Introduction
Everyone is looking to find a magical heart healthy eating style that works for them.
We hate to call them diets, as a “diet” implies a short term fix.
We need you to find a LONG TERM healthy eating style that works for you AND your family.
Dr. Lacey and I are going to go over a number of heart healthy eating styles over the next few months. I really wanted to start with the DASH style as it has alot of flexibility and is backed by a ton of good science and data.
What is the DASH diet?
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet has emerged as a nutritional powerhouse, garnering widespread recognition for its remarkable health benefits.
This style of eating was originally designed to combat hypertension, however, the DASH diet has transcended its initial purpose, proving to be a holistic approach to great heart health.
The DASH diet is not a new thing. The DASH was first published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in 1997 showing a reduction in blood pressure when people transitioned to this style of eating.
Here, Dr. Lacey and I are going to help unravel the multifaceted benefits of the DASH diet, delving into its impact on cardiovascular health, weight management, diabetes prevention, and overall nutrition.
Key Components of DASH
The DASH relies on alot of very common sense ideas for a heart healthy eating style.
DASH focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans and nuts. It puts a BIG EMPHASIS on reducing sodium (salt) intake and limits sugar and red meat intake.
Sound good? Yes, it does!
Additionally, it is low in saturated and trans-fat while promoting key nutrients that help control blood pressue, like potassium and magnesium.
Following the plan is relatively easy but it does require a bit of reading, prepping and planning.
First, decide on your caloried intake. We recommend 2,000 calories a day unless you are trying to lose weight→ then you will need to aim lower.
Then review the DASH serving guides and just divide those servings up throughout the day.
We are not going to spell out all the food, diet and recipes in this section but we will on future posts. For now, we recommend you check out these great sites for more detail info and recipes→ click here or here or here.
DASH Health Benefits
Our primary focus here is to review the big picure benefits of the style of eating.
The DASH diet has many healthy benefits, including:
Cardiovascular Health:
Hey, we are cardiologist- what did you think was going to be first on our list?
A few of the cardiovascular benefits include:
- Blood Pressure Management: Initailly, this was the primary expectation of this diet. Reducing sodium content and inreasing the consumption of potassium, calcium, magnesium and fiber-rich foods helps drive down your BP. Expect a 5-11 mmHg drop in your systolic blood pressure with adherence to this diet. This level of BP drop is similar to adding one new medication.
- Improved Lipid Profile: Better lipids too??? By emphazing the consumption of foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, this can help improve lipid profiles by lowering levels of LDL cholesterol and promoting a healthier balance of HDL cholesterol.
- Weight Management: Losing weight too??!? Yes, this style of eating does it all. DASH focuses on the consumption of nutrient-dense, lower-calorie foods, which can contribute to weight management. You will need to pick the lower calorie approach to really help see the pounds come off. The diet’s emphasis on portion control and mindful eating habits also contributes to a more intuitive and sustainable approach to weight management.
- Reduced Inflammation: We now know that inflammation plays a critical role in the health of your arteries. Inflammation can lead to heart attacks and strokes. The DASH diet’s emphasis on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provides anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Metabolic Control: The DASH diet, with its low-glycemic index foods and emphasis on complex carbohydrates, is a really effective ally in the fight against high blood sugar, the metaboic syndrom and even diabetes. By promoting stable blood sugar levels, the diet helps prevent insulin resistance and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. While the incorporation of fiber-rich foods supports optimal glucose metabolism.
- Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Well, when you add up all the cardiovacular effects of the DASH diet, you end up lowering your risk of bad things; heart attacks, strokes and death from heart disease.
Conclusion:
We really do love the DASH diet. It is a lifelong style of eating and nutrition that will make you a healthier person.
It’s a versatile dietary approach that you and your family can adopt that positively impacts your cardiovascular health with additional benefits of weight management, diabetes prevention, and overall optimal well-being.
Dr. Lacey and I like to think of food as medicine. The DASH diet clearly acts as a medication and has years of scientifc research to back it up.
