DASH DIET-Food Prescription to lower your blood Pressure with weight loss!
What if one day you woke up with severe headache which eventually took you to the doctor and you found out that you have raised BP(more than 120/80mmHg) and you are out on pills and a list of things to avoid and stay away from.
Well,Hypertension is a systemic disorder and mostly irreversible, which puts you on a lifetime dose of anti-hypertensive drugs and a list of no-no's in your diet.
NOW,WHAT IF I TOLD YOU, that you can avoid all of this and start a diet that
#1.Keeps your BP in control(during prehypertensive state) and
#2.LOOSE WEIGHT ?
YES! You read that right and the answer to the above question is DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet.
But before we get started with the Diet, let's look into the dynamics of Hypertension.
High Blood Pressure Facts, Causes and Symptoms
What exactly is high blood pressure, and how do the foods you eat affect it?
High blood pressure is a condition that results from an increased force of blood moving through your arteries from your heart, which pushes against the walls of the arteries and over time can cause many problems. Every time your heart beats it pumps out blood, and the rate at which it does determines your blood pressure. It’s natural to have higher blood pressure at certain times, like when you’re stressed or exercising, but chronically high blood pressure starts to wear down arteries and increases the risk for things like coronary heart disease, stroke, heart attack, diabetes or kidney damage.
You’ll start to see a difference usually within just a few short months, but consistency and ongoing effort are key.
Foods, including fresh vegetables and fruit, lean proteins and certain healthy fats, help lower inflammation and prevent nutrient deficiencies, which are two of the biggest causes for high blood pressure. And a healthy high blood pressure diet is even more impactful when you make other lifestyle changes, too, like managing stress better, exercising regularly, quitting smoking and getting solid sleep.
WHAT IS DASH DIET?
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet is a lifelong approach to healthy eating that's designed to help treat or prevent high blood pressure (hypertension). The DASH diet encourages you to reduce the sodium in your diet and eat a variety of foods rich in nutrients that help lower blood pressure, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium.
By following the DASH diet, you may be able to reduce your blood pressure by a few points in just two weeks. Over time, your systolic blood pressure could drop by eight to 14 points, which can make a significant difference in your health risks.
Because the DASH diet is a healthy way of eating, it offers health benefits besides just lowering blood pressure. The DASH diet is also in line with dietary recommendations to prevent osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
DASH diet: Sodium levels
The DASH diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy foods — and moderate amounts of whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts.
In addition to the standard DASH diet, there is also a lower sodium version of the diet. You can choose the version of the diet that meets your health needs:
Standard DASH diet. You can consume up to 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day (about 1 teaspoon).
Lower sodium DASH diet. You can consume up to 1,500 mg of sodium a day (about 2/3 teaspoon).
These amounts include all sodium eaten, including sodium in food products as well as in what you cook with or add at the table.
Both versions of the DASH diet aim to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet compared with what you might get in a typical American diet, which can amount to a whopping 3,400 mg of sodium a day or more.
The American Heart Association recommends 1,500 mg a day of sodium as an upper limit for all adults. If you aren't sure what sodium level is right for you, talk to your doctor.
Staying on the DASH Diet
The DASH diet suggests getting:
Grains: 7-8 daily servings
Vegetables: 4-5 daily servings
Fruits: 4-5 daily servings
Low-fat or fat-free dairy products: 2-3 daily servings
Meat, poultry, and fish: 2 or less daily servings
Nuts, seeds, and dry beans: 4-5 servings per week
Fats and oils: 2-3 daily servings
Sweets: try to limit to less than 5 servings per week
How Much Is a Serving?
When you're trying to follow a healthy eating plan, it helps to know how much of a certain kind of food is considered a "serving." One serving is:
1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta
1 slice bread
1 cup raw vegetables or fruit
1/2 cup cooked veggies or fruit
8 ounces of milk
1 teaspoon of olive oil (or any other oil)
3 ounces cooked meat
3 ounces tofu
Meat, poultry, and fish: 2 or less daily servings
Nuts, seeds, and dry beans: 4-5 servings per week
Fats and oils: 2-3 daily servings
Sweets: try to limit to less than 5 servings per week
Tips for Lowering Blood Pressure
Over the years, research reveals that several habits and lifestyle changes can greatly increase your odds of preventing high blood pressure and maintaining a healthy blood pressure range. These include:
1. Cook More at Home
Cooking at home is an important part of lowering your blood pressure, which is why the creators of the DASH diet recommend it. This means keeping your diet as unprocessed as possible — consuming less things that come in packages, avoiding takeout/restaurant food and really limiting fast food. Making your own homemade meals from fresh, nutrient-dense food helps you lower your sodium and sugar intake while boosting your intake of powerful blood pressure-lowering nutrients like potassium, antioxidants and fiber.
2. Increase Fiber Consumption
Consuming plenty of fiber has been shown to help prevent hypertension, plus it can manage your appetite and avoid the blood sugar roller-coaster that results in cravings, fatigue, poor digestion and various health problems. Fiber is found in nearly all unprocessed plant foods, so eating fresh vegetables not only helps in adopting a high-fiber diet, but it also aids in lowering your blood pressure. High-fiber foods also help reduce your risk of diabetes, high triglyceride levels, high cholesterol, digestive problems and weight gain.
3. Lower Your Sodium Intake
A low-sodium diet is the recommended approach to controlling high blood pressure because high amounts of sodium, found in basically all processed and packaged foods, is known to worsen high blood pressure by impacting fluid retention and how arteries dilate.
Sodium is a type of electrolyte that’s balanced by other beneficial electrolytes like potassium and magnesium in order to keep blood pressure within a healthy range. The problem is that most people eating a “Standard American Diet” consume far too much sodium and far too little potassium and magnesium, leading to electrolyte imbalances.
4. Get More Potassium
A low-potassium, high-sodium diet contributes to high blood pressure, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Potassium — found in foods like green veggies, bananas, sweet potatoes, organic dairy products, beans and avocados — is the third most abundant mineral in the body and is needed to interact with sodium to perform a number of important functions.
Potassium naturally increases sodium excretion and is found within all cells, as it plays a role in regulating heartbeat rhythms, nerve impulses, muscle contractions and digestive health. Low potassium can raise fluid retention and elevate blood pressure by interfering with heart palpitations, narrowing the arteries and resulting in poor circulation.
5. Stay Hydrated
Drinking enough water each day is important for preventing dehydration, balancing fluids, beating cravings and preventing fatigue. Consume more fresh water in place of things like juice, soda, sweetened coffee and tea, making sure to have about eight eight-ounce glasses or more daily.
6. Practice Portion Control
There’s no reason to get overwhelmed and fear that you’ll never be able to eat your favorite foods again. Focus on filling up on the healthy things first, so you’re less likely to crave the unhealthy stuff. Watch your portion sizes, and practice mindful eating to make sure you give your body what it needs to feel good but not too much more that weighs you down.
Disclaimer:Please take a doctor's opinion before starting your diet!
For any queries or questions please leave your comments below or you can also email me on insiya1793@gmail.com.
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Your Well-wisher,
Dr.Insiya
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