Worried About Your Blood Pressure? Try the DASH Diet.
The DASH diet can reduce your blood pressure without medications and without giving up sodium.
If your blood pressure is higher than 120/80, chances are your doctor has talked with you about the risks associated with developing hypertension. This common condition affects about 1 in every 3 American adults, and can cause an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and vision loss.
Rather than resign yourself to a lifetime of blood pressure medication—and side effects—take action to control and even reduce your blood pressure by using the DASH diet.
What is the DASH Diet?
The DASH diet is based on research studies called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, which showed conclusively that following a healthy diet incorporating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or non-fat dairy, lean meats, and nuts and beans can reduce blood pressure by up to 10 points within 2 weeks.
The DASH diet is not a low-sodium diet; instead it relies on key nutrients like potassium, calcium, and magnesium, all of which are associated with lower blood pressure. Potassium in particular offsets some of the harmful effects that sodium has on blood pressure.
The DASH diet makes eating a balanced diet simple by telling you how many servings of each type of food (whole grains, fruits, lean meat, etc.) you should have per day or per week based on your recommended daily calorie intake. There are also meal plans available to make following the DASH diet even easier.
Other Benefits of the DASH Diet
Though blood pressure control is the primary objective of the DASH diet, it should come as no surprise that following this eating plan delivers many other benefits for your health. Research has shown that the DASH diet can:
- Reduce cholesterol
- Reduce the risk of heart disease by 18%
- Prevent heart attacks and strokes
- Reduce the risk of kidney stones by 45%
- Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Reduce the risk of colorectal cancer
- Aid with weight loss for individuals with metabolic syndrome
Want More Information About Healthy Eating As You Age?
If you are looking to improve your eating habits and your health, the DASH diet is an excellent place to start. However, as you age your nutritional needs will change and you may need to supplement your diet with a quality multi-vitamin and other nutritional supplements. Renew Man™ is an excellent place to look for quality supplements. Contact us today for more information about supplements, including injectable nutrients.
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