The DASH diet is a dietary pattern promoted by the U.S.-based National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to prevent and control hypertension. Apart from lowering blood pressure it also helps in managing diabetes and obesity. The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods and the pattern is quite similar to Indian Ayurveda and natural medicine system.
DASH means Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and is an eating plan to lower or control high blood pressure. The DASH diet emphasizes foods that are lower in sodium as well as foods that are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium — nutrients that help lower blood pressure. DASH suggests that you:
- eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods
- keep your diet low in total and saturated fats
- DASH is a healthy eating plan. DASH lowers weight and blood pressure in a natural way. DASH also help manage diabetes.
Sodium is the key mineral which increases blood pressure, so to reduce high Blood Pressure, watch out for sodium, not just salt. Keep in mind, sodium in all its forms raises fluid buildup in the blood. This forces the heart to pump harder. It also places more pressure on the blood vessels.
You should aim for 2,400 mg of sodium each day. This is if you have diabetes and your blood pressure is normal. But if your blood pressure is high, you should eat even less. This advice is from the American Diabetes Association.
Load up on fruits and vegetables
If you have type 2 diabetes, the best way to lower or prevent high blood pressure is with changes to your diet. These changes will help in Diabetes management and may include:
- eat a low-sodium diet
- get plenty of fruits and vegetables
- eat low-fat dairy foods
- Get sodium-busting minerals
There is another key reason why the DASH plan works. It is because many of the foods in the plan are high in minerals. Minerals reduce sodium’s bad effect on blood pressure. These minerals include:
- potassium
- magnesium
- calcium
Fruits and vegetables which are high in potassium include:
- leafy greens (like spinach and kale)
- root vegetables (like carrots and turnips)
- fruits from vines
- whole grains
- bananas (a great source of potassium).
Low-fat milk and yogurt are also good to reduce blood pressure. These are rich in calcium. And they have potassium and magnesium as well. DASH diet plan is an effective technique to lower high blood pressure, reduce weight and manage diabetes. This plan is good for your overall health. I recommend this diet to almost all patients.