The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is the result of a clinical study conducted by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to test the effects of diet on blood pressure. More an eating guide than a strict diet for blood pressure control, the DASH diet is designed to change your eating habits to lower your blood pressure. The DASH diet is the official blood pressure control diet recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the NIH has found that it reduces blood pressure even in hypertensive patients in just 14 days.
Assess Your Caloric Needs
The amount of calories that you need to ingest daily is largely based on your physical activity level, your age and your gender. To accurately assess your daily caloric needs, consult your physician or refer to the "Your Daily Caloric Needs" guide in the DASH guide (see Resources).
Increase Your Intake of Grains
On the DASH diet, whole grains comprise the largest segment of your diet. Depending on your caloric needs (1,600 to 2,600 calories per day), you will need six to 11 servings of whole grains a day (for a complete list of servings according to caloric need, refer to the chart titled "Following the DASH Eating Plan" found in the DASH guide in Resources).
A serving size of whole grains is roughly one slice of bread, one ounce of dry cereal or 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta or cereal. Examples of whole grains well suited for the DASH diet are whole wheat bread and rolls (with visible grains), whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, brown rice, unsalted pretzels, popcorn and English muffins.
Vegetables
Raw vegetables, cooked vegetables and vegetable juice makes up a large source of calories in the DASH diet at three to six servings (according to your caloric needs) daily.
A serving size of vegetables is 1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup of cut raw or cooked vegetables and 1/2 cup of vegetable juice. Optimal vegetables for a DASH diet are those rich in potassium, magnesium and fiber such as broccoli, carrots, collard greens, green beans, peas, kale, potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.
Fruit
The DASH diet requires four to six servings (according to your caloric needs) of fresh, canned, dried and juiced fruit daily.
One serving of fruit is roughly one medium fruit, 1/4 cup of dried fruit, 1/2 cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruit, and 1/2 cup of fruit juice. The fruit in the DASH diet provides potassium, magnesium and fiber, which are key to regulating blood sugar. Ideal fruits in the DASH diet are apples, apricots, bananas, dates, grapes, oranges, grapefruits, melons, peaches, pineapples, raisins, strawberries and tangerines.
Meat, Poultry and Fish
Meat, poultry and fish make up three to six servings (according to your caloric needs) of the DASH diet.
One serving is roughly equivalent to one ounce of meat, poultry and fish, or one egg. The meat that is best suited for the DASH diet is lean meat with the visible fat trimmed away and poultry with the skin removed. Meat, poultry and fish should be broiled, roasted or poached and rarely fried.
Nuts, Seeds and Legumes
Depending on your caloric needs, you may need as little as three servings of nuts, seeds and legumes a week or as much as one a day. Although they take up a small part of the DASH diet, it is important to incorporate them as they are rich sources of energy, magnesium, protein and fiber.
One serving of nuts is 1/3 cup of nuts or 2 tbsp. of butter. One serving of seeds is 1/2 oz., and one serving of legumes is 1/2 cup dry or cooked. Nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, chestnuts and walnuts, and all sorts of beans, seeds and peas make great additions to the DASH diet. High-calorie nuts and nut butters should be eaten sparingly.
Fats and Oils
Fats and oils are an essential, if small, part of the DASH diet at two to three servings per day (based on your caloric needs).
One serving of fats and oils is roughly 1 tsp. of margarine or vegetable oil, 1 tbsp. mayonnaise or 2 tbsp. salad dressing. Unsaturated (plant based) oils should make up the largest part of your fat intake on the DASH diet and should include items such as soft margarine and any variety of vegetable oil.
When totaling your fat intake for the day, be sure to take the amount of fat in the nuts and meats that you eat into consideration. As a loose rule of thumb, the DASH diet recommends that no more than 27 percent of your calories come from fat.
Sweets and Sugars
Depending on your daily caloric needs, there may be no room in your diet for added sugar, or allowances for up to 2 servings per day.
One serving of sweets is roughly 1 tbsp. of sugar, jelly or jam, 1/2 cup of sorbet or jello and one cup of lemonade. For serving sizes of other desserts, check the Nutrition Facts label.
Reduce Your Sodium Intake
There are two versions of the DASH diet that differ only in the amount of sodium recommended. The traditional DASH diet restricts caloric intake to 2,300 mg of sodium per day. The DASH-sodium diet further reduces the sodium intake to 2,100 mg of sodium per day and found that the largest drops in blood pressure were seen in those whose sodium intake was at its lowest levels--1,500 mg of sodium per day. The DASH-sodium diet is highly recommended for middle-aged or older and African-American individuals.
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