Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH)
Fruits & Vegetables
- Eat green leafy vegetables (e.g. broccoli, spinach, kale, collard greens)
- Eat a “colorful plate” i.e. foods of various color each day (e.g. red grapes, orange, kiwi, banana, bell peppers, squash)
Dairy Products
- Choose low fat or fat free versions (e.g. skim milk, low fat/fat free cheese)
- Skim milk, 1% milk, and soy milk have less saturated fat than 2% or whole mil
Fats
Include walnuts, almonds, pecans, and other unsalted nuts in your diet as, good sources of fat (omega 3 and monounsaturated)- Choose “good” fats – olive oil & canola oil – for cooking oils
- Decrease saturated fat by limiting red meat, butter, whole fat dairy products (e.g. ice cream, butter, cheese)
- Eliminate trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils, found in foods such as commercially-prepared cookies, crackers, cake/brownie mixes)
Lean Meat / Protein
- Replace red meats with fish and poultry
- Curb meat/protein intake to 6-7 oz a day
- Include soy products (such astofu & tempeh); they are good sources of protein
Fish
- Choose fatty fish as a meal 2-3 times a week (e.g. salmon or mackerel)
Grains/Legumes
- Increase legumes (e.g. chickpeas, hummus, black beans)
- Use whole grains (e.g. brown rice, barley, old fashioned oats)
- Increase whole grains, they have more fiber that can help decrease cholesterol
Sugar – refined
- Reduce soda, candy, cookie consumption
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How to achieve optimal blood pressure
Lose excess weight
- As little as 10 pounds can make a difference! Maintain normal body weight; BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2.
- 1 lb fat = 3500 calories
Adopt DASH eating plan, discussed above
- Consume a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and low in saturated fat.
Limit Sodium
- Keep sodium intake below 2,000 mg a day
1,500 mg a day is appropriate for people who are 51 years of age or older, are African-American, or have hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.One teaspoon of salt has about 2,400 mg sodium.
- High sodium foods don’t always taste salty. Check labels for the lowest-sodium brands.
Walk Briskly
- Engage in aerobic exercise for 30-45 minutes most days of the week.
Limit or eliminate alcohol
- Men should limit alcohol to no more than 2 drinks a day.
- Women should stop at 1 drink a day to cut their risk of breast cancer.
* Examples of 1 drink are: 12 oz beer, 5 oz wine, or 1.5 oz 80-proof whiskey
Get more potassium, magnesium and other nutrients
- Strive to eat 5 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetable each day (1 serving is about ½ to 1 cup)
Reduce your intake of caffeine
- Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, soda, and some medications
Manage your stress
- Regular exercise, laughter, contact with friends and family, deep breathing, stretching, meditation, yoga, hugs, getting outside in nature, listening to soothing music, having a wonderful pet…
are all examples of ways to manage stress and lower blood pressure
Adapted from: the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC7)References: The DASH Eating Plan-US Department of Health and Human Services, uptodate.com –Am J Hypertens. 2003 May;16(5 Pt 1):337-42.Additional source: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm