The DASH Diet Plan - What You Need To Know

The Basics

"DASH" stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet plan is meant for those with elevated blood pressure. It also is a heart-healthy plan that you can share with your family.

This plan has more daily servings of fruits, vegetables, and grains than you may be used to eating. It also contains low-fat dairy foods and is lower in saturated and total fat. It is low in cholesterol; high in potassium, calcium, magnesium, and fiber; and moderately high in protein.

Things to Eat

The plan requires no special foods and has no hard-to-follow recipes. This plan is even richer in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods and lower in saturated and total fat than the standard food pyramid suggests.

The following is a list of food groups and suggested serving amounts for the diet:

  • Grains: 7-8 daily servings
  • Vegetables: 4-5 daily servings
  • Fruits: 4-5 daily servings
  • Low-fat or fat-free dairy products: 2-3 daily servings
  • Meat, poultry and fish: 2 or less daily servings
  • Nuts, seeds, and dry beans: 4-5 servings per week
  • Fats and oils: 2-3 daily servings
  • Sweets: try to limit to less than 5 servings per week

    They Claim It Works Because . . .

    The DASH diet helps to lower blood pressure by providing more key nutrients, such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium, all of which are associated with lower blood pressure. These key nutrients are boosted by including more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat or nonfat dairy in your daily diet. Some people see additional benefits by lowering sodium or salt in their diet.

    Some Opinions I Found

    The DASH Diet is recommended by:

  • The USDA's 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
  • The American Heart Association
  • The US High Blood Pressure Guidelines


    My Thoughts

    What can I say? This is probably one of the most sensible, easy to follow diet plans out there. And, it has a large, well documented scientific study to back it up. I couldn't find any one who had any negative comments about this diet. Go for it!



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