The dash diet is considered one of the most effective food-based treatments for high blood pressure
Developed with sponsorship from the National Institutes of Health, this healthy way of eating is a lifestyle change that can reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis, diabetes and obesity simply by changing your way of eating, however, the main focus of the dash diet is to gradually and sustainably reduce your blood pressure. You could see positive results in a matter of weeks.
Salt is not your friend
Although most people understand that sugar is not good for you, the idea that salt has a negative effect on our health seems harder to accept.
According to The Mayo Clinic, the dash diet encourages you to reduce your salt intake to between 1500mg a day on a lower sodium Dash diet and 2300 mg a day on the regular Dash diet. Less than a teaspoon of salt spread across all your meals throughout the day.
Salt has a direct influence on your blood pressure through the kidneys. When you eat a lot of salt, it prevents your kidneys from properly removing unwanted fluid from your cells.
Excess fluid can then cause high blood pressure and hypertension, which contribute to other serious health issues.
A sustainable lifestyle change
Unlike fad diets that are hard to sustain, the DASH diet doesn’t exclude any food completely. The trick of the DASH diet is that it is focused on portion control and learning to set limits for yourself when it comes to what you eat, when you eat it and how much you eat.
Although the DASH diet sounds exactly like the kind of quick fix, unsustainable diet you want to avoid, DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a lifestyle choice.
The DASH Diet prioritises fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and seeds and nuts sparingly while red meat, sweet treats and fatty foods can be eaten occasionally.
Should everyone be on the dash diet?
It is always important to discuss changes in your diet with your doctor in case there are health issues or medication that require you to eat a certain way, however, most people could benefit from the Dash diet because it not only corrects lifestyle diseases but can also be used to prevent them, especially if you are at risk of high blood pressure, hypertension and diabetes.
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While All4Women endeavours to ensure health articles are based on scientific research, health articles should not be considered as a replacement for professional medical advice. Should you have concerns related to this content, it is advised that you discuss them with your personal healthcare provider.
