DASH diet talk
My name is Dr. Eric Roehm and I am a cardiologist.
This video is about the DASH dietary recommendations which are helpful for high blood pressure.
In fact these diet changes are as effective as a mild blood pressure pill.
The DASH diet is not a weight loss diet.
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, an ambitious goal.
It was first reported in a trial sponsored by the NIH over 10 years ago.
Later, it was shown that the DASH dietary changes combined with a low sodium diet was even better for lowering blood pressure.
A few years ago, another study made some tweaks to the DASH diet which made it even more effective.
I have made some simplifications for this video of the DASH diet that have made it easier for patients in my office to follow, as well as some other adjustments.
More details about these are available in a link described as the scientific background to the DASH diet if you are interested, but this isn’t necessary.
The best source of information on the DASH diet is usually a dietician locally and this is recommended to you if you have this as an option.
Now at this point, if you don’t have the handout for the DASH diet, please pause the video and print out the information labeled DASH diet handout before proceeding.
Have that sheet along with you as the talk proceeds.
Now, let’s review the essence of following the DASH diet.
The key to following a DASH diet is increasing fruit and vegetable intake.
Aim for at least 4-5 servings of vegetables per day. Aim for 4 servings of fruits per day.
If you are eating more fruits and vegetables than this already, please continue doing so Green vegetables, colored vegetables of all shades, and the crucifer family of vegetables are all particularly healthy. The more vegetables, the better.
In regards to fruit, one of your fruit servings can be a 100% fruit juice, but the rest of the servings should be the whole fruit.
Increased fruit and vegetable intake is not only associated with lower blood pressure, but with decreased risk of heart disease and decreased risk of cancer as well.
As far as what makes a serving, don’t worry too much in that regard.
A half cup of cooked vegetables makes a serving.
I would consider putting up the sheet about the DASH diet on your refrigerator as a reminder. Make it a game of seeing how many servings of fruits and vegetable you can eat daily.
And the goals for the DASH diet are not all or none.
Don’t be discouraged, if you increase your total of fruits and vegetables but don’t reach the numbers described, this still benefits your health and blood pressure, just not as much.
Beans, lentils, and unsalted nuts are also part of the DASH diet– have at least one to two servings a day from this category.
(One serving a day of this can be from unsalted nuts without added oil such as walnuts or almonds. A serving is 1 ½ ounces which is about 1/3 of a cup.)
Even if you are eating nuts, try making beans and lentils a regular part of your diet.
They are quite healthy and the vegetable protein present helps lower blood pressure as well as potentially having other health benefits.
For grains, make the breads and grains that you eat whole grain.
The very first item on the ingredient list should say whole grain like whole wheat, and not just wheat flour.
Examples include whole wheat breads and pastas, whole oats like oatmeal,
Brown rice & quinoa (KEEN-wah)
For meats, emphasize fish as well as white meat choices of chicken and turkey. When eating meats like beef, lamb, and pork, make the meats lean.
For oils, use oils such as olive oil or canola oil which are high in monounsaturated fats.
Use fat free or low fat milk products like milk or yogurt.
Preferably use skim, but definitely use less than or equal to a 1% fat content.
Two servings a day of dairy products are consistent with the DASH diet.
Limit sweets and added sugars to 5 or fewer servings per week.
For the DASH diet make a game of trying to eat at least 4-5 vegetables daily, and 4 servings of fruit daily.
Try to develop a practice of eating beans and lentils regularly as well.
Emphasize fish and white meat poultry as meat sources.
Unsalted nuts like walnuts or almonds are good.
Consider using oils such as olive oil and canola oil.
For additional information, there is also a web link to the NIH information on the original DASH diet.
There is also a book that I think is good in describing the original DASH diet.
More complete information would be available from a dietician locally.
If you haven’t seen the video on a low salt diet on this website, I recommend you consider viewing that video now.
Good luck in all your efforts. ---------------------------
The DASH diet for Hypertension by Thomas Moore, M.D.