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DASH to Health with a Disease-Fighting Diet
Suppose medical scientists discovered
a way to significantly
lower your risk of heart disease,
stroke, and kidney failure — without
any pills, surgery, or fancy gimmicks.
Well, they have. It’s called the DASH
diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop
Hypertension. This diet can help you
lower your blood pressure.
Who Can Benefit from DASH?
Roland Belluscio, M.D., a boardcertified
physician who specializes in
cardiovascular diseases at Riverview
Medical Center, explains, "The ideal
blood pressure for adults is less than
120/80. A person is considered to
have hypertension if the top number
— systolic pressure — is 140 or higher,
or the bottom number — diastolic
pressure — is 90 or greater."
"Research indicates that even a
higher than ideal blood pressure can
increase the risk of heart disease," says
Dr. Belluscio. "A healthy lifestyle and
balanced diet, such as the DASH diet,
can help reduce risks of developing
heart disease."
In a recent study, people with
hypertension who followed the
DASH diet for eight weeks saw their
blood pressure drop by 11.4/5.5.
Interestingly, participants without
hypertension also experienced a drop
in blood pressure of 3.5/2.1, suggesting
that the diet may even help prevent
the condition. This finding may
be particularly relevant to women and men who are at a high risk for
developing high blood pressure.
This includes:
- people with a family history of hypertension
- African-Americans
- postmenopausal women
- overweight people
- diabetics
- people with "prehypertension" — that is, blood pressure 120 to 139 over 80 to 89.
Getting More Fruits and Vegetables
Eight to 10 servings of fruits and
vegetables are recommended for the
DASH diet. Here are some tips to
help increase your daily fruit and
veggie quotient:
- Add sliced bananas or berries to your morning cereal.
- Add green pepper or zucchini to spaghetti sauce.
Easy Ways to Cut Back on Meat, Fish, and Poultry
The DASH diet limits meat, fish, and
poultry to six 1-ounce servings a day
or less. To cut back, begin thinking
of meat as only one part of a meal,
rather than as the main course.
Dairy Products Are Important, Too
DASH also calls for two to three daily
servings of low- or nonfat dairy foods,
such as yogurt, milk, and cheese. You
can add dairy products to your diet by eating low-fat yogurt or cottage
cheese as a snack and drinking skim
or low-fat milk with meals.
The DASH diet also recommends
that people eat four to five servings
of nuts, seeds, and beans each week.
Examples of one serving include: ¹/3
cup of nuts; 2 tablespoons of seeds; ½
cup of cooked beans; or 2 tablespoons
of peanut butter.
Other Lifestyle Habits
For the DASH diet to successfully
control or prevent hypertension,
you also should limit salt intake,
avoid smoking, keep your weight at
a healthy level, exercise 30 minutes
almost every day, and drink alcohol
only in moderation.
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