The DASH Eating Plan

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension

Research has found that diet affects the development of high blood pressure, or hypertension. Recently, two studies showed that blood pressure can be lowered by following a particular eating plan called DASH - Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension - and reducing the amount of sodium consumed.

While each step alone lowers blood pressure, the combination of the eating plan and a reduced sodium intake gives the biggest benefit and may help prevent the development of high blood pressure. Those with high blood pressure may especially benefit from following the eating plan and reducing their sodium intake. But the combination is a heart healthy recipe that all adults can follow.

The DASH eating plan is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat, and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and lowfat dairy foods. It also includes whole grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts. It is reduced in red meat, sweets, and sugar-containing beverages. It is rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium, as well as protein and fiber.

Because it is rich in fruits and vegetables, which are naturally lower in sodium than many other foods, the DASH eating plan makes it easier to consume less salt and sodium.

Getting started:

It''s easy to adopt the DASH eating plan. Here are some ways to get started:

1. Change gradually.

• If you now eat one or two vegetables a day, add a serving at lunch and another at dinner.
• If you don''t eat fruit now or have only juice at breakfast, add a serving to your meals or have it as a snack.
• Gradually increase your use of fat-free and low-fat dairy products to three servings a day. For example, drink milk with lunch or dinner, instead of soda, sugar-sweetened tea, or alcohol. Choose low-fat (1 percent) or fat-free (skim) dairy products to reduce your intake of saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol, and calories.
• Read food labels on margarines and salad dressings to choose those lowest in saturated fat and trans fat.

2. Treat meat as one part of the whole meal, instead of the focus.

• Limit meat to 6 ounces a day (2 servings) - all that''s needed. Three to four ounces is about the size of a deck of cards.
• If you now eat large portions of meat, cut them back gradually - by a half or a third at each meal.
• Include two or more vegetarian-style (meatless) meals each week.
• Increase servings of vegetables, rice, pasta, and dry beans in meals. Try casseroles and pasta, and stir-fry dishes, which have less meat and more vegatables, grains, and dry beans.

3. Use fruits or other foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories as desserts and snacks.

• Fruits and other low-fat foods offer great taste and variety. Use fruits canned in their own juice. Fresh fruits require little or no preparation. Dried fruits are a good choice to carry with you or to have ready in the car.
• Try these snack ideas: unsalted pretzels, nuts mixed with raisins, graham crackers, low-fat and fat-free yogurt and frozen yogurt, popcorn with no salt or butter added, and raw vegetables.

4. Try these other tips:

• Choose whole grain foods to get added nutrients, such as minerals and fiber. For example, choose whole wheat bread or whole grain cereals.
• If you have trouble digesting dairy products, try taking lactase enzyme pills or drops (available at drugstores and groceries) with dairy foods.
• Use fresh, frozen, or no-salt-added canned vegetables.

Sample menu:

Breakfast:

Bran cereal with banana slices

Whole wheat bread (one slice) with jelly

Fruit yogurt (fat-free, no sugar added)

Fat-free milk

Lunch:

Chicken salad (including chicken, cucumber, tomato, fat-free ranch dressing)

Whole-wheat bread

Dijon mustard

Fruit cocktail

Dinner:

Eye of round beef (3 oz.)

Low-fat beef gravy

Green beans

Small baked potato (with fat-free sour cream, reduced-fat grated cheese, and chopped scallions)

Whole-wheat roll

Margarine

Apple

Fat-free milk

Snack:

Unsalted almonds

Raisins

Orange Juice

Tips to reduce salt and sodium:

• Use reduced sodium or no-salt-added products. For example, choose low- or reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of foods and condiments when available.
• Buy fresh, plain frozen, or canned with no-salt-added vegetables.
• Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned, smoked, or processed types.
• Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.
• Limit cured foods (such as bacon and ham), foods packed in brine (such as pickles, pickled vegetables, olives, and sauerkraut), and condiments (such as MSG, mustard, horseradish, catsup, and barbecue sauce). Limit even lower sodium versions of soy sauce and teriyaki sauce - treat these condiments as you do table salt.
• Use spices instead of salt. In cooking and at the table, flavor foods with herbs, spices, lemon, lime, vinegar, or salt-free seasoning blends. Start by cutting salt in half.
• Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.
• Choose "convenience" foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, mixed dishes such as pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings - these often have a lot of sodium.
• Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium.
• Know the terms that indicate high sodium content: pickled, cured, soy sauce, broth.
• Move the salt shaker away.
• Choose fruits or vegetables instead of salty snack foods.

For more information on the DASH eating plan, including a week''s worth of sample menus, recipes, and heart healthy dishes, visit the website of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by clicking here.