DASH Diet – Best for Hypertension and Overall Health
It’s February – how is that New Year’s resolution to be healthy holding up? Have you joined a gym, made healthy food choices or started to take the stairs at work? It’s all steps in the right direction to a healthy 2012. Diets can be a difficult part of any new year’s resolution to hold on to; luckily there are some new resources available to help keep you on track.
Hypertension patients know a healthy diet is necessary for their overall health. But did you know the National Institute of Health (NIH) developed a diet specific for lowering blood pressure without medication? DASH stands for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, and is based on some pretty straight forward tips:
- Whole Grains, not white/processed Carbs
- Lean Meats, Fish and Poultry (no fried chicken here!)
- Fruits, Vegetables
- Low and non-fat dairy
The DASH Diet was named “best diet overall” according to U.S. News & Reports 2012 Diet Rankings.
All of the recipes and tips are smart for anyone looking to make healthy choices, not just those with high blood pressure. Good news for those interested in the DASH diet- it’s available for free on the NIH’s official website.
Check the pulse of your new year’s resolution and be sure to make healthy decisions to manage your hypertension all year round.