Everything You Need to Know About the DASH Diet

Only about half of American consumers have what would be considered a “healthy” diet. Most of the time, we rely on quick-access meals and snacks that are often high in calories, saturated fats, trans fats, salt, and way too much sugar. If left unchecked, these eating habits can lead to serious health concerns and added weight gain.

While there are all kinds of innovative eating plans you can follow to shave off a few pounds or reset your internal biome, a good starting point is the DASH diet. This diet improves your nutrition intake and helps alleviate the symptoms and seriousness of high blood pressure and heart conditions. 

The DASH Diet stands for the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension eating plan. It is the direct result of the National Institute of Health looking into the heart health and blood sugar measurements of American consumers.

Introduced in 1997, this DASH diet plan seeks to emulate many of the plant-based diet benefits of vegans and vegetarians while still allowing lean protein sources like chicken, fish, and beans. You can eat red meat or foods with salt and sugar, but they are at the bottom of the totem pole compared to other, healthier alternatives. 

The DASH diet best suits consumers looking to improve their medical health. This may be pursuing low blood sugar levels, a more regulated heart rate, and lowering the risk of heart attack and other cardio-related events.

It is an unfortunate reality that around half of the world’s population has high blood pressure (hypertension). That number goes up to 60% when you look at people over 60. The DASH diet is also an excellent alternative for those looking to improve their cholesterol levels and receive higher minerals and vitamin resources from the foods they eat. 

When you focus on a DASH diet plan, you are transforming the way you eat. Instead of ready-made meals found in the frozen section of your local grocery store, you are using natural foods to improve your nutrition intake. For example, on the DASH diet, you get:

• Plenty of vegetables, fruits, low-fat/fat-free foods.
• Way more whole grains, beans, seeds, nuts, and vegetable-based oils.
• A focus on lean meats like poultry and fish.
• Less salt, red meat, sweets, and sugary drinks like sweetened teas and sodas.
• Limited alcohol.

That may seem restrictive at first, but the menu is endless when you look at the wide range of foods you should eat. In turn, this lowers your sodium intake way down. When you use the DASH diet, you get way more potassium, calcium, magnesium, protein, and fiber. Instead of a high salt intake of 2,300+ mg, you shoot for under 1,500 mg daily.

Reducing salt intake in daily meals is one of the best (if not the most effective) ways to reduce blood pressure. In addition, lowering sweets and processed foods helps to reduce high cholesterol and the associated risks of cancer, diabetes, and other medical conditions. 

Every scientific and research-based diet that improves your overall quality of life emphasizes eating more fruit and vegetables. The DASH diet provides all the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and other macronutrients you need through fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. This is all encased in a balanced caloric intake regimen.

The DASH diet pattern reduces cardiovascular disease by up to 20% in any participant. It is one of the best ways to lower your cholesterol, which is directly linked to adult heart disease. As heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the U.S., switching to the DASH diet only makes sense. 

Unlike many other “fad” diets, sticking to the DASH diet is much easier. You are not eliminating entire groups of foods you love, simply no longer emphasizing them in your daily intake. The occasional ice cream or glass of wine is perfectly acceptable, but the focus on vegetables and fruit ensures you are changing the direction of gut biome and overall health. 

When you’re eating on the DASH diet plan, you are getting much higher levels of fiber, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and foods rich in antioxidants. Those components are all crucial to fighting the risk of cancer and directly relate to lowering your chances of a positive diagnosis. 

The DASH diet, when combined with regular exercise, makes achieving your ideal weight a breeze, like using a Redliro Under Desk Treadmill . A diet rich in fiber and natural foods instead of overprocessed meals helps make you feel full for longer – especially when combined with increased fiber. The more full you feel, the less likely you are to snack or overeat during meals. 

Best of all, there are all kinds of mouthwatering meals you can make on the DASH diet. It isn’t restrictive to the key ingredients you could want, from a heart-healthy chicken sandwich to pasta with fresh vegetables and a meat sauce. There are many ways to adapt your regular “favorites” for dinner with only a bit of effort.