Anyone in the Charlotte area attempting to improve their health or lose weight may want to learn about the DASH diet.
Simple to follow, the DASH plan offers those attempting to lose weight or improve their health what may be an easier way than they have tried previously. When using a new diet to improve health or lose weight, allowed foods must be appealing. The DASH diet offers foods people are familiar with and enjoy eating.
According to information published on www.cbsnews.com, the question “So what's so great about DASH?” is answered as follows:
Designed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, It's a diet aimed at preventing and lowering high blood pressure by eating healthy. It emphasizes a lot of the foods we've long been told to eat, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy. Those foods contain nutrients like potassium, calcium, protein, and fiber, which are key for fighting blood pressure - and can help trim waistlines too. DASH also ranked first as the best diet for healthy eating and people with diabetes.
For a diet to work for anyone needing to lose weight or improve their health, it has to be easy to follow. Diets that use hard to find items or foods people just don’t care for will not work.
Many want to know what the acronym DASH represents. One site for the DASH diet explains as follows:
DASH is the acronym from “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension," a clinical study that tested the effects of nutrients in food on blood pressure. The study showed that high blood pressure was reduced by a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and low in fats, especially saturated fat, and cholesterol. In addition to fruit and vegetables, the DASH eating plan suggests choosing only low fat dairy foods, and including whole grains, nuts, fish and poultry in your diet, while reducing fats, red meats, and sugar, especially in sweet carbonated drinks. It is recommended by doctors worldwide for people who have pre-hypertension or hypertension (high blood pressure). The DASH eating plan has been proven to lower blood pressure in as little as 14 days. Best response came in people whose blood pressure was only moderately high, including those with prehypertension. For people with more severe hypertension, who may not be able to eliminate medication, the DASH diet can help improve response to medication, and help lower blood pressure. The DASH diet can help lower cholesterol, and with weight loss and exercise can reduce insulin resistance.
High blood pressure often has no symptoms or warning signs. If it stays elevated above 120/80 mmHg over time and is uncontrolled, it can lead to heart and kidney disease as well as stroke.
The DASH Report I and its successor the DASH Report II shows that people who follow a DASH eating pattern have reduced risk of stroke and heart disease.
Those attempting to lower their blood pressure by following a healthy diet may prefer the DASH diet. An example of what foods are used in the DASH diet are listed on WebMD.com
All of the foods listed for the DASH diet plan are available in Charlotte. A trip to Atherton Market on South Boulevard in Charlotte will allow most shoppers to find all of the items they need for their DASH menu.
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