Sarah Samaan - DASH Diet For Dummies

Sugary and high-fat treats aren’t forbidden on DASH, but they’re kept to a minimum. If you’re like us, you probably need a little indulgence from time to time. Severely restrictive diets aren’t always realistic and may even cause you to jump ship, giving up on a healthy eating plan altogether. DASH allows you a little leeway to enjoy the foods you love, but don’t be surprised if you find that, after a few days on DASH, you feel so good that snack foods no longer hold the same appeal.

Table 1-1shows the quantities you should eat of different food groups when following DASH and examples from each group. If what you see here looks a bit basic or maybe kind of daunting, don’t despair. We share more than 40 great-tasting recipes in Part 4that really make the DASH diet come alive. ( Note: The servings listed in Table 1-1are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Some people need more calories than that; others need fewer calories.)

TABLE 1-1The DASH Diet (Based on 2,000 Calories/Day)

That’s the DASH diet in a nutshell; for a deeper look at DASH nutrition, see Chapter 5.

By choosing DASH, you’ll achieve better blood pressure deliciously. And with such a wide range of foods to choose from, it’s easy to see how you can tailor DASH to your personal taste.

Just as you need a balanced blend of healthy foods to achieve good health and better blood pressure, your body also requires balance in other areas. Throughout this book, we help you cultivate healthy habits to support the vitality, energy, and overall well-being that you’re craving. Although making changes to your daily routine may seem intimidating at first, it’s surprisingly simple. You just have to take it one step at a time.

We tell you much more about the way lifestyle impacts your health in Chapter 16, but to get started, check out the following sections to get a feel for the simple things you can do or change that may help reduce your risk for hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and a wide array of other conditions.

Being active daily is essential for a healthy lifestyle. Before you start calculating the cost of a gym membership and fancy workout clothes, it’s important to understand that getting more daily activity can be as simple as putting on your sneakers and walking out the door. Combat the modern sedentary lifestyle by looking for simple ways to add daily activity: taking a ten-minute walk break, choosing to use the stairs, walking where you may normally drive, sweeping the porch more often, or committing to housework or yard maintenance.

While you’re busy getting more active, why not add in some exercise? It’s nearly impossible to be healthy without regular exercise. By exercising two and a half hours each week, you’ll lower your blood pressure, reduce your stress level, burn some calories, and cut your risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia a well-worth-it 30 percent. If hitting the gym’s your thing, go for it! If you’re a weight lifter, just make sure you get a good balance of aerobic exercise along with the resistance training. Yoga and Pilates are also terrific ways to take care of your body and encourage serenity of mind, but adding in some walking, running, biking, or swimming to your weekly routine helps keep your heart even stronger.

Exercise isn’t just for the young and fit. Just about anyone can do it, and you can usually find something that works with any limitations you may have. Remember, though, that anytime you’re beginning a new exercise regimen or bumping up the intensity of a current routine, you need to check in with your doctor to be sure your plan makes good health sense for you.

Because exercise can lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, you want to keep track of your numbers when you get started. If you have hypertension, high cholesterol, or diabetes, don’t be surprised if, eventually, you don’t require as much medication to keep the problem under control.

DASH doesn’t put caffeine off-limits, and for many people, a cup or two of tea or coffee is a great way to take a break and recharge. It turns out that these plant-based drinks actually offer a boost of healthy antioxidants along with the caffeine, but don’t go overboard. (Caffeinated sodas and energy drinks may give you a similar jolt, but they don’t have the same health benefits.) Doctors used to shake their fingers at people with a coffee habit, but the research on coffee and tea strongly suggests that they have health benefits when consumed in moderation — generally considered 3 cups or fewer per day.

Although coffee can cause a temporary bump in blood pressure, it doesn’t appear to cause hypertension. Of course, some people can’t take a sip of tea or coffee without experiencing heart flutters or heartburn, and if that’s you we’re talking about, then it’s best to avoid a cup of brew or switch to decaf.

Whether or not to drink alcohol is a personal decision. Any form of alcohol enjoyed in moderation appears to offer health benefits for the heart and brain, although red wine is especially beneficial. “Moderation” means one drink for women and one to two for men. More than that and you’re more likely to develop high blood pressure, especially if you binge drink. Additional downsides of overindulging in alcohol include alcoholism, a higher risk of cancer, poor decisions made under the influence (perhaps including extra calories from junk food), and of course weight gain from the extra calories.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t touch on smoking. If you don’t already know that smoking is bad for your health, we have to assume that you’ve been in hibernation for the past 50 years. Not only does it raise your risk for numerous particularly nasty forms of cancer, but it also drastically raises your chances of developing heart attacks, aneurysms, blocked leg arteries, and strokes. It may not affect your blood pressure much, but it can hurt you in just about every other way. Quitting isn’t easy, but it’s well worth the effort.