This diet is for people who have high blood pressure because doctors found that diets affect high blood pressure, and also this high blood pressure can lead to many diseases like kidney failure and stroke, so we must avoid getting high blood pressure. Let's learn about this diet today.
What is the DASH diet?
This diet is for those who have high blood pressure or want to prevent it. It focuses on lean red meat, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. This diet is based on doctors noticing that high blood pressure is less common in vegetarian communities, because they eat some foods with lower fat and a low-fat diet like vegetables.
Health benefits:
The DASH diet offers many other health benefits besides controlling blood pressure, including reaching a healthy weight. We'll mention those benefits now and how to use this diet to achieve a healthier life:
First benefit (main): lower blood pressure
Blood pressure is the force your blood vessels face when blood flows through. It's measured with two numbers:
Systolic pressure: Blood pressure when your heart beats.
Diastolic pressure: Blood vessel pressure when the heart relaxes and the heart muscle is resting.
Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mmHg, diastolic pressure less than 80. Blood pressure is usually written with systolic over diastolic. Girls with 140/90 have high blood pressure. This diet lowers blood pressure noticeably, even if salt intake isn't limited. But it's better to gradually reduce salt at least.
Second benefit: Weight loss
Most of the time girls with high blood pressure also have weight gain. This diet helps you lose a lot of weight and reach a healthy weight. Many doctors think this is because they follow a healthy diet full of fiber and vegetables, and they avoid many unhealthy foods and sweets.
Third benefit: Other health benefits
There are some positive effects of this diet on your body, like:
- It lowers cancer risks: Some studies showed that following the DASH diet lowers the risk of many cancers like breast cancer and rectal cancer.
- It lowers metabolic risks: It improves metabolism and reduces diseases caused by it.
- It reduces the chances of getting: Diabetes.
- It improves heart health: And it lowers the risk of heart disease.
Most of these effects come from eating a lot of vegetables in this diet, Which gives the body many minerals and essential nutrients, And increases the amount of fiber entering the body.
Is this diet suitable for everyone?
There are no major negative or positive effects of this diet, studies have shown it Only affects blood pressure, But like most healthy diets, it doesn't negatively affect the body.
Is cutting salt in limited amounts helpful?
This low-salt diet hasn't shown any benefits for healthy people and scientists think cutting salt that much isn't necessary and sometimes the key is reducing processed foods and eating more clean, whole foods.
Foods suitable for it:
The DASH diet doesn't specify foods but recommends eating many different and varied foods, and usually aims for about 2000 calories To cover the calories you need, let's check the allowed amounts:
1- Whole grains from 6 to 8 servings
Whole grains include bread made from whole grains like wheat and oats, also breakfast whole grains, brown rice, bulgur, and the allowed amounts:
- One slice of whole grain bread.
- 95 grams of brown rice
2- Vegetables from 4 to 5 servings
All vegetables are allowed in this plan, amounts like:
- 30 grams of leafy greens like spinach and arugula.
- 45 grams of cooked veggies like broccoli, carrots, squash, and tomatoes.
3- Fruits from 4 to 5 servings
Some fruits you can have on this diet are: pears, apples, berries, peaches, tropical fruits like mango and pineapple. The amounts are:
- One medium apple.
- 50 grams of dried apricots.
- 30 grams of dried peaches.
4- Dairy products
Dairy in this diet should be low fat or better fat free, like milk and yogurt. The amounts are:
- 240 grams of low-fat milk.
- A cup of fat-free yogurt.
- 45 grams of low-fat cheese.
5- Chicken, meat, and fish equal 6 servings.
Always choose lean red meat and eat it several times a day. The amounts should be:
- One egg
- 28 grams of meat, chicken, or fish
6- Nuts, legumes, and seeds 4 to 5 servings weekly
Includes almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, beans, lentils, and peas. The amounts are:
- 50 grams of unsalted nuts.
- 40 grams of nut butter.
- 16 grams of seeds.
- 40 grams of cooked legumes.
7- Fats and oils
This plan recommends using vegetable oils like olive oil and canola oil. The amounts are:
- 4 grams of soft ghee.
- 15 grams of mayonnaise
- Two teaspoons of salad dressing.
8- Sweets and sugars
Here are some healthy sweets allowed:
- One spoon of sugar.
- One spoon of low-sugar jam.
- A cup of lemon juice.
How to make your diet like the healthy DASH diet:
Here are some guidelines to switch to the DASH diet:
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
- Replace refined grains with whole grains.
- Always choose fat-free dairy products.
- Always pick lean protein sources like red meat and poultry.
- Cook with a little olive oil.
- Cut down on sugary drinks like stored juices and soda.
Frequently asked questions about the DASH diet:
There are some common questions about the DASH plan, and we'll answer them all so you get the full picture:
First question: Can I drink coffee with this plan?
Doctors advise against coffee for people with high blood pressure because it raises pressure in the short term. But healthy women can have from one to 3 cups a day. Just always be careful with coffee.
Second question: Should I do physical activity with this plan?
Doing some physical activities with this plan makes it more effective and helps control blood pressure. Such activities include:
- Riding a bike for half an hour.
- Swimming for 20 minutes.
- Brisk walking for 15 minutes.
Diet plan for the DASH system (for one week):
1-Saturday
Breakfast: 90 grams of oats with half a cup of fat-free milk, and some blueberries.
Snack: An apple with a cup of fat-free Greek yogurt.
Lunch: A tuna sandwich with mayonnaise and a green salad.
Snack: Banana
Dinner: Skinless chicken breasts with some cooked broccoli and carrots.
2-Sunday
Breakfast: A slice of toast with jam and a cup of orange juice.
Snack: Banana
Food: Skinless chicken breasts with green salad and a little low-fat cheese.
Snack: A cup of low-fat yogurt.
Dinner: Cooked salmon with a little cooked potatoes.
3-Monday
Breakfast: A cup of oatmeal and half a cup of fat-free milk with a little berries or any allowed fruit.
Snack: One large orange.
Lunch: Two slices of whole wheat bread with skinless turkey breast, green salad and half a cup of sliced tomatoes.
Snack: 45 grams of low-fat cheese.
Dinner: Cooked broccoli with boiled potatoes.
4-Tuesday
Breakfast: The usual oatmeal meal.
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Boiled eggs, green salad, and tomato slices.
Snack: A cup of low-fat yogurt.
Dinner: A bit of brown rice and fish slices.
5-Wednesday
Breakfast: Two boiled eggs, two turkey slices, cooked beans, half a cup of orange juice.
Snack: Apple
Meal: Low-fat cheese sandwich with mayo and green salad, with tomato slices.
Snack: A cup of fruit salad.
Dinner: Spaghetti pasta with minced meat and a green salad plate.
6-Thursday
Breakfast: Two slices of whole wheat bread with peanut butter, plus a cup of orange juice
Snack: Apple
Lunch : Grilled chicken breasts with some grilled vegetables.
Snack: Half a cup of yogurt with a piece of allowed fruit.
Dinner: Half a cup of brown rice with half a cup of lentils and some low-fat cheese.
Dessert: Low-fat chocolate pudding.
