Have you ever heard of the dash diet? This fairly new and popular diet is one way to lower your blood pressure. Many people, therefore, try it out with the hope of new-found health. But how does the dash diet work? And what should we know about this?
In this article, we look at the dash diet, how it works, and give you some interesting facts about this diet.
What is the dash diet?
The dash diet is short for: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This translates to “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”. The diet has been specially developed to lower blood pressure through a healthy diet. The diet mainly focuses on eating whole grains, lean meat products, vegetables, and fruits. Another important part of the diet is that you eat less salt. You get about 1 tsp of salt per day in total.The main purpose of this diet is to lower your blood pressure, but there are also possible other benefits. It can also support you when you want to lose weight and may also reduce the risk of diabetes. The last two benefits are not common to everyone.
Interesting facts about the dash diet
The dash diet is not as well known as other diets are today. Yet there are many benefits associated with it and following this diet is not that difficult at all. We have collected some interesting facts for you so that you can see for yourself what the dash diet can do for your body.1. Your salt intake has a significant influence on the diet
From experiments with the dash diet shows that you can reduce a lot without restrictions on your salt intake your blood pressure. However, people who also eat less salt often have an even greater drop in their blood pressure.
2. The origin of the dash diet
The dash diet was developed after researchers found that vegetarians and vegans are much less likely to suffer from high blood pressure than people who eat meat.
3. Dash Diet Recipes
You don't necessarily need recipes to follow the dash diet, as long as you stick to a few guidelines. It is important to eat as many whole-grain products as possible, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, and an average amount of lean meats (such as poultry). You can also choose to take meat substitutes as a protein source during this diet. If you use animal milk products, choose the lean version instead of the full-fat version.
4. You can drink coffee
Although caffeine temporarily causes a rise in your blood pressure, drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee per day cannot harm this diet. However, if you've been suffering from high blood pressure for a long time, it's important to keep an eye on your caffeine intake and perhaps try decaf or tea.
