High Blood Pressure is considered to be one of the growing concerns of most adults worldwide. Unfortunately, while many are aware of how rampant it is, very few actually have an idea on how to prevent it, or, at least, deal with it. For most medical professionals, one of the proven ways when it comes to dealing with hypertension is what is known as the DASH Diet.
What is the DASH Diet?
DASH in the DASH Diet actually stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Basically, the diet is based on three principles – increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products; the decrease in the intake of food items that are high in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol; and, the decrease in the intake of food rich in sodium as well as those with high sugar content. According to studies, undergoing the DASH Diet can greatly reduce your blood pressure in a matter of two weeks.
How should I go about the DASH Diet?
If you are interested in lowering your blood pressure level with the help of the DASH Diet, you need to understand first that the change in what you eat can be gradual, allowing your stomach and taste buds to get used to the new food items. For example, you can focus first on limiting the amount of sodium that your food has. Now, some of the tips that medical professionals would give you when it comes to DASH Diet would include the following:
- Make sure that your plate always has a serving of fruits,vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods. You can do this by adding a serving of vegetables during lunch and dinner. On the other hand, you can make use of canned or fresh fruits as your snack. In the case of the former, however, watch out for the amount of sugar used in the syrup or in the preparation of food.
- Increase your intake of foods that are made up of whole grains.
- Fish, poultry and nuts are also good for you but make sure you cook them in a healthy manner.
- If you are going to use butter, margarine, or salad dressing, try to cut back on the amount that you are going to use. If possible, go for a low-fat or fat-free condiments.
- Cut back on your meat intake to about 6 ounces per day
- Go for yogurt and unsalted pop corn as your snack options
- Read food labels. This would give you an idea whether the food you would be eating can be too much for your body to process efficiently.
Now, while watching what you eat can help you better deal with hypertension, it is not a fool-proof plan in preventing hypertension as well as heart attack. You also need to consider a number of other factors including how active your lifestyle is and your predisposition towards certain medical conditions. That being the case, you need to make sure that you also get yourself as well as those around you should something happen. This would include undergoing CPR training programs and having an AED on hand.
