Did you know that 1 out of 3 people in Australia aged 18 and over suffer from high blood pressure a.k.a hypertension.
There are many risk factors for hypertension including: being overweight or obese, following a poor diet high in sodium and saturated fats, excessive alcohol consumption as well as physical inactivity.
If left untreated, hypertension can be a catalyst for an array of chronic health issues such as stroke, coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease and even heart failure. This is really quite confronting – the good news is however you can improve your cardiovascular health by simply making a few changes to your diet and lifestyle. Enter the DASH DIET.
What is the DASH diet?
The D-A-S-H diet is short for Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension and was developed as an alternative way to lower blood pressure without medication. It can be considered to be the American version of the Mediterranean diet.
Unlike fad diets which restrict and remove entire food groups, the DASH diet focuses on consuming fruits, vegetables, low fat or non-fat dairy, wholegrain, protein sources like fish, lean meats, poultry, nuts, seeds and legumes. Essentially this diet is high in fibre and low to moderate in fat consumption. It is a healthy way of eating which makes it easy and manageable for people as it accommodates for most people’s food preferences too.
How does the DASH diet work?
The DASH diet helps to lower blood pressure by reducing the amount of added sodium and saturated fat in your diet, and instead increasing your consumption of potassium, calcium and magnesium. These nutrients are key for improving and managing your cardiovascular health.
Other potential benefits include: weight loss, improve bone strength, reducing risk of developing cancer, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes to name a few.
The DASH diet provides you with an overview of how many “serves“ to eat in a day. Below is a general outline of what a typical DASH diet looks like.
6-8 servings of wholegrain per day
4-5 servings of vegetables per day
4-5 servings of fruit per day
2-3 servings of dairy products per day
4-5 servings of nuts, seeds, legumes per week
2-3 servings of fats and oils per day
Less than 6 servings of lean meat, chicken, fish or eggs per day
Less than 5 servings of added sugar per week
Who should follow the DASH diet?
The DASH diet is designed to be an easy to follow model and plan for anyone in the family from childhood right through to adulthood.
I am thinking of following the DASH diet, what should I do?
The DASH diet provides a great framework to begin your journey to improving your lifestyle. I can help tailor the diet to work around you, your current lifestyle as well as your preferences. In addition I provide support and will coach you through any concerns or difficulties that you may have. I can also help you understand what is a food portion and show you how to effectively prepare foods that you can freeze for busy times.
If your ready to take charge of your health and learn how implementing diet styles such as the DASH diet into your lifestyle, get in touch.
