What Is The DASH Diet?

The DASH diet was created in the 1990s to give patients a nutrition guideline to adhere to and help reduce blood pressure without medication.

An acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, the DASH diet has since been shown to help reduce blood pressure and lower blood glucose levels, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol level, and insulin resistance. It may also be helpful for weight loss. 

What is Hypertension? 

According to the World Health Organization, hypertension (also known as high blood pressure) affects nearly 1.3 billion people worldwide. Yet, despite being relatively common, fewer than 1 out of 5 people diagnosed with high blood pressure have it under control. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), half of the adult population in the United States with uncontrolled hypertension, who should be taking medication, are either not prescribed medication or are not taking their medication regularly. 

High blood pressure is a significant health issue as it may have silent symptoms, eventually leading to health events like heart attacks or strokes. In fact, hypertension is an important cause of premature death worldwide. 

The treatment of high blood pressure is often a mixture of diet, exercise, stress reduction, diagnostic testing, and medication.

And while we’ll talk about the diet piece next, always discuss it with your doctor and registered dietitian to see what the best treatment option is for you.

What Are The DASH Diet Guidelines?

The DASH diet encourages fruits, vegetables, lean animal proteins, nuts, dairy products, and whole grains. The recommended amounts of each of these foods to eat daily vary based on daily calorie needs.

The diet also recommends limiting foods high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

Here is the breakdown of the DASH diet guidelines for a 2,000 calorie diet

• Vegetables: 4-5 servings per day. Examples of a serving:
  • 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables
  • 2 cups raw leafy greens
• Fruit: 4-5 servings per day. Examples of a serving:
  • 1 whole fruit, about the size of your fist
  • 1 cup of berries or cut up fresh fruit
  • 1/4 cup dried fruit
• Low-fat dairy: 2-3 servings per day. Examples of a serving:
  • 1 cup of dairy milk, fortified calcium soy milk, or yogurt
  • 1/2 cup of cottage cheese
  • 1 ounce of cheese
• Nuts: 4-5 servings per week. Example of a serving:
  • 1/4 cup of nuts
  • 2 tablespoons natural nut butter
• Grains and starches: 7-8 servings per day (mainly coming from whole grains). Example of a serving:
  • 1 slice of bread
  • 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
  • 1/3 cup cooked pasta or rice
  • 1/2 an English muffin
• Meat, poultry, and fish: 2 or fewer servings per day, and no more than 4 whole eggs per week. One serving equals:
  • 3 to 4 ounces of cooked meat, poultry, or fish
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 egg whites
• Fats and oil: 2-3 servings per day. Examples of a serving:
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1/2 medium avocado
  • 2 tablespoons of salad dressing
  • 4 large olives
• Sweets: 5 or fewer servings per week. Examples of one serving:
  • 1 small cookie
  • 1/2 cup ice cream or sorbet
  • 1 tablespoon of jam or jelly
  • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
  • 1-ounce of dark chocolate
• 2,300mg or less of sodium per day or as recommended by your doctor or registered dietitian.

How can I flavor foods when cutting back on sodium?

Simple answer: herbs and spices!

Seasonings, other than salt, can be added to any protein to enhance their flavor. Be careful while adding them, as it’s easy to over-spice. Trust me, a little truly does go a long way.

Protein and seasoning pairings to use instead of sodium:

Beef: Basil, curry, dill, garlic, onion powder, nutmeg, parsley, pepper, rosemary, or sage.

Pork: Applesauce, basil, chives, cloves, garlic, rosemary, or thyme.

Chicken: Basil, cloves, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, parsley, saffron, sage, thyme, or turmeric.

Eggs: Curry, dill, dry mustard, garlic, nutmeg, onion, paprika, parsley, or rosemary.

Fish: Basil, curry, dill, dry mustard, lemon juice, marjoram, paprika, pepper, tarragon, or turmeric.

What About Caffeine?

The DASH diet does not give a guideline on caffeine intake.

