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The DASHing Way to Lower High Blood Pressure and Improve Heart Health
What Is the DASH diet?
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) started out as a clinical study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The results, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, showed that a diet reduced in total and saturated fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods can significantly lower blood pressure. In fact, for those who had high blood pressure, the DASH diet lowered pressure as effectively as did blood pressure medications.
The DASH diet is also low in cholesterol, high in dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and moderately high in protein. In other words, a healthy diet for just about anyone!
The DASH eating plan shown below is based on 2,000 calories a day. Depending on your caloric needs, you may require more, or fewer, daily servings in the various food groups.
Total number of servings in 2,000-calorie/day menu
| Food Group |
Servings |
| Grains |
8 |
| Vegetables |
4 |
| Fruits |
5 |
| Low-fat Dairy Foods |
3 |
| Meats, Poultry, & Fish |
2 |
| Nuts, Seeds, & Legumes |
1 |
| Added Fats & Oils |
2.5 |
| Food Group |
Daily Servings |
Example of Serving |
Examples of foods |
Significance |
| Grains & grain products |
7-8 |
1 slice bread, 1/2 C dry cereal, 1/2 C cooked rice, pasta, or cereal |
whole wheat bread, English muffin, pita bread, bagel, cereals, grits, oatmeal |
major sources of energy and fiber |
| Vegetables |
4-5 |
1 C raw leafy vegetable, 1/2 C cooked vegetable, 6 oz vegetable juice |
tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, peas, squash, broccoli, turnip greens, collards, kale, spinach, artichokes, sweet potatoes, beans |
rich sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber |
| Fruits |
4-5 |
6 oz fruit juice, 1 medium fruit, 1/4 C dried fruit, 1/2 C fresh, frozen, or canned fruit |
apricots, bananas, dates, oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, grapefruit juice, mangoes, melons, peaches, pineapples, prunes, raisins, strawberries, tangerines |
important sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber |
| Low fat or nonfat dairy foods |
2-3 |
8 oz milk, 1 C yogurt, 1.5 oz cheese |
skim or 1% milk, skim or low-fat buttermilk, nonfat or low-fat yogurt, part skim mozzarella cheese, nonfat cheese |
major sources of calcium and protein |
| Meats, poultry and fish |
2 or less |
3 oz cooked meats, poultry, or fish |
select only lean; trim away visible fats; broil, roast, or boil, instead of frying; remove skin from poultry |
rich sources of protein and magnesium |
| Nuts, seeds, and legumes |
4-5 per week |
1.5 oz or 1/3 C nuts, 1/2 oz or 2 Tbsp seeds, 1/2 C cooked legumes |
almonds, filberts, mixed nuts, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, kidney beans, lentils |
rich sources of energy, magnesium, potassium, protein, and fiber |
The DASH Diet Sample Menu
based on 2,000 calories/day
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