Lyubomyr Yatsyk - The Dash Diet: A Beginners Guide--Tips, Recipes, 7-Day Meal Plan to Lower Blood Pressure, and Getting Healthy

Recent studies showthat blood pressure (hypertension development) can be reduced bysimple diets and reduction of sodium (salt) intake, in addition,special diets effectively reduce the existing high bloodpressure. With the help of thisspecial DASH diet one can prevent hypertension. DASH Diet Menu is richin grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, low-fat dairy products.DASH diet restricts the consumption of saturated fat, cholesteroland fat in general, meanwhile saturating diet with protein, dietaryfiber and micronutrients, primarily - magnesium, calcium andpotassium. The presentrecommendations prompt how to start the diet and continue keepingthe prescribed diet. Recommendations willhelp you to reduce salt intake in the food, to make the menu forthe week and give the recipes of some dishes. 2300 milligrams of salt per day - that is therecommended maximum intake of salt per day. 2300 milligrams of salt per day - that is therecommended maximum intake of salt per day.

Salt intake of 1500milligrams per day can help lower blood pressure and is recommendedfor most people. Studies have shown thatthe diet of DASH menu, containing 2,300 milligrams of salt canlower blood pressure and lower level of salt consumption, 1500milligrams, can even more reduce blood pressure. Therefore, peoplewith high blood pressure may benefit by following the DASH diet andreduce salt intake. The lower is your saltintake, the lower is your blood pressure. What does high blood pressure mean? Blood pressure is theforce with the help of which blood pushes against the walls of thearteries. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

Two values arerecorded- the systolic (the same as the heart beats) and diastolic(between heartbeats). Both values are important (see table). When blood pressure istoo high, the load on the heart is more than in the norm. Once increased or highblood pressure persists throughout life. This is quite adangerous state which is normally not accompanied by outermanifestations. Lack of treatment canlead to heart disease and kidney failure or a stroke.

Blood pressure can becontrolled by following the below given recommendations: Lose weight ifthere is overweight; Become morephysically active; Eat healthydiet, choose food with low salt and sodium; Limitconsumption of alcohol; Take reducingblood pressure medications according to you doctor'sprescriptions; All of these steps,including the last one, help preventing the development ofhypertension. CATEGORIES OF BLOODPRESSURE FOR ADULTS* * for 18 years andolder who are not receiving antihypertensive treatment and have noacute serious diseases ** if the values ofsystolic and diastolic blood pressures fall under differentcategories, the pressure ratio is determined by the highestvalue <- "less"; - "isequal to or more than" What is the DASH diet? DASH diet consists ofproperly combined food and nutrients that can lower blood pressureand facilitate monitoring its level. A distinctive featureof the DASH diet is a combination of such products as fruits,vegetables and low-fat dairy products. This food is able to enrichthe body with potassium, calcium and magnesium, which coacting,have a powerful effect on normalizing blood pressure. Increased intake ofpotassium, magnesium and calcium while limiting the use of sodium(salt) has a very distinctive effect on blood pressure. Thiscombination of food elements acts as a diuretic means, helping thebody withdraw the excess salt.

Fruits andvegetables, legumes, whole grains, dairy products are rich inpotassium (balances the intracellular sodium content). Normalizingeffect of calcium on blood pressure has not been proven, but it iswell known that eating a low calcium food correlates with anincreased blood pressure figures. Calcium supply - dairy products,green leafy vegetables, fish with edible bones, calcium-enrichedfoods. Lack ofmagnesium in the body leads to high blood pressure. Good sources ofmagnesium are legumes, green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds,whole grains, lean meat. Designed by theNational Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Circulation (part ofthe National Institutes of Health, controlled by the U.S.government) diet plan can decrease the blood pressure figures in 2weeks from the beginning of DASH-diet compliance.

Since the beginning ofclinical research, the scientists have found that the DASH meals,besides the blood pressure control, can bring other benefits to thepatient's health too, namely: to prevent or slow down theprogression of osteoporosis, heart disease, the type 2diabetes andcancer. Effective results canbe mainly observed with the elderly people complying DASH-diet tolower blood pressure, however, if one starts the present eatingdiet early enough, he or she can avoid the development ofhypertension. In this regard, theAmerican Heart Association recommends DASH diets application notonly to prevent primary and secondary hypertension, but also toprevent cardiovascular diseases in general. The nowadays researchshows that the DASH diet is more effective if salt intake isrestricted hereinafter. DASH Study Previously, researchershave tested some food substances, such as calcium and magnesium, todetermine what exactly influences blood pressure. Likewise, mineralsupplements were investigated, but a clear answer has not beenreceived yet.

Greater attention wasdrawn towards the studies supported by the National Institute ofHeart, Lung and Blood (The National Heart, Lung, and BloodInstitute, NHLBI).The combination of nutrients in food were beingevaluated. The clinical testing,called "DASH" (short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension),proved that high blood pressure can be reduced with a diet of lowsaturated fat, total fat and cholesterol and rich in fruits,vegetables and low-fat dairy products. The diet should beenriched in magnesium, potassium and calcium, as well as proteinsand the fibers. 459 people withsystolic pressure below 160 mm Hg and diastolic 80-95 mm Hg wereinvolved in testing. About half of the studied were women; 60% ofthe tested were African Americans. Three diets werecompared in the "DASH" study: common diet formany Americans with similar food substances; usual diet forAmericans, but rich in fruits and vegetables; combined" diet- the DASH diet - with reduced saturated fat, total fat,cholesterol; rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dietaryproducts.

All three diets containabout 3000 mg. sodium - 20 percent below the average rate for anadult in the U.S. None of the diets was avegetarian and contained special products. The results showed thatfruit and vegetable diets and combined ones reduced pressure, butthe best effect was achieved with the combined diets. DASH diet lowers bloodpressure: systolic an average of 6 mm Hg, diastolic - 3 mm Hg. This is more obviousfor people with high blood pressure: systolic blood pressure wasdecreased by an average of 11 mm Hg, diastolic - 6 mm Hg.