DASH Diet: The Basics of a Diet Plan
The word diet inscribed on a measuring tape wrapped around a healthy smoothie
What is the dash diet? H stands for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. Since that’s such a mouth full, DASH works just fine for me.
The DASH Diet Guidelines Explained
What is the dash diet? H stands for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. Since that’s such a mouth full, DASH works just fine for me.
The dash diet action plan – Here’s what the DASH diet plan recommends for daily intake:
• 2 to 3 servings a day of low-fat dairy. This could be a cup of milk or low-fat yogurt.
• 6 to 8 servings of whole grains. A serving counts as a slice of bread, an ounce of dry cereal, or a half-cup of cooked rice or pasta, or cereal.
• 4 to 6 servings of lean meat, poultry, or fish. That means one ounce of cooked lean meat or one egg.
• 4 to 5 servings of fruits. This is an apple, an orange, a quarter-cup of dried fruit, a half-cup of fresh, frozen, or canned fruit, or a half-cup of fruit juice.
• 4 to 5 servings of vegetables. Look for a cup of raw, leafy vegetables, or a half-cup of cut-up raw or cooked vegetables.
Dash diet menu – On top of these daily recommendations, the DASH diet also includes 4 to 5 servings of nuts, seeds, or legumes a week. That could be one-third of a cup of nuts or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.
Lastly, people on the DASH diet should only have 2,300 mg of salt in a day, and just 5 tablespoons of added sugar a week.
Dash diet for weight loss – does this diet work? After 8 weeks of being on the DASH diet, experiment participants had their blood pressure measured. By and large, their blood pressure was significantly lower. For just 8 weeks of being on the diet, that’s a big deal.
DASH Diet Guidelines Made Easy Such a structured approach to food and eating isn’t for everyone. Instead, here’s a quick way to think about the DASH diet.
• First, think of your dinner plate as divided into quarters. • Non-starchy vegetables should make up a bit more than a quarter of your plate. When taking veggies for dinner, take a good amount. • Grains should also be a little more than a quarter. This could be pasta, for example. • Fruits should take up just under a quarter of the space. An apple would do nicely. • Meat and protein should take up the last less-than-a-quarter of the room. That means don’t always go for the ‘big piece of chicken.’ • A bit of dairy can be added with pasta sauce, a side of yogurt, or a glass of milk.
It’s safe to start out with rough guides like this when you want to ease yourself into eating better, slowly.
Why Follow DASH Diet Guidelines or Mediterranean Diet Guidelines?
I know this may be a lot to take in. TRUST ME! At the end of the day, the simple fact is, your health will definitely benefit from this plan. Not only does it consist of delicious foods and fruit such as lean meat, fish apples, and oranges but it is also meant for weight loss. For more information on the dash diet action plan, please click here!
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