Tag Archives: dash diet

The DASH Diet is an Ideal Choice for Diabetics

The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, can be used for patients with high blood pressure and is often recommended for diabetics because of the potential to lower their blood pressure. The diet has been shown to reduce blood pressure in as little as two weeks. Diabetics usually have blood pressure issues and are more prone to complications such as kidney disease. Diabetics are usually put on a blood pressure lowering drug called an ACE inhibitor that has protective properties for the kidneys.

The DASH diet consists of lowering sodium intake to less than 2400 mg per day, eating fresh fruits and vegetables and carbohydrate sources coming from whole grains. It also includes proteins coming from lean meats, fish and chicken, and moderate amounts of fats such as olive oil and nuts. The DASH diet has been endorsed by the American Heart Association, The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and the Mayo Clinic. It also was used to form the new dietary guidelines. (more…)

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Sarah

US News Ranks the Best Commercial Diets and the Best Diets for Weight Loss

U.S. News and World Report is famous (and in some cases infamous) for ranking products, institutions and services of all kinds, be it cars, colleges or diets. Yesterday, they released diet rankings in a number of categories, most notably the best commercial diets and the best diets for weight loss. They also created a list for both the best diabetic diets and the best heart-healthy diets, and a list of best overall diets.

U.S. News reports that they spent six month researching diets, and then had a panel of 22 health experts score the diet on seven different criteria. The diet was judged on its nutritional completeness, its safety, its ability to prevent or manage diabetes, its ability to prevent or manage heart disease, short-term weight loss, long-term weight loss and how easy it is to follow.

It’s little surprise to us that Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig topped both lists, as multiple studies have shown these two diets to be effective. Below are the top eight diets from the best commercial diets and the best diets for weight loss.

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Posted on June 9, 2023 by Margaret

New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Continue to Endorse DASH Diet

Every five years, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is reviewed and updated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health. The 2024 guidelines were published today, and not only outline what foods are best for us, but also for the first time give advice on what foods to avoid.

In the introductory summary of the document, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH diet) is singled out as an eating plan that embodies the these updated dietary guidelines.

The DASH Diet is a way of eating that’s been proven to reduce blood pressure, and has also been recommended by the American Heart Association and the National Institute of Health. On this diet, you will eat lots of fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts, beans and whole grains. This eating plan will not only help to lower your blood pressure, it’s also a safe and effective weight-loss diet.

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Posted on February 1, 2024 by Margaret

DASH Your Way to a Healthier Heart

February is American Heart Month. It’s a time to bring awareness to heart disease and stroke, the number one killer in the United States, so you and the people you love don’t become a statistic.

Many people are not aware of the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), recommended by the National Institutes of Health.

In recent DASH studies, adding fruits, vegetables and dairy products lowered blood pressure readings – even when the sodium was as high as 3000 mg per day! Every millimeter the blood pressure falls reduces the risk of heart attack and strokes for people with high blood pressure. So believe it, small changes will get you big results. Your everyday decisions matter. (more…)

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Rebecca

Vegetable Protein Can Save Lives

You probably don’t know what glutamic acid is, but it could help with lowering your blood pressure. The acid is found in abundance in vegetable protein. This is just the latest research that supports the notion that vegetable proteins reduce blood pressure.

Researchers believe that these finding may explain why the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) helps lower blood pressure. The DASH diet is low in sodium and includes lots of vegetables, whole grains, and beans. Beans are also a great source of vegetable protein. (more…)

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Jason

How The DASH Diet Can Help You

Guest bloggers Garrett Berdan, RD, LD, and Bailey Peterka, dietetic intern, help you make the DASH for good health. The DASH Diet Eating Plan website was created by registered dietitians and nutrition educators at Nutrition Education Services/Oregon Dairy Council.

A new study highlights an additional benefit of the DASH diet to lower risk of heart failure in women.

The study appearing in the May 2024 Archives of Internal Medicine examined the incidence of heart failure in healthy women aged 48 to 83, and found that women whose diet was the most similar to the DASH eating plan experienced a 37%-51% lower rate of heart failure. (more…)

Posted on June 7, 2023 by GuestBlogger