DASH Diet

DASH Diet
Making the DASH for good health
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http://seniorhealth.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/dash_diet.htm
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The DASH Diet
DASH is an acronym for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.” This diet has been shown to lower blood pressure and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in addition to having antioxidant effects. This diet is rich in important nutrients and fiber and also provides many nutrients not found in the common American diet, such as magnesium.
The specifics of the DASH diet include:
l   Limit salt intake to no more than 2,300mg a day.
l   Reduce saturated fat to no more than 6% of daily calories and total fat to 27% of daily calories.
l   When choosing fats, choose monounsaturated fats such as canola and olive oil.
l   Choose whole grains over while flour bread or pasta products.
l   Eat nuts, seeds, or legumes daily.
l   Eat small amounts of protein, no more than 18% of your daily calories, from sources such as fish, chicken, and soy.
l   Limit carbohydrates to 55% of daily calories.
l   Consume at least 30g of fiber per day.

Research has shown that diet affects the development of high blood pressure, or hypertension (the medical term). Recently, a study found that a particular eating plan can lower elevated blood pressure.
This fact sheet tells what high blood pressure is and how you can follow the eating plan. It offers tips on how to start and stay on the plan, as well as a week of menus and recipes for some of the dishes.
The eating plan is meant for those with elevated blood pressure. It also is a heart-healthy plan that you can share with your family.
What Is the DASH Diet?
Even slight elevations of blood pressure above the optimal level of less than 120/80 mm Hg are unhealthy. The higher the blood pressure above normal, the greater the health risk.
In the past, researchers had tested various single nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium, to find clues about what affects blood pressure. These studies were done mostly with dietary supplements and their findings were not conclusive.
Then, scientists supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) tested nutrients as they occur together in food. The results were dramatic. The clinical study, called "DASH" for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, found that elevated blood pressures can be reduced with an eating plan low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, and rich in fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy foods. The plan is rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium, as well as protein and fiber.
DASH involved 459 adults with systolic blood pressures of less than 160 mm Hg and diastolic pressures of 80-95 mm Hg. About half of the participants were women and 60 percent were African Americans.
DASH compared three eating plans:
·         A plan similar in nutrients to what many Americans consume
·         A plan similar to what Americans consume but higher in fruits and vegetables
·         A "combination" plan--the DASH diet--lower in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, and rich in fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy foods
All three plans used about 3,000 milligrams of sodium daily--about 20 percent below the U.S. average for adults. None of the plans was vegetarian or used specialty foods.
Results showed that both the fruit/vegetable and combination plans reduced blood pressure, but the combination plan had the greatest effect. The DASH eating plan reduced blood pressure by an average of about 6 mm Hg for systolic and 3 mm Hg for diastolic. It worked even better for those with high blood pressure--the systolic dropped on average about 11 mm Hg and the diastolic about 6 mm Hg. Further, the reductions came fast--within 2 weeks of starting the eating plan.
How Do I Make The Dash?
" Following the DASH Diet " (see note 1) gives the servings and food groups for the DASH eating plan. The number of servings you need may vary, depending on your caloric need.
You should be aware that the DASH plan has more daily servings of fruits, vegetables, and grains than you may be used to eating. This makes it high in fiber, which can cause bloating and diarrhea. To get used to the new eating plan, gradually increase your servings of fruits, vegetables, and grains.
GET THOSE NUTRIENTS The DASH eating plan is rich in various nutrients believed to benefit blood pressure and in other factors involved in good health. The amounts of the nutrients vary by how much you eat. If you eat about 2,000 calories a day on the plan, the nutrients you get will include:
·         4,700 milligrams of potassium
·         500 milligrams of magnesium
·         1,240 milligrams of calcium
Those totals are about two to three times the amounts most Americans get.
How can you get started on DASH? It's easy. The DASH plan requires no special foods and has no hard-to-follow recipes. One way to begin is by seeing how DASH compares with your current food habits. Use the " What's On Your Plate? " (see note 2) form. Fill it in for 1-2 days and see how it compares with the DASH plan. This will help you see what you need to change.
Remember that some days you may eat more than what's recommended from one food group and less of another. But don't worry. Just be sure that the average of several days or a week comes close to what's recommended.
Then, check the " Getting Started " (see note 3) suggestions and the " Tips on Eating the DASH Way. " (see note 4) Finally, use the week of menus (see note 5) --or make up your own--and you're all set.
One note: It's important that, if you have high blood pressure and take a medication, you should not stop your therapy. Use the DASH diet and talk about your drug treatment with your doctor.
Note 1
FOLLOWING THE DASH DIET
The DASH eating plan shown below is based on 2,000 calories a day. The number of daily servings in a food group may vary from those listed depending on your caloric needs.
Use this chart to help you plan your menus or take it with you when you go to the store.

