HEALTH INFO: Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH

by Dr. Don Rose, Writer, Life Alert
(based on a US Government (NIH) web article)

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People who want to be fit are almost always receptive to a dash of common sense now and then to help them reach their goals. For example, common sense says that losing weight means you must consume fewer calories and move more to expend more calories. In this article, we present another DASH of good advice, this time in regards to blood pressure. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, an eating plan that can help many people achieve or maintain healthier blood pressure levels. --Don Rose

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Some Facts about Blood Pressure

You may already know that what you eat affects your chances of developing high blood pressure (hypertension). Here is some great news: research shows that high blood pressure can be prevented — and lowered — by following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, which includes eating less salt and sodium.

High blood pressure, which is defined as blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg,* affects more than 65 million (or 1 out of every 3) American adults. Another 59 million Americans have pre-hypertension, which is blood pressure between 120/80 and 140/89 mmHg. This increases their chances of developing high blood pressure and its complications.

High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes your heart work too hard, hardens the walls of your arteries, and can cause the brain to hemorrhage or the kidneys to function poorly or not at all. If not controlled, high blood pressure can lead to heart and kidney disease, stroke, and blindness.

But high blood pressure can be prevented, and lowered, if you take these steps:

Follow a healthy eating plan, such as DASH, that includes foods lower in salt and sodium.
Maintain a healthy weight.

Be moderately physically active for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.

Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation, or not at all.

If you have high blood pressure and your doctor has prescribed medicine, take your medicine, as directed, and also follow the steps that will be outlined below. (Note: those who cannot lower blood pressure easily, for reasons such as chronic medical conditions, might consider getting a Life Alert system; many people with high blood pressure subscribe to Life Alert to protect themselves in the event of medical emergencies.)

The DASH Eating Plan

The DASH eating plan is rich in fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, and nuts. It also contains less salt and sodium; sweets, added sugars, and sugar-containing beverages; fats; and red meats than the typical American diet. This heart healthy way of eating is also lower in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol and rich in nutrients that are associated with lowering blood pressure—mainly potassium, magnesium, and calcium, protein, and fiber.

How Do I Make the DASH?

The DASH eating plan requires no special foods and has no hard-to-follow recipes. It simply calls for a certain number of daily servings from various food groups.

The number of servings depends on the number of calories you're allowed each day. Your calorie level depends on your age and, especially, how active you are. Think of this as an energy balance system—if you want to maintain your current weight, you should take in only as many calories as you burn by being physically active. If you need to lose weight, eat fewer calories than you burn or increase your activity level to burn more calories than you eat.

What is your physical activity level? Are you mostly:

Sedentary?
You do only light physical activity that is part of your typical day-to-day routine.

Moderately active?
You do physical activity equal to walking about 1.5–3 miles a day at 3–4 miles per hour, plus light physical activity.

Active?
You do physical activity equal to walking more than 3 miles per day at 3–4 miles per hour, plus light physical activity.

"A Day With the DASH Eating Plan" shows a sample menu based on about 2,000 calories a day. Increase or decrease the serving sizes for your own calorie level. This chart also shows the two levels of sodium, 2,300 and 1,500 milligrams, that DASH allows each day. Because fruits and vegetables are naturally lower in sodium than many other foods, DASH makes it easier to eat less sodium. Try it at the 2,300-milligram level (about 1 teaspoon of table salt). Then, talk to your doctor about gradually lowering it to 1,500 milligrams a day. Keep in mind: The less salt you eat, the more you may be able to lower your blood pressure.

Choose and prepare foods with less salt, and don't bring the salt shaker to the table. Be creative—try herbs, spices, lemon, lime, vinegar, wine, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table. And, because most of the salt, or sodium, that we eat comes from processed foods, be sure to read food labels to check the amount of sodium in different food products. Aim for foods that contain 5 percent or less of the Daily Value of sodium. Foods with 20 percent or more Daily Value of sodium are considered high. These include baked goods, certain cereals, soy sauce, some antacids—the range is wide.

