What is Dash Diet?

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and the diet was

developed for a research study in the early 1990s. The purpose of the study
was to identify a food-based strategy to lower blood pressure. Even though
the original research was quite a long time ago, scientists recently conducted
a meta-analysis for a DASH diet review to summarize how much blood
pressure can be reduced by the DASH diet. The study found, on average,
people reduce their blood pressure by 6.7 mmHg systolic and 3.5 mmHg
diastolic in just two weeks. The more sodium is restricted, the lower blood
pressure goes.

Recommended daily allowances of sodium in Dash Diet:

The National Institutes of Health's 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans recommend consuming less than 2,300 mg of salt each day as part
of a healthy diet.

POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF DASH DIET:

1. Lowers Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a measure of the force put on your blood vessels and
organs as your blood passes through them. It's counted in two numbers:
 Systolic pressure: The pressure in your blood vessels when your heart
beats.
 Diastolic pressure: The pressure in your blood vessels between
heartbeats, when your heart is at rest.
Normal blood pressure for adults is a systolic pressure below 120 mmHg and
a diastolic pressure below 80 mmHg. This is normally written with the
systolic blood pressure above the diastolic pressure, like this: 120/80.
People with a blood pressure reading of 140/90 are considered to have high
blood pressure.
Interestingly, the DASH diet demonstrably lowers blood pressure in both
healthy people and those with high blood pressure.
 2. Promote weight loss:
The DASH diet is rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium, and fiber; and has a
low content of sodium (salt) and saturated fat. Adding more of these
nutrients improve the electrolyte balance in the body, allowing it to excrete
excess fluid that contributes to high blood pressure. These nutrients also
promote relaxation of the blood vessels, reducing blood pressure. These
nutrients are often deficient in overweight and obese people, so the DASH
diet can help correct those deficiencies and help people feel better. By itself,
some people may lose weight with the DASH diet, but most will need to add
exercise or further reduce carbohydrates to see big weight losses. The good
news for people with diabetes, prediabetes, or insulin resistance is that the
DASH diet does improve insulin sensitivity.

3. Decreases cancer risk: A recent review indicated that people

following the DASH diet had a lower risk of some cancers, including
colorectal and breast cancer.
4. Lowers metabolic syndrome risk: Some studies note that the
DASH diet reduces your risk of metabolic syndrome by up to 81%.
5. Lowers diabetes risk: The diet has been linked to a lower risk of
type 2 diabetes. Some studies demonstrate that it can improve insulin
resistance as well.
6. Decreases heart disease risk: In one recent review in women,
following a DASH-like diet was associated with a 20% lower risk of
heart disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke.

FOODS AVOIDED FOODS INCLUDED

 Fatty meats,  Fruits and vegetables,
 Full-fat dairy products,  Low-fat or non-fat dairy,
 Sugar-sweetened beverages,  Beans,
 Sweets,  Nuts.
 Sodium (salt).
 IMPORTANCE OF DASH DIET:
Starting DASH doesn’t mean making drastic changes overnight. Instead,
begin by making whatever small changes seem most manageable to you.
For example:
1. Add one vegetable or fruit serving to every meal.
2. Introduce two or more meat-free meals each week.
3. Use herbs and spices to make food tastier without the salt.
4. Snack on almonds or pecans instead of a bag of chips.
5. Switch white flour to whole-wheat flour when possible.
6. Take a 15-minute walk after lunch or dinner (or both).

SAMPLE MENU FOR ONE WEEK:

Here’s an example of an one week meal plan based on 2000 calories/day for
the regular dash diet.
DAY BREAKFAST MID LUNCH EVENING DINNER
MORN TIFFIN
ING
MONDA 1 cup (90 1 Tuna and 1 3 ounces (85
Y grams) of mediu mayonnaise medium ba grams) of
oatmeal m sandwich nana. lean chicken
with 1 cup apple made with 2 breast
cooked in 1
(240 ml) of and 1 slices of
teaspoon (5
skim milk, ½ cup whole-grain
ml) of
cup (75 (285 bread, 1
vegetable oil
grams) of grams) tablespoon
with 1/2 cup
blueberries of low- (15 grams)
(75 grams)
of
and ½ cup fat each of
mayonnaise
(120 ml) of yogurt. broccoli and
, 1.5 cups
fresh carrots.
(113 grams)
orange Served with
of green
juice. 1 cup (190
salad and 3
grams) of
ounces (80
brown rice.
grams) of
canned
tuna.
TUESDA 2 slices of 1 3 ounces 1/2 cup (30 3 ounces (85
Y whole- mediu (85 grams) grams) of grams)
wheat toast m of lean canned of salmon co
with 1 banan chicken peaches oked in 1
teaspoon a. breast with and 1 cup teaspoon (5
(4.5 grams) 2 cups (150 (285 ml) of
of grams) of grams) of vegetable oil
margarine, green low-fat with 1 cup
1 salad, 1.5 yogurt. (300 grams)
tablespoon ounces (45 of
(20 grams) grams) of boiled potato
of jelly or low-fat es and 1.5
jam, 1/2 cheese and cups (225
cup (120 1 cup (190 grams) of
ml) of fresh grams) of boiled
orange brown rice. vegetables.
juice and 1
medium
apple.
WEDNES 1 cup (90 1 2 slices of 4 whole- 6 ounces
DAY grams) of mediu whole- grain (170 grams)
oatmeal m wheat crackers of cod fillet, 1
with 1 cup orang bread, 3 with 1.5 cup (200
(240 ml) of e. ounces (85 ounces (45 grams) of
skim milk grams) of grams) mashed
and 1/2 cup lean turkey, of cottage potatoes, 1/2
(75 grams) 1.5 ounces cheese an cup (75
of (45 grams) d 1/2 cup grams) of
blueberries. of low-fat (75 grams) green peas
1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 of canned and 1/2 cup
(120 ml) of cup (38 pineapple. (75 grams)
fresh grams) of of broccoli.
orange green salad
juice. and 1/2 cup
(38 grams)
of cherry
tomatoes.
THURSD 1 cup (90 1 Salad made 1/2 cup (30  3
AY grams) of mediu with 4.5 grams) of
ounces
oatmeal m ounces canned
with 1 cup banan (130 grams) pears and (85
(240 ml) of a. of grilled 1 cup (285 grams)
skim milk tuna, 1 grams) of of pork
and 1/2 cup boiled egg, low-fat yog
fillet
(75 grams) 2 cups (152 urt.
 of raspberri grams) of with 1
es. 1/2 cup green
cup
(120 ml) of salad, 1/2
fresh cup (38 (150
orange grams) of grams)
juice. cherry of
tomatoes
mixed
and 2
tablespoons vegeta
(30 ml) of bles
low-fat and 1
dressing.
cup
(190
grams)
of
brown
rice.

FRIDAY 2 boiled 1 2 slices of 1 cup of  Spaghetti an

eggs, 2 mediu whole- fruit salad. d meatballs
slices of m wheat toast, made with 1
turkey baco apple. 1 cup (190
n with 1/2 tablespoon grams) of
cup (38 of low-fat spaghetti
grams) of mayonnaise and 4
cherry , 1.5 ounces (115
tomatoes, ounces (45 grams) of
1/2 cup (80 grams) of minced
grams) of low-fat turkey. 1/2
baked cheese, 1/2 cup (75
beans and cup (38 grams) of
2 slices of grams) of green peas
whole- salad on the side.
wheat greens and
toast, plus 1/2 cup (38
1/2 cup grams) of
(120 ml) of cherry
fresh tomatoes.
orange
juice.
SATURD 2 slices of 1 3 ounces 1/2 cup (30 3 ounces (85
whole- mediu (85 grams) grams) of grams) of
AY wheat toast m of grilled mixed pork steak
with 2 apple. chicken, 1 berries and and 1 cup
tablespoon cup (150 1 cup (285 (150 grams)
s (40 grams) of grams) of of ratatouille
grams) roasted low-fat with 1 cup
of peanut vegetables yogurt. (190 grams)
butter, 1 and 1 cup of brown
medium (190 rice, 1/2 cup
banana, 2 grams) cou (40 grams) of
tablespoon scous. lentils and
s (16 1.5 ounces
grams) of (45 grams) of
mixed low-fat
seeds and cheese.
1/2 cup Low-fat
(120 ml) of chocolate
fresh pudding.
orange
juice.
SUNDAY 1 cup (90 1 Chicken 1 banana 3 ounces of
grams) of mediu salad made and 1/2 roast beef
oatmeal m with 3 cup (70 with 1 cup
with 1 cup pear. ounces (85 grams) of (150 grams)
(240 ml) of grams) of almonds. of boiled
skim milk, lean potatoes, 1/2
1/2 cup (75 chicken cup (75
grams) of breast, 1 grams) of
blueberries tablespoon broccoli and
and 1/2 cup of 1/2 cup (75
(120 ml) of mayonnaise grams)
fresh , 2 cups of green
orange (150 grams) peas.
juice. of green
salad, 1/2
cup (75
grams) of
cherry
tomatoes,
1/2
tablespoon
(4 grams)
of seeds an
d 4 whole-
grain
 crackers.

DRAWBACKS OF DASH DIET:

Hard to Maintain. Those who eat a typical American diet may have a hard
time adjusting to the DASH plan. The program recommends that you cut your
salt intake to 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day and potentially to 1,500
milligrams per day.
1. Hard to maintain
2. No convenience foods
3. No organized support
4. Requires substantial food tracking
5. Not designed for weight loss
6. May not be appropriate for everyone