Food Group	Daily Servings (except as noted)	Serving Sizes	Examples and Notes	Significance of Each Food Group to the DASH Eating Plan
Grains & grain products	7–8	1 slice bread 1 cup dry cereal* 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal	whole wheat bread, English muffin, pita bread, bagel, cereals, grits, oatmeal, crackers, unsalted pretzels and popcorn	major sources of energy and fiber
Vegetables	4–5	1 cup raw leafy vegetable 1/2 cup cooked vegetable 6 oz vegetable juice	tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, green peas, squash, broccoli, turnip greens, collards, kale, spinach, artichokes, green beans, lima beans, sweet potatoes	rich sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber
Fruits	4–5	6 oz fruit juice 1 medium fruit 1/4 cup dried fruit 1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit	apricots, bananas, dates, grapes, oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, grapefruit juice, mangoes, melons, peaches, pineapples, prunes, raisins, strawberries, tangerines	important sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber
Low fat or fat free dairy foods	2–3	8 oz milk 1 cup yogurt 1 1/2 oz cheese	fat free (skim) or low fat (1%) milk, fat free or low fat buttermilk, fat free or low fat regular or frozen yogurt, low fat and fat free cheese	major sources of calcium and protein
Meats, poultry, and fish	2 or less	3 oz cooked meats, poultry, or fish	select only lean; trim away visible fats; broil, roast, or boil, instead of frying; remove skin from poultry	rich sources of protein and magnesium
Nuts, seeds, and dry beans	4–5 per week	1/3 cup or 1 1/2 oz nuts 2 Tbsp or 1/2 oz seeds 1/2 cup cooked dry beans	almonds, filberts, mixed nuts, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, kidney beans, lentils and peas	rich sources of energy, magnesium, potassium, protein, and fiber
Fats & oils**	2–3	1 tsp soft margarine 1Tbsp low fat mayonnaise 2 Tbsp light salad dressing 1 tsp vegetable oil	soft margarine, low fat mayonnaise, light salad dressing, vegetable oil(such as olive, corn, canola, or safflower)	Besides fats added to foods, remember to choose foods that contain less fats
Sweets	5 per week	1 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp jelly or jam 1/2 oz jelly beans 8 oz lemonade	maple syrup, sugar, jelly, jam, fruit-flavored gelatin, jelly beans, hard candy, fruit punch, sorbet, ices	Sweets should be low in fat

*	Serving sizes vary between 1/2-1 1/4 cups. Check the product's nutrition label.
**	Fat content changes serving counts for fats and oils: For example, 1 Tbsp of regular salad dressing equals 1 serving; 1 Tbsp of a low fat dressing equals 1/2 serving; 1 Tbsp of a fat free dressing equals 0 servings.

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Note 2
What's on Your Plate?
Use this form to track your food habits before you start on the DASH eating plan or to see how you're doing after a few weeks. To record more than 1 day, just copy the form. Total each day's food groups and compare what you ate with the DASH plan. To see how the form looks completed, check the sample menu.

Food	Amount (serving size)		Number of servings by DASH food groups
			Grains	Veg.	Fruits	Dairy	Meat	Nuts	Fats	Sweets
Breakfast
Example: whole wheat bread	2	slices	2
and soft margarine	2	tsp							2
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
Day's Total
Compare yours with the DASH plan			7-8	4-5	4-5	2-3	2 or less	4-5 a week	2-3	5 a week

