Saturday, October 26, 2013

Reduce High Blood Pressure with the DASH Diet

By Rex Scott


What you choose to eat has a direct effect on your odds of developing high blood pressure. Recent studies reveal that blood pressure tends to be lowered by utilizing the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) food plan. This along with eating less salt offers the best benefit and may even aid the prevention of the development of high blood pressure.

The DASH eating plan is made up of: Eating more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products; Decreasing foods which are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats; Eating more whole grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts; Eating less meat (particularly processed meats) and sweets; Eating foods that are rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

Getting started with the DASH Diet

The DASH diet calls for a specific amount of servings daily in a number of food groups but varies according to your caloric necessity. When beginning the diet plan, ease into it and make gradual changes. Look at taking on a diet plan that allows 2,400 mg of salt per day (approximately 1 teaspoon). Then, as soon as your body has adjusted to the diet, further lower your salt intake to 1,500 mg per day (about 2/3 teaspoon). These volumes include all salt eaten, as well as salt in food products in addition to what you cook with or add at the table.

Here are some ideas to get you going on the DASH diet: Add a portion of veggies at lunch and dinner; Add a offering of fruit to your meals or as a snack food; Use only half your regular serving of butter, margarine, or salad dressing. And try to use low-fat or fat-free condiments; Substitute low-fat or skim dairy whenever you would ordinarily use whole milk or cream; Minimize beef to 6 ounces a day. Have a few vegetarian meals as an alternative; Add more vegetables and beans into your diet. Instead of typical snacks with a lot of salt, eat the unsalted versions or opt for unsalted nuts, raisins, fat-free yogurt, frozen yogurt, unsalted plain popcorn without butter, and raw vegetables; Examine food labels mindfully to buy products that are lower in sodium.

The DASH Diet it is highly recommended by the following health organizations: - The American Heart Association (AHA) - The Mayo Clinic - The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (one of the National Institutes of Health, of the US Department of Health and Human Services) - US guidelines for treatment of high blood pressure

By adding regular exercise to your Dash eating program, you may also increase your mental activity as shown by a research study in 2010.




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Today, more advanced and accurate automatic blood pressure machines are increasingly being used to monitor blood pressure. They come with a digital display that shows the readings. Some blood pressure machines have feature that stores the readings, but it is still advisable to record them yourself. View our range of blood pressure monitors suitable for use at home to help you take control of your health

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