Dash Diet Cookbook: Recipes And Guide To Lower Blood Pressure, Lose Weight And Maintain Optimum Health

By Jean Simmons

Eat healthy & Lower High blood pressure!

It's indisputable! It has been proven time and time again! The DASH diet works! Therefore, if you are pre-hypertensive or hypertensive, DASH diet is what you need to lower your blood pressure within 2 weeks! And that's not all, DASH diet helps with weight loss and diabetes. It offers significant benefits for your heart and overall health.
As a matter of fact, the dash diet is your simple, non-restrictive and enjoyable diet plan with tremendous benefits for your metabolic health.  This book offers 100 dash diet recipes to enjoy while lowering blood pressure and keeping you healthy and fit. You will also save good money by avoiding medical bills from now till foever!
Inside it you'll find:
• 100 delicious DASH recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
• As well as recipes for smoothies, vegetarian and vegan, sides, soups and desserts
• Vital information you need to get you started on the DASH diet
• Vital information to help you maintain this diet
• And lots more

You need the DASH diet. You need this book!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mayorline
• Release date: Jun 7, 2018

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INTRODUCTION

DASH Diet And Health

One of the biggest risk factors to serious health complications is an uncontrolled high blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to more serious health issues like heart attacks, strokes, sexual dysfunction, kidney diseases, eye damage, bone loss (osteoporosis) and diabetes. This is because when blood pressure is high, the blood exerts too much force on the arteries walls as it pumps. Normal /regular Blood pressure reads 120/80 mmHg; any reading higher than this is considered high blood pressure. Sadly, 1 in 3 Americans adults have high blood pressure and the higher your blood pressure, the higher your risk of health complications.

There is good news however; and that good news is that an elevated blood pressure can be brought down by making a few lifestyle changes. One of these crucial changes is our diet.  The right diet will make significant impact on our blood pressure readings as well as aid weight loss. This is where the Dash diet comes in. The Dash diet is one of the best diets for our health. And that is no exaggeration. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the Dash diet as the best eating plan for all Americans. Additionally, the U.S news, together with a panel of health experts, evaluated 40 diets. DASH diet came out tops in many categories. It was  ranked the best diets overall, best weight loss diet, best diabetes diet, best diet for healthy living, best fast weight loss diet, best heart healthy diet, and the easiest diet to follow. Promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the Dash diet is also recommended by the National Kidney Foundation for people with kidney disease.

But what is this Dash diet? DASH is simply an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. DASH diet has been irrefutably proven to lower blood pressure significantly within 14 days! Since it is low in saturated fat, it helps to reduce the risk of heart disease and hypertension. It also promotes weight loss. DASH reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, especially when combined with weight management. It is a healthy eating plan that works best for diabetes and heart health. As a matter of fact, if you want to be healthy, then the Dash diet is for you.

DASH Diet involves eating plenty of fruits and vegetables as well as whole grain, meat, fish, poultry, beans, nuts and low-fat dairy foods. It is a diet that emphasizes plant-based foods that are loaded with powerful nutrients like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and fiber. These nutrients improve the balance of electrolyte in the body, enabling it to flush out excess fluid that promotes high blood pressure. Additionally, these nutrients helps the blood vessels relax well; which reduces blood pressure. People who are obese or overweight do not have enough of these nutrients. But by following a Dash diet, they take in these nutrients and are thus able to overcome their obesity and generally feel better about themselves. Dash diet works for short-term weight loss as well as long-term one. In some cases however, exercises or further carbohydrate reduction may be required to expedite the weight loss process.

DASH Diet And Blood Pressure

Since the concept of the Dash diet is to bring down an elevated blood pressure, we need to understand what this is all about. The normal blood pressure reading of a non-stressed adult is 120/80 mmHg. Two forces, the systolic and the diastolic pressure, pump blood through our bodies. They are measured by reference to two different numbers. The systolic pressure represents the highest point of pressure that is measured while the heart beats or contracts. It is the higher of the two numbers (120). The diastolic pressure, the lower figure, (80) is measured when the heart is resting between beats. It represents the low point of your blood pressure. Blood pressure is usually measured in millimeters of mercury and recorded as mmHg.

According to research, after 8 weeks of following DASH diet, a decrease in systolic blood pressure of about 6 mm Hg was recorded, and an average decrease in diastolic blood pressure of about 3 mm Hg was also noted. Patients with hypertension observed an 11 mm Hg drop in systolic blood pressure and a 6 mm Hg drop in diastolic blood pressure. DASH diet has been severally proven to be exceptional beneficial to your heart and overall health.

However, if you are on medication, discuss with your doctor before going on a dash diet. You do not want anything to interfere with the effectiveness of your medication. And if you start to feel sick after a few days of your being on this diet, revert to your original diet and see your doctor immediately.

Other contributory factors to reduce high blood pressure

1.  Increase physical activity

2.  Drink alcohol moderately

3. Increase potassium intake

4. Maintain a healthy body weight

5. Reduce sodium (salt) intake

DASH Diet & Low Sodium

Some people’s high blood pressure is caused by too much sodium intake. Thankfully, DASH diet is a low sodium diet that aims to reduce sodium consumption in two ways:

1.  The Standard DASH diet plan which permits a daily intake of up to 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium.

2. The Dash diet Sodium which involves limiting daily sodium intake to 1,500 mg. (about 2/3 teaspoon).

However, most people are advised to limit their sodium intake to 2,300 mg or less per day. But you can make gradual changes and measure your progress.  For instance, you could begin by limiting your daily sodium intake to 2,400 milligrams, which is about 1 teaspoon. After a while, seeing how your body has adjusted, you can reduce your daily intake of sodium to 1,500 milligrams, which is about 2/3 teaspoon. Do not forget to include sodium eaten in foods and food products as well as the ones you add at the table and the ones you cook with.

DASH Diet And Its Core Components

DASH diet is easy to follow, convenient and non- restrictive.  You can get your daily meal from each and every food group, even carbs. The focus is to reduce intake of salty, sugary and fatty foods as much as possible.

Eat:

More Fruits And Vegetables

More Low Fat Or Non Fat Dairy

More whole-grain foods

More Nuts, Seeds and Legumes

More Lean Proteins

Limit:

Foods high in saturated fat, transfats and cholesterol.

Sodium and red meats as well as sweets and sugary drinks.

Alcohol to 2 or fewer drinks everyday for men