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Note 3
Getting Started

GETTING STARTED

It's easy to adopt the DASH eating diet. Here are some ways to get started: Change gradually. ·         If you now eat one or two vegetables a day, add a serving at lunch and another at dinner. ·         If you don't eat fruit now or have only juice at breakfast, add a serving to your meals or have it as a snack. ·         Use only half the butter, margarine, or salad dressing you do now. ·         Try low fat or fat free condiments, such as fat free salad dressings. ·         Gradually increase dairy products to three servings per day. For example, drink milk with lunch or dinner, instead of soda, alcohol, or sugar-sweetened tea. Choose low fat (1 percent) or fat free (skim) dairy products to reduce total fat intake. Treat meat as one part of the whole meal, instead of the focus. ·         Buy less meat. If it's not there, you won't eat it. ·         Limit meat to 6 ounces a day (two servings)--all that's needed. Three to four ounces is about the size of a deck of cards. ·         If you now eat large portions of meat, cut them back gradually--by a half or a third at each meal. ·         Include two or more vegetarian-style (meatless) meals each week. ·         Increase servings of vegetables, rice, pasta, and dry beans in meals. Try casseroles and pasta, and stir-fry dishes, having less meat and more vegetables, grains, and dry beans. Use fruits or low fat foods as desserts and snacks. ·         Fruits and low fat foods offer great taste and variety. Use fruits canned in their own juice. Fresh fruits require little or no preparation. Dried fruits are easy to carry with you. ·         Try these snack ideas: unsalted pretzels or nuts mixed with raisins; graham crackers; low fat and fat free yogurt and frozen yogurt; plain popcorn with no salt or butter added; and raw vegetables.

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Note 4
Eating The Dash Diet Way

TIPS ON EATING THE DASH DIET WAY

·         Make it easier to increase your servings of fruits and vegetables to eight a day by trying to have two servings of fruits and/or vegetables at each meal. For instance, for lunch have one fruit and one vegetable. Then add one fruit and one vegetable as snacks. ·         To increase your dairy servings to three a day, try to have one lowfat or fat free dairy serving at each meal. If you have trouble digesting dairy products, try taking lactase enzyme pills or drops (available at drugstores and groceries) with the dairy foods. Or, buy lactose free milk or milk with lactase enzyme added to it. ·         Choose whole grain foods to get added nutrients, especially the B vitamins. For example, choose whole wheat bread or whole grain cereals. ·         Use the percent Daily Value on food labels to compare products and choose those lowest in saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol, and sodium. ·         Feed your craving for sweets with fresh or dried fruit or fruit-flavored gelatin. ·         Use fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits. ·         Use fresh, frozen, or no-salt-added canned vegetables.

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Note 5
Sample Dash Diet Menu

Food	Amount		Servings Provided
			Grains	Veg.	Fruits	Dairy	Meat	Nuts	Fats	Sweets
Breakfast
apple juice	1	cup			1 1/2
bran cereal, ready-to-eat	2/3	cup	1
raisins	2	Tbsp			1/2
fat free milk	1	cup				1
whole wheat bread	1	slice	1
soft margarine	1 1/2	tsp							1 1/2
Lunch
chicken sandwich:
chicken breast, no skin	3	oz					1
American cheese, reduced fat	2	slices (1 1/2 oz)				1
loose leaf lettuce	2	large leaves		1/2
tomato	2	slices (1/4" thick)		1/2
light mayonnaise	1	Tbsp							1
whole wheat bread	2	slices	2
apple	1	medium			1
Dinner
vegetarian spaghetti sauce	3/4	cup		1 1/2
spaghetti	1	cup	2
Parmesan cheese	4	Tbsp				1
green beans	1/2	cup		1
spinach salad:
spinach, raw	1	cup		1
mushrooms, raw	1/4	cup		1/4
croutons	2	Tbsp	1/4
Italian dressing, lowfat	2	Tbsp							1
dinner roll	1	medium	1
frozen yogurt, lowfat	1/2	cup				1/2
Snack
orange juice	1	cup			1 1/2
banana	1	large			1 1/2
Totals			7 1/4	4 3/4	6	3 1/2	1	0	3 1/2	0

Per Day:
Calories	1,995			Magnesium	458	mg
Total Fat	50	g**		Potassium	4,254	mg
Saturated Fat	15	g		Calcium	1,384	mg
Cholesterol	124	mg***		Sodium	3,127	mg

   **   g=gram
***   mg=milligram

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