About Hodgson Mill

Dash Diet For Better Heart Health

The name says it all: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension,or DASH.  This manner of eating is geared to help control blood pressure, and experts stress its effectiveness.  DASH diet is rich in grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, and limits fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, while providing plenty of fiber, potassium, calcium and magnesium.  For many people who follow it, DASH is enough to keep blood pressure in normal range without medicine. What’s not to like?
A recently-completed study that spanned 25 years revealed that individuals following the DASH diet not only had blood pressure levels that were within normal range (no medication), but they also had a heart attack rate much lower than the rate for others in the study with typical American diet.  Stroke rate was also significantly lower, as published in the April issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
The DASH diet is based on a typical 2,100 calorie-diet, is not designed to promote weight loss but can be used as part of an overall weight-loss strategy, inasmuch as weight loss has been shown to reduce blood pressure.  Your health care provider can help you decide on how to approach this. (For details on the DASH strategy, you may want to check on the National Institutes of Health at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/index.htm to download or order the guide.)
Here’s an overview: concentrate on fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, legumes (bean, lentils and peas) and nuts (in moderation since they can be high in calories), and limit high-fat dairy products (but you can have moderate amounts of low-fat dairy foods and beverages), red meats, processed meats, sweetened beverages and salt (sodium).  And consider these strategies as well in adopting the DASH diet:
Change gradually.  People seeking healthier lifestyles often try to change too much at once.  Instead, change one or two things at a time.
Forgive yourself if you backslide.  Everyone slips, especially when learning something new.  Remember that changing your lifestyle is a long-term process.  Find out what triggered your setback and just pick up where you left off with the DASH plan.
Reward successes.  Reward yourself with a non-food treat for your accomplishment. It builds self-esteem.
Add physical activity.  Boost your blood pressure-lowering efforts even more with increased physical activity.  These two interventions together – diet and exercise lifestyle changes – are more successful at lowering blood pressure than either alone. 
Healthier foods with plenty of variety is the key to keep your diet nutritious and to avoid boredom or extremes.  The DASH eating plan can help control your blood pressure and become a mainstay of an overall healthier lifestyle -- the very pulse of Hodgson Mill’s vision for you.