You must have heard of common tips to manage high blood pressure: exercising regularly, avoiding stress, controlling the intake of salt, and the like. However, most advice ends up being in general without specific to-dos. This is where the DASH eating plan offers a practical useful, and sustainable way for everyone to manage hypertension without requiring any special foods. It provides daily/weekly goals which can be easily followed by all. Multiple studies have found that the DASH eating plan helps reduce blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, two risk factors for heart disease.
What is DASH?
DASH stands for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet includes foods that are rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, the nutrients, which help control blood pressure. This diet limits foods that are high in sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars. It also restricts sodium intake to 2300 mg daily, which is approximately the amount of sodium in one teaspoon of salt.
A simple meal plan
DASH has outlined a simple meal plan, that includes
- 6-8 servings of grains daily. 1 serving is one slice of bread, half roti, 30 grams dry cereal, or ½ cup cooked cereal, rice.
- 4-5 servings of vegetables daily. 1 serving is one cup of raw leafy green vegetables, or half a cup of cut-up raw or cooked vegetables or half a cup of vegetable juice.
- 4-5 servings of fruit daily. 1 serving is one medium fruit, half a cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruit, or half a cup of fruit juice.
- 2-3 servings of fat–free or low-fat dairy products daily. 1 serving is one cup of milk or yogurt, or 40 grams of cheese.
- Fewer than 6 servings of lean meats/poultry/fish/ vegetarian proteins daily. 1 serving is 30 grams of cooked meat, poultry, fish, or vegetarian protein, or one egg.
- 2-3 servings of fats and oil daily. 1 serving is one teaspoon of vegetable oil or two tablespoons of salad dressing.
- 4-5 servings of nuts, seeds, and dal weekly. 1 serving is 1/3 cup nuts, or 2 tablespoons seeds, or ½ cup cooked dal.
- Fewer than 5 servings of sweets and added sugar weekly. 1 serving is one tablespoon of sugar or jam, or a rasgulla or small piece of mithai.
Other health benefits of DASH
Not only DASH lowers blood pressure naturally, but it also reduces the risk of heart disease and helps prevent kidney stones. It can also help with weight loss and reduce cancer risk. Further, DASH has been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Some studies demonstrate that it can improve insulin resistance as well. Many of these protective effects are attributed to the diet’s high fruit and vegetable content and low sodium content.
Things to help transition to a DASH meal plan
Because there are no set foods on the DASH diet, it is easy to adopt one’s current diet to the DASH guidelines by doing the following:
- Swap refined grains for whole grains.
- Using sodium-free spices or flavourings, instead of salt.
- Not adding salt when cooking rice, pasta, or hot cereal.
- Limiting intake of foods high in saturated fats like fatty meats, full-fat dairy, and oils like coconut and palm oil.
- Sticking to low-calorie drinks like water, tea, and coffee.
The DASH diet is a flexible and balanced diet that is linked to better heart health. Further, it does not call for exotic ingredients or complicated recipes; it is easy to follow. By itself or combined with other lifestyle changes, the DASH plan can help control your blood pressure and lower your blood cholesterol.
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Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
23rd May 202