DASH DIET | A Complete Healthy dash diet meal plan detail overview.
Do you or any of your loved ones are suffering from hypertension or we can say high blood pressure? If yes. Then you must know that there is a special diet recommended for such patients. Known as the DASH diet. Now the question is what is DASH diet and how it is going to help hypertensive patients?
In this article, you will get everything you need about the DASH diet.
Table of Contents
What Is Dash Diet?
Dash stands for DIETARY APPROACHES TO STOP HYPERTENSION. It is a healthy diet plan introduced to prevent and treat hypertension (high blood pressure).
This diet includes eating foods rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and limiting foods that are rich in sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars. If we talk in a more simplified way then we can say that the DASH diet is simply: Eating fruits vegetables, whole grain foods, low-fat dairy foods, fish, poultry, and nuts.
Avoiding foods that are high in cholesterol, red meats, and sweet sugary drinks.
Health Benefits Of The Dash Diet
Different trials and studies were conducted to identify the benefits of the DASH diet which are as follows:
Reduces Blood Pressure
It has been found in a study in only two weeks of following the Dash diet, the Blood pressure drops up to a few points. This happens due to the low intake of sodium because sodium leads to more retention of water in the blood and extra water in blood means there will be extra pressure on the walls of blood vessels, also the heart pumps more blood, causing high blood pressure. So, cutting down on sodium is one of the simplest ways to reduce Blood pressure.
Improves Bone Strength
It has also been found that the DASH diet makes our bones healthy and strong. This is because the DASH diet is rich in calcium and magnesium which are the most important nutrients for bone health. The consumption of calcium makes our bones strong and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
Lower Levels Of Cholesterol
We all know that one of the major risk factors of many heart diseases is the high level of Low-Density lipids (LDL) in the blood. These levels of cholesterol can be reduced to a much greater extent by adopting a DASH diet because a Dash diet promotes eating low-fat foods and cutting red meats and high fast-food items.
Maintains Your Weight
If you are looking for some great diet options to lose your weight then DASH can be your savior. The DASH diet helps you to lose weight because it does not include any higher fat or sugary items which means NO MORE JUNK FOOD. This diet is based on eating FRUITS VEGETABLES, FISH, CHICKEN, AND NUTS, which means all the foods that can help you to prevent weight gain.
Helps To Maintain Sugar Levels
The DASH diet is going to help you in managing Diabetes because it includes avoiding all the sugary-sweet food items. Taking all such food items out of your diet helps you to maintain sugar levels and manages your diabetes.
Complete Nutrition
One of the greatest benefits of the DASH diet is that it is not a crash or deprivation diet. In fact, it’s a great way to start healthy eating because it fulfils all the nutritional requirements of the body and includes all the healthy food items that help you to prevent obesity and other health problems.
A Perfect Dash Diet Meal Plan
Serving In A Dash Diet
Following are the servings from each food group for 2000 calories a day DASH diet:
| FOOD ITEMS | NO OF SERVINGS | QUANTITY IN ONE SERVING |
| Grains | 7-8 daily servings | 1 piece of bread or 1 ounce of dry cereal or ½ cup of cooked rice /pasta |
| Vegetables | 4-5 daily servings | ½ cup raw or cooked vegetables |
| Fruits | 4-5 Daily servings | ½ cup fresh frozen fruit or ½ cup fruit juice |
| Low-fat dairy products | 2-3 daily servings | 1 cup milk or yogurt or 1 ½ ounces of cheese |
| Poultry and fish | 6 or fewer daily servings | 1 ounce of cooked meat or 1 egg |
| Nuts and beans | 4-5 servings a week | 1/3 cup nuts or ½ cup cooked legumes (beans and peas) |
| Fats and Oils | 2-3 daily servings | 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or soft margarine |
| Sweets and added sugars | 5 servings or fewer a week | 1 tablespoon sugar, jelly or jam |
These number of servings can vary depending on your daily calorie needs or requirement.
Tips To Start Dash Diet
For starting the DASH diet, it is important to set daily or weekly goals for your calories and adjust the servings of different food items according to your goals. As this diet focuses on reducing sodium intake so you can start by limiting your sodium intake to 2400 milligrams per day which is about 1 teaspoon. When your body starts to adjust then you can further cut down your sodium intake to 1500 milligrams. Remember that this amount includes all the sodium that you are consuming including those that are added in food items as well as what you add during cooking.
To start with the DASH diet certain tips will surely help you and they are as follows:
Add Vegetables Your Meals
To adjust your taste buds, start adding vegetables to all your meals. You can add vegetables to your omelet for breakfast or make vegetable oats then go for grilled fish or chicken with a side of roasted veggies for lunch and then for dinner make yourself a salad as a side to eat with the main course.
Replace Desserts With Fruits
If you are a sweet tot and have a habit of eating dessert after every meal then replace your dessert with fruits. Make yourself a yummy and vibrant fruit bowl and enjoy it as a dessert. I will not only satisfy your cravings but will also develop a habit of healthy eating.
Go For Healthy Snacks
If you are one of those who have a habit of munching on snacks throughout the day then no worries because there is no need to change this habit, just change THE SNACKS. Yes, you read it right you can continue enjoying your snack time but go for healthy snacks like unsalted popcorn, nuts, frozen low-fat yogurt, and fruits instead of chips and sweets.
Read Labels
To get the results of the DASH diet it is very important to decrease sodium intake. For that, you have to choose food items with low sodium. This means you have to develop a habit of reading food labels and choosing products that are low in sodium. So next time when you go for groceries, do not forget to read your labels.
Cut Down Your Quantities
We all know that reducing the intake of chocolates, sweets, and ice creams can be a daunting task for many people. But you have to do it for the DASH diet, so one of the most effective ways to eliminate the high-fat dairy and sugary products from your diet is to gradually cut down the quantities. By doing so you will not get any cravings and thus can avoid overeating, because sometimes when we stop eating something suddenly, we get really bad cravings for eating it, and when we got a chance, we end up overeating.
Eat Fresh Vegetables And Fruits
To cut down sodium intake you should always avoid eating processed and pre-packed fruits and vegetables, and prefer fresh vegetables and fruits. This habit will surely help you to maintain your DASH diet.
Bottom line
The main aim of the DASH diet is to reduce salt intake. This might cause your food to taste different, but with time your taste buds will be adjusted and you will feel a change (in a good way) in your health. Along with salt intake, you have to maintain your intake of high-fat and sugary food items to maintain your blood pressure. We know that adjusting to these changes might be difficult for you and it will definitely take time. But once you are adjusted to it and start feeling its effects, you will never want to go back to your regular diet.
