Written by Gayle Jennings, MS, RD, LDN, CDE

Have you heard the buzz about the DASH diet? No, it’s not a diet coined by the Kardashian clan. However, U.S. News & World Report routinely names it one of the best diets overall, including diabetic and heart healthy diets.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

What’s the big deal about hypertension?

More than 70 million American adults have hypertension (high blood pressure), and more than half of adults over age 60 have hypertension. It is estimated that 90% of Americans over age 55 will develop hypertension. That means all these folks are at an increased risk for heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, dementia and blindness, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. High blood pressure costs the U.S. $46 billion each year.

So, how can the DASH diet help?

DASH is a simple, straightforward approach to eating foods that are full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and low in sodium, fat and simple sugars. This diet doesn’t require special foods or complicated recipes.  By consuming foods that are high in calcium, potassium and magnesium, you can lower blood pressure. These minerals counteract the action of sodium in the blood, which is responsible for high blood pressure.

What types of foods does DASH promote?

Fruits and vegetables in a quantity that most individuals would find overwhelming at first are at the heart of DASH. A total of 8-10 combined servings of fruits and vegetables total each day is the overall goal for someone who consumes about 2000 calories. To meet this goal, eat a variety of fruits and vegetables for every meal and snack. Fruit can be fresh, canned in its own juice, or light syrup, frozen, 100% fruit juice or dried. Vegetables can be fresh, frozen, “no salt added” canned, or vegetable juice. The options are tremendous.

These fruits and vegetables are nutrient rich foods, leaving little room for empty calories, high sugar or fatty foods that we should avoid.

Besides the addition of a variety of fruits and vegetables, here are some other tips for incorporating the DASH eating plan into your diet:

1.)    Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy foods, such as skim or 1% milk and yogurt.

2.)    Go for reduced-fat or low-fat condiments and dressings and low fat, trans-fat free soft tub margarine.

3.)    Choose smaller portions of cooked fresh meats, poultry without skin, and fish. Avoid canned, cured, smoked or processed meats, which are high in sodium. A suggested portion size is 3 ounces cooked, or about the size of a deck of cards.

4.)    For dessert, choose fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruits with low-fat frozen yogurt, ice cream or sorbet.

5.)    Instead of salt and seasoning salts, use herbs and spices. Limit salty condiments such as ketchup, mustard, pickles and barbeque sauce.

It is exciting to think that what you eat can make such a big difference on not only blood pressure, but also weight, blood sugar and heart health. Learn more about the DASH diet here.

Gayle Jennings is a certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian with SIU Center for Family and Community Medicine.
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