Eating for energy

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THE DASH DIET FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Hypertension or high blood pressure is when your heart pumps blood through your blood vessels with greater than normal force. It is often called the silent killer because you can have it for years without feeling the effects. Uncontrolled hypertension is a leading cause of premature death from heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.

The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is a diet that was designed by scientists and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). It was designed after a series of trials, and was found to be very effective at lowering blood pressure. Following the DASH eating plan is easy. The guidelines for the diet are as follows:

DASH Diet Guidelines

7-8 Servings of whole grains per day
4-5 Servings of vegetables per day
4-5 Servings of fruit per day
2-3 Servings of low-fat dairy per day
<2 Servings of meat, poultry and fish per day
4-5 Servings nuts, beans and legumes per week
2-3 Servings of fat per day

Essentially, the DASH diet is a diet that is high in potassium, magnesium and calcium, which all have a lowering effect on blood pressure. It is also lower in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, which can raise blood pressure. In addition to the above recommendations, you should also limit your sodium intake to about 1500mg. Basically this means that you should not add salt to any of your foods.

(1 tsp salt has 2375mg sodium.)

Results from the DASH diet are seen in as little as 2 weeks. In fact, studies have shown that individuals following the DASH for two weeks experience comparable drops in blood pressure to those on single drug therapy. Furthermore, effects of blood pressure were noted even in those individuals who did not experience weight loss.

The DASH diet is beneficial because it focuses on whole foods, rather than drugs and supplements. Although potassium and calcium are known to lower blood pressure, the benefit could be due in part to other nutrients that are present in foods that are high in these nutrients as well. For this reason, eating healthy foods is considered a better choice than simply supplementing with single nutrients. Not to mention that taking potassium supplements can be potentially dangerous and cause gastric upset.

Tips for following the DASH diet:

Start small: add 1-2 servings of fruits and vegetables to your usual diet and progress from there
Gradually decrease portion sizes of red meat
Focus meals around whole grain carbohydrates
Try to eat vegetarian meals at least two times per week
Incorporate nuts into your diet by putting natural peanut butter on whole grain toast
Add beans to salads or soups
Remove the salt shaker from the table, and season foods while they are cooking with fresh herbs and spices

Other Strategies to Help Lower Blood Pressure:

Lose weight if you are over weight. Even weight loss of 10 lbs can reduce your blood pressure
Reduce alcohol consumption (2 drinks or less/day for men or 1 drink or less/day for women)
Increase activity
Reduce sodium to <3000mg/day
Quit smoking

The Bottom Line:

The DASH diet is a very healthy diet for anyone to follow regardless of whether or not you have high blood pressure. It is high in fruit and vegetables and emphasizes high fiber, low fat choices. It is also low in sugar and salt.

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV's Noon News Hour!

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