Originally designed and recommended by doctors and health experts for people with high blood pressure, the DASH diet has just been named by US News and World report as the Best Overall Diet, period.
“An independent panel of 22 experts, including nutritionists, dietitians, cardiologists and diabetelogists reviewed 20 popular diet profiles that were developed by reporters and editors at U.S. News and World Report. Categories were then created to rate the nutrition plans, including Best Weight-Loss Diets, Best Heart-Healthy Diets, Best Diabetes Diets, Best Diets Overall and Best Commercial Diet Plans.”
What does DASH stand for? It is an abbreviation for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension.
But it gets even better, because WebMD says that the DASH diet might also boost brain power! They cite a study that showed that people who followed the diet, “experienced a 30% improvement in brain function as well as lower blood pressure, improved their cardiovascular fitness, and lost an average of 19 pounds by the end of the study.”
DASH Diet Overview
The DASH diet is a pretty mainstream way to eat. When you are on it, you’ll eat a variety of servings of grains and grain products, fruits, vegetables, low fat or nonfat dairy foods, lean fish, meats and poultry, nuts, seeds and legumes, and even a limited amount of sweets and fats.
And if you’re interested, we have a series of posts about which foods lower blood pressure, which vegetables help lower blood pressure, and herbs and supplements that help reduce blood pressure.
Have you ever tried the DASH diet? Was it successful for you in relation to blood pressure and weight loss? Leave a comment.
CC Flickr photo of blood pressure testing courtesy of thenationalguard.
I have been told that I have high blood pressure and high colesterol. The latter is a shock as I have never had this before and my colesterol normally is very good, but the last few months our diet has not been as green or full of fruit as it was and we have ate some more stuff that are easy to have due to stress and some pressures on us. But my blood pressure has been up since September 2011 and dangerously so at first due to a sudden shock and stress and anxiety. I am sure that the latter is also connected to the former and if I eat to bring one down the other will follow. However, if I put greens back and nuts and so on, that is not the end of it. I will have high blood pressure until we stop losing our house!
I do not smoke and I do not drink and I do not eat fatty foods or food with high salt and I am not obese!
The tablets for the blood pressure are rubbish!
I actually feel worse on the tablets than I did before so I am stopping them when this first course is finished and I do not care what my doctor says. I want a natural alternative!
My blood pressure at the last meter was lower quite a bit but still high if no longer dangerous and I suspect that the other blood tests are also out of date as they were before Christmas. I hate the way when you say you have high blood pressure that people and doctors assume that I am some fat, unhealthy alcoholic, but nothing could be further from the truth. Stress and anxiety can also put your blood pressure up and my doctor has done nothing about these.
Are there also foods for lowering stress?
The DASH diet helps to naturally lower blood pressure. And it makes good use of your summer produce, since it is extra-rich in fruits and vegetables. The newest version of The DASH Diet Action Plan is not the version shown above. you can find the new book on our website at dashdiet.org.
American people! Just because you live in America does not mean you have to eat like America! Every culture has good and bad parts to it. The American diet happens to be the worse diet in the world when it comes to health and longevity. America, become unamerican and stop eating the poison! There’s plenty of good healthy food to eat. No one is asking you to starve! There is no reason why a boy or girl should have to be morbidly obese in the year 2019! Have you no self respect or sense of shame to even walk around on the street with a size 50 belt waistline? DAMM YOU!