blood pressure, staying away from stress and maintaining a healthy weight.

The DASH diet — which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension — favors whole foods over supplements and is grounded in research conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to lower high blood pressure in the same way as medication. Could the eating plan be your answer to the complex, and sometimes confusing, lifestyle changes required after a hypertension diagnosis?

DASH Your Risk of Hypertension

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects nearly 70 million Americans, which is about one out of every three adults in the U.S. It’s also a condition that increases the risk of heart disease and stroke and has been deemed the “silent killer,” as there are often no warning signs or symptoms.

Founded by Marla Heller, MS, RD, the DASH Diet was originally designed for people with hypertension, and has since been recommended for everyone, as it provides a guide for obtaining all of your nutrients through whole foods. The diet was ranked as the №1 diet on the U.S. News & World Report ranking of the Best Diets Overall.

At the beginning of this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released its 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Notably, the guidelines recommend that Americans start cutting more sugar out of their diet and eating more vegetables. The DASH Diet is the perfect alternative to the current American diet, which is rich in saturated fats, sugar, sodium and processed foods, says Joan Salge Blake, MS, RDN, LDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Keep It Simple: The Action Plan

When’s the last time you checked your sodium consumption? Or the amount of vegetables, fruits or grains you consumed? The DASH Diet has simplified these calculations, and made it easier for people to track what they are eating. It’s a healthy eating plan that’s proven to have an effect, says Blake.

“You’re not being asked to consume a rare fruit or vegetable, or an ancient grain or a certain type of fish,” she says. “You’re just asked to make sure you have adequate amounts of each food group, that one is not disproportionately crowding out another one. It’s actually rather quite doable.”

The diet involves incorporating more nutrients such as potassium, calcium and magnesium through eating fruits, vegetables, grains, lean meats and low or nonfat dairy. In Heller’s books, there are also menus for vegetarian and non-vegetarian eaters.

For a 2000 calorie diet, the DASH diet includes the following:

• Seven to eight servings of grains and grain products (with three of those sources being from whole grain foods) per day
• Four to five servings of fruits per day
• Four to five servings of vegetables per day
• Two to three servings of lowfat or nonfat dairy per day
• Two or less servings of lean meats, fish or poultry per day
• Four to 5 servings of nuts, seeds and legumes per week
• Limited number of servings of fats and sweets

There are many people who want to be proactive and keep their blood pressure in check, and if that’s you, this diet may be the one for you. Cutting back on the empty calories, such as food with solid fats and sweeteners, and adding more protein and healthy fats has made it a lot easier for those on the DASH diet to lose weight and maintain a healthy heart.

The DASH Diet also recommends 30 minutes of exercise each day, which is less daunting than it may seem, even if you do not already have an exercise routine. You may walk that much without realizing it if you live in a city, or you can find many exercising alternatives depending on your ability.

Getting Started on the DASH Diet

Being an active participant in your hypertension care starts with your diet. You can find lots of information about the DASH Diet online: The NIH provides a short primer on its website, plus a more comprehensive 20-page guide. The following tips can help you get started.

Read Food Labels

It’s important to limit sodium levels to no more than 2,300 milligrams per dayon the DASH diet because many times, unnecessary amounts of salt come from eating out or processed foods. Making the right choices when you’re eating out, shopping or cooking can help you gain control over your sodium intake.

Limit Processed Foods

If you have salty chips lying around the house, you’ll probably be tempted to snack. Instead, limit or eliminate processed foods from your pantry or refrigerator.

Eat Less Meat

This one might be tricky if you’re used to eating meat with every meal, but it’s actually very possible to eat a delicious, savory meal without it. Instead of all meat all the time, increase the amount of fruits and vegetables to four to six servings, eat at least three servings of whole grains each day and four to five servings of dry beans each week.

Get Support

You don’t have to go it alone. If you’re looking for an online support system, join the DASH Diet Facebook Group, moderated by Heller herself.

To DASH Or Not to Dash?

If you’re interested in taking control of your eating habits — and your hypertension — the DASH Diet can provide you with an action plan for doing so. Talk to your physician or a dietitian to find out if the eating plan might help improve your heart health and overall quality of life.

Article originally published May 11, 2016 on Chronicality.com