High Blood Pressure Diet & Nutrition | HealthiNation

Learn how your diet can help you control your blood pressure.

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TRANSCRIPT:

What Is the DASH Diet?

The DASH diet stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension." It was developed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and has been proven to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and also help with insulin resistance.

The driving principle behind the DASH diet is watching serving sizes. Here are some tips and guidelines to help you make the most of the DASH diet in order keep your blood pressure under control.

Grains

For bread, one slice equals one portion. For pasta and rice, one-half cup is considered one portion.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are sources for two important nutrients if you are hypertensive-magnesium and potassium. One serving of a vegetable is typically one cup. An example of one serving of a fruit would be a medium sized apple, orange or pear.

Dairy

When choosing foods in the dairy category, look for information on fat content. With the DASH Diet, your fat intake needs to be low. For comparison, a whole glass of milk has 8 grams of fat, 2 percent milk has 5 grams of fat and skim milk has less than 1 gram of fat. For other types of dairy, like yogurt or cottage cheese, you can consider one cup to equal one service size.

Protein

When choosing protein sources, such as chicken, eggs, or beef, be careful about the amount of salt, or sodium, that is added to them. Salt raises blood pressure, so it's important to keep sodium levels low if you suffer from hypertension. A tip: When you go to the deli, try to get fresh turkey as opposed to the processed, which has a lot more salt added to it.

In terms of protein, you can use your hand to estimate healthy portion sizes. For an appropriate serving size of red meat, use the palm of your hand as a guide. For chicken, measure up to the first digit of your hand. For fish, you can use your entire hand as a guide.

When it comes to eggs, one whole egg is one serving; or for the low-fat, low-cholesterol version, use two egg whites.

Fats

Fat is an essential nutrient. It helps control your body's temperature, protects your organs, and is excellent for your hair and for skin. Nuts, seeds, peanut butter, olive oil, and avocados are good examples of 'healthy' fats because they are unsaturated. Try to stay away from or limit saturated fats, such as butter and margarine, as they can work against your efforts to control your blood pressure.

This is just an introduction to the DASH diet. You should consult your physician or dietician to discuss your individual nutritional needs. Keep in mind portion sizes and work to avoid added salt when possible.

Sources:

The DASH Diet Eating Plan. Northbrook, IL.: Dash Diet Organization Amidon Press, 2009. (Accessed October 18, 2009 at http://dashdiet.org/.)

Your Guide To Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH. Bethesda, MD.: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 2006. (Accessed October 18, 2009 at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/dash_brief.pdf.)

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