Lose Weight and Lower Blood Pressure with DASH
Posted by ama, under Lose WeightPerhaps you've heard of the DASH diet, a nutritional approach to healthy eating that was created by the US National Institutes of Health. Its main purpose is to help control cholesterol levels and high blood pressure in people who suffer from these conditions. The name is short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The eating plan limits the intake of sodium and puts the focus on eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, fish, and poultry. It discourages the consumption of red meat, sodium, and sugar. In fact, this plan is actually one of the most healthy weight loss programs you can find today.
The diet also advises against eating too many processed foods. Once people learn to give up these overly processed products they often find that food has a much better flavor. The typical diet of people in western society gets 75 percent of its sodium from processed foods. That's why they are to be avoided when following the DASH program. A large number of cases of hypertension are caused by excessive sodium consumption. Lowering sodium intake through the elimination of processed foods is an important component of managing your hypertension and enjoying a long, healthy life.
It's not just people with high blood pressure who can benefit from the DASH diet. In addition, it places an emphasis on lifestyle makeover instead of restrictive eating that will help you towards your goal of achieving a healthy body weight. The DASH program was the result of a large group of studies that examined many popular eating plans and their typical outcomes.
This healthy lifestyle plan demonstrates to people what good eating habits look like. However, it also points them towards healthier substitutes for junk food. This component of the program is perhaps the most important, because when people change their eating habits, they start to long for their old low nutrient favorites. By substituting a healthier food that satisfies the body, people are less likely to cheat. With this valuable tool, people will be more likely to stay with the program until it becomes a habit.
Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH is the official guide book for the DASH diet. This guide shows the nutritional information for many foods and gives suggestions for healthy alternatives for the less nutritious ones. This useful reference tool also has great ideas for meal preparation that fit within the DASH recommendations, complete with nutritional breakdown. It also includes valuable resources such as places where people can find help to start the program, and other support mechanisms that are available to help you make it work.
The DASH program isn't just another fad diet. The results of much research has contributed to these dietary recommendations. This program comes highly recommended by many leading experts in the area of nutrition and health. For people with hypertension problems, this program is one of the most recommended ways to manage the problem apart from medication. People who are looking for weight loss advice or just want to eat a healthier diet overall will also find this plan useful.
