The DASH diet is a healthy eating plan based on the research studies: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The diet has been proven in National Institutes of Health research to help lower your risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and lowering cholesterol.
Blood pressure control with the DASH diet involves more than just the standard advice to cut back on salt. The DASH diet helps to lower blood pressure by emphasizing key nutrients, such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium, that are associated with lower blood pressure. Including more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy in your daily diet boosts these nutrients.
In addition to lowering blood pressure, the DASH eating plan helps lower cholesterol and makes it easier to lose weight. It is a healthy way of eating, designed to be flexible enough to meet the food preferences of most people. The DASH diet requires no special or hard-to-find foods. Specifically, the DASH diet plan includes:
*Amounts based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet.
Grains and grain products: 6-8 servings/day
Fruits: 4-5 servings/day
Vegetables: 4-5 servings/day
Low-fat or fat-free dairy foods: 2-3 servings/day
Lean meats, fish, or poultry: 6 or less/day
Nuts, seeds, and legumes: 4-5 servings/week
Fats and sweets: limited
The Salty Truth
Plain and simple, Americans eat too much salt.
- Average daily sodium intake in the U.S. has held steady at about 3,400 mg/day for decades.
- The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend that most Americans reduce sodium to less than 1500 mg/day. Younger, healthy people without high risk for hypertension should reduce sodium to less than 2300 mg/day.
- When salt intake is reduced, blood pressure begins decreasing for most people within a few days to weeks.
- The foods that are at the core of the DASH diet – vegetables, fruits and whole grains – are naturally low in sodium.
So just by following the DASH diet, you’re likely to lower your sodium intake.
A Dozen Easy Ways to DASH-ify Your Diet
- Top your bowlful of whole-grain cereal with fresh or frozen berries.
- Enjoy low-fat plain yogurt with sliced fresh fruit for a satisfying breakfast or snack.
- Make your coffee a latte with 8 ounces of fat-free milk.
- Scratch traditional lunchmeats off your shopping list. They’re just too high in sodium, especially when you add cheese and condiments to your sandwich. Instead, recycle last night’s chicken or meatloaf into a tasty lunch.
- Use supermarket salad bars for lots of cut up fresh vegetables.
- Double up on veggies. A standard serving is 1/2 cup, so a full cup makes 2 servings.
- Frozen vegetables make it easy to add 2 or more servings of veggies to your meal. (Check labels to make sure sodium levels are below 100 mg per serving.)
- All types of nuts are heart healthy. Making yours salt-free boosts their DASH benefits.
- Rinse canned beans to remove up to 40% of excess sodium.
- When selecting ketchup, salsa, canned tomatoes or pasta sauce, choose low-sodium or no-salt-added brands.
- Smoothies made with fat-free milk and fresh fruit – please, no added sugar — are a fast way to maximize the DASH potential of your diet.
- Eat an apple! It’s only 85 calories and there’s no sodium or fat!
Resources: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/dash/www.dashdiet.org
Herbed Tzatziki
Makes about 2 cups, for 16 two-tablespoon servings.
The classic Greek yogurt dip is a welcome addition to a DASH meal plan. The dip is delicious with pita, sliced veggies, or on grilled fish or poultry.
INGREDIENTS
1 cucumber, peeled and de-seeded
1 1/2 cups 0% fat Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint
2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill or ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Dash of salt and ground white pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a grater. Place in a sieve and press to remove excess liquid. Transfer the drained cucumber to a bowl.
2. Add yogurt, garlic, mint, dill, vinegar and salt and pepper. Mix to blend. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
3. Just before serving, drizzle the top with olive oil.
NUTRITION PER
2 TABLESPOONS DIP
28 Calories
1.2g Fat
0.2g Saturated fat
2g Protein
3g Carbohydrate
0g Fiber
40mg Sodium
Pita Bread
Makes 8 individual pitas.
Pitas are so easy to bake. Plus you can control the sodium.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons (6 grams) instant dry yeast
(bread machine yeast), such as SAF or Lesaffre
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon honey
DIRECTIONS
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flours, yeast and salt. In a small bowl, combine water, oil and honey and add to the flour mixture. Stir until the dough comes together in a ball.
2. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead a minute or two until the dough ball is smooth. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until the dough doubles, 1 to 2 hours.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Form the dough into a log and slice it into 8 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
4. Roll each ball into a circle no more then 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. When all the balls are rolled out, let them rest another 15 minutes.
5. Put a cast-iron griddle, pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Preheat the oven to 475ºF.
6. Slide the individual discs onto the preheated griddle or stone. You’ll probably be able to bake 3 at a time. Bake 7-9 minutes, until puffed and brown. Repeat with the remaining discs.
NUTRITION Per PITA
226 Calories
1g Fat
0g Saturated fat
0g Trans fat
6g Protein
36g Carbohydrate
6g Fiber
88mg Sodium
Recipe source: Healthy Living Kitchens