Some studies have found that irregular caffeine consumers have an acute increase in blood pressure after ingesting caffeine. However, this increase was not seen in those who regularly consume caffeinated beverages.

But before you go and pour yourself a second cup of coffee, research has shown that individuals with hypertension experience an acute increase in blood pressure that lasts for 2 hours after consuming 200-300mg of caffeine intake (about 2-3 cups of coffee).

If you have high blood pressure, be sure to discuss your caffeine intake with your doctor and Registered Dietitian to see what is right for you.

A Day in the Life of the DASH Diet

Here’s an example of what a day practicing the DASH diet could look like for someone needing 2,000 calories per day:

Breakfast:

• 1 store-bought whole-wheat English muffin with 2 tablespoons of unsalted peanut butter.
• 1 medium apple.
• 8 ounces of fat-free milk.
• 1 cup of coffee (decaf if needed).

Lunch:  

• Spinach salad made with:
  • 4 cups of spinach leaves or your leafy green of choice.
  • 1 sliced pear.
  • 2 tablespoons dried cranberries.
  • 1/3 cup of slivered almonds.
  • 2 tablespoons of red wine vinaigrette.
• 12 reduced-sodium whole wheat crackers.
• 8 ounces of fat-free milk.

Dinner:  

• Baked cod, 3-4 ounces cooked (about same size as your palm).
• 1/2 cup of low-sodium brown rice pilaf.
• 1/2 cup of steamed green beans.
• 1 small sourdough roll.
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
• 1 cup of raspberries.
• Herbal iced tea (unsweetened).

Snacks: 

• 1 cup of fat-free yogurt of any flavor (look for yogurt with less than 13g of sugar per serving).
• 2-3 chocolate-covered strawberries.

Need extra recipes? 

The Mayo Clinic website is my favorite place to look for DASH diet-appropriate recipes.

There you will find delicious and easy recipes for meals, snacks, drinks, appetizers, breads, and sweets!

How is the DASH Diet Different Than the Mediterranean Diet?

Both the DASH and Mediterranean diets have been studied to help reduce blood pressure using healthier eating patterns. 

They both encourage fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lean animal proteins, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and heart-healthy unsaturated fats.

These diets differ because the DASH diet allows for more dairy and meat servings and has a greater emphasis on reducing sodium intake.

The Mediterranean diet stands out in that it includes more fat servings, in particular olive oil, and typically allows for moderate red wine intake (around 1 glass per day).

How Do I Begin The DASH Diet? 

Interested in trying the DASH diet out for yourself? Here are some tips for getting started:

• Next time you sit down to create your grocery list, start by taking a look at DASH diet recipes. Are there any you want to incorporate in your weekly menu?
• Make sure to add fresh (or frozen) produce to your grocery list, along with lean proteins like chicken and fish.
• To save money on proteins, consider buying family packs as they’re often a better deal for your money. You can then portion out any meat you won’t get to that week into freezer-safe containers or plastic bags. This way you can either thaw overnight to bake the next day, or cook in your pressure cooker or crockpot!
• Check nutrition labels for sodium and saturated fat. Looking at the Percent Daily Values (% DV) on the right hand side of the nutrition label, a product low in any nutrient will be 5% or less. A product high in any nutrient will be 20% or less. 

The Bottom Line 

High blood pressure is a common struggle for adults worldwide. When diagnosed with a medical issue, it’s normal to feel flustered and unsure about the next steps. 

The DASH diet is a researched-backed option for those dealing with high blood pressure or other hypertension-related medical issues.

In addition to diet, consider other lifestyle changes to help reduce blood pressure. These include stress reduction, medication use, limiting alcohol intake, regular exercise, and smoking cessation.

The next time you speak with your doctor, or Registered Dietitian, ask if the DASH diet would be right for you to help reduce your high blood pressure. 

Don’t forget, along with your food intake, you can also track your sodium intake on your Lose It! app.