Here’s a shocker: almost 50% of all Americans struggle with high blood pressure. For those of you who aren’t so great at math, that adds up to a whopping 103 million adults.
Wondering how to get heart-healthy fast?
If so, then it’s probably time to try the DASH diet. Learn about the deets on the DASH diet here!
The Details on the DASH Diet
First things first: your blood pressure tends to rise and fall throughout the entire day. While this might seem harmless, it can actually cause damage to your heart over time. Not only that, but if your blood pressure stays high for far too long, it can lead to serious health problems too.
To combat this astronomic rise in hypertension, the DASH diet was created. Contrary to popular belief, “DASH” isn’t short for “Kardashian” (unlike their flagship chain of stores). As a matter of fact, “DASH” stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.”
Without this dietary technique, you’re much more susceptible to illnesses such as heart disease and kidney disease. Not to mention strokes and blindness as well. And nobody wants that, right?
Dining on the DASH Diet
To get start dining on the DASH diet, you might want to stock up your fridge and pantry with the following foods:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Beans
- Lean meats
- Fish
- Poultry
Low in fat and high in fiber, the DASH diet is dedicated to low sodium foods. That includes limiting your salt intake to one teaspoon or less per day. Making sure that you’re getting enough calcium, magnesium, and potassium is also an essential part of this diet.
But get this – the DASH diet is so much more than a treatment for hypertension. On top of its healthy heart perks, it can also help you to reduce inflammation and lower cholesterol. Plus, it could even reduce your sensitivity to insulin.
How to Try the DASH Diet
If you’re feeling more like Rob than Kylie during quarantine, it’s never too late to turn your health around. Even though the DASH diet doesn’t include a list of specific foods to nosh on, it does suggest that you get your fill of food groups like:
- Whole grains – up to 8 daily servings
- Vegetables - up to 5 daily servings
- Fruits - up to 5 daily servings
- Dairy products - up to 3 daily servings
- Lean fish, meat, and chicken – 6 or less daily servings
- Seeds and nuts - up to 3 weekly servings
- Oils and fats - up to 3 daily servings
- Sugars - 6 or less weekly servings
For the best results, you should try to pair the DASH diet with a healthy dose of regular exercise. All that it takes is 30 minutes each day to reduce your likeliness of high blood pressure, stroke, and so much more. So, get out there and get moving today!