1/19/09

Lose Weight and Lower Blood Pressure with DASH

Have you heard about the DASH diet? No, it isn't the latest crazy weight loss scheme to hit the market. It's a sensible eating program formulated by the US National Institutes of Health to manage high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. DASH is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The diet encourages the consumption of lots of unprocessed, nutrient packed foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean white meats and fish, while avoiding sugar, sodium and red meat. 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. Processed foods contain three quarters of the sodium found in the average diet. This is why the DASH diet discourages them. A large number of cases of hypertension are caused by excessive sodium consumption. Reducing your sodium intake by eliminating processed foods from your diet is a big step towards controlling your blood pressure and living a healthier, longer life.

The DASH diet isn't just for controlling hypertension. 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 diet was the outcome of numerous studies that looked at various diet programs and their results.

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 is actually quite critical, since dieting causes many people to start craving the junk food that they're used to eating. 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.

There's also a book of guidelines that has been published for the diet called Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH. 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.

As you can see, the DASH diet isn't the latest rapid weight loss diet to make the rounds. The results of much research has contributed to these dietary recommendations. It's endorsed by numerous experts and organizations in the field of health and nutrition. It's highly recommended for anyone who is having difficulties with high blood pressure. It's also ideal for people who are looking for a healthier approach to eating or practical, nutritional weight loss advice.

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