DASH Tips for Gradual Change

Make these changes over a couple of days or weeks to give yourself a chance to adjust and make them part of your daily routine:

Add a serving of vegetables at lunch one day and dinner the next, and add fruit at one meal or as a snack.

Increase your use of fat-free and low-fat milk products to three servings a day.

Limit lean meats to 6 ounces a day—3 ounces a meal, which is about the size of a deck of cards. If you usually eat large portions of meats, cut them back over a couple of days—by half or a third at each meal.

Include two or more vegetarian-style, or meatless, meals each week.

Excellent Eating and Activity Actions

It’s a good idea to track your food and physical activity habits before you start on the DASH eating plan, to compare or to see how you're doing after a few weeks. To record more than 1 day, just copy the form. Total each day's food groups and compare what you ate with the DASH eating plan at your calorie level.

Also, increase servings of vegetables, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and cooked dry beans. Try casseroles and stir-fry dishes, which have less meat and more vegetables, grains, and dry beans. For snacks and desserts, use fruits or other foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, and calories—for example, unsalted rice cakes; unsalted nuts or seeds, raisins; graham crackers; fat-free, low-fat, or frozen yogurt; popcorn with no salt or butter added; or raw vegetables. Use fresh, frozen, or low-sodium canned vegetables and fruits.

Regarding physical activity, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. When your heart is beating noticeably faster, the activity is probably moderately intense.

DASH Hints

Be aware that DASH has more servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods than you may be used to eating. These foods are high in fiber and may cause some bloating and diarrhea. To avoid these problems, gradually increase the amount of fruit, vegetables, and whole grain foods that you eat over several weeks.

If you have trouble digesting milk products, try taking lactase-enzyme pills (available at drug stores and groceries) with milk products. Or buy lactose-free milk, which includes the lactase enzyme.

If you don't like or are allergic to nuts, use seeds or legumes (cooked dried beans or peas).

If you take medicines to control your high blood pressure, keep taking them. But tell your doctor that you are now eating the DASH way.

Other Lifestyle Changes

Making other lifestyle changes while following the DASH eating plan is the best way to prevent and control high blood pressure.

Lose Weight While Following DASH

DASH is rich in lower calorie foods, such as fruits and vegetables, so it can easily be changed to support weight loss. You can reduce calories even more by replacing higher calorie foods, such as sweets, with more fruits and vegetables. The best way to take off pounds is to do it slowly, over time, by getting more physical activity and eating fewer calories. To develop a weight-loss or weight-maintenance program that's tailored for you, talk to your doctor or registered dietitian.

Be Physically Active While Following DASH

Combining DASH with a regular physical activity program, such as walking or swimming, will help you shed pounds and stay trim for the long term. Start with a simple 15-minute walk during your favorite time of day and gradually increase the amount of time you are active. You can do an activity for 30 minutes at one time, or choose shorter periods of at least 10 minutes each. The important thing is to total about 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days. To avoid weight gain or sustain weight loss, try for 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity each day.

More Information

Contact the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) for information on heart disease and heart health.

NHLBI Health Information Center
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
Phone: 301–592–8573
TTY: 240–629–3255
Fax: 301–592–8563.

Also check out these heart health resources:

NHLBI Web site:
www.nhlbi.nih.gov
"Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005" and "A Healthier You":
www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/
"Your Guide to Lowering Blood Pressure With DASH":
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/index.htm
"Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure":
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/index.html
"Aim for a Healthy Weight":
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/index.htm

People with high blood pressure are at greater risk for serious medical emergencies. In order to stay protected in the event of home emergencies, people who have high blood pressure -- especially those who also have other conditions, live alone or are elderly -- should consider becoming a Life Alert member. Life Alert has many subscribers who have elevated blood pressure, because one push of the Life Alert help button sends assistance 24/7 in the event of medical emergencies, fire, home invasion and other dangerous situations – even if you cannot reach a phone. For more information about the Life Alert service, please visit www.lifealert.com.

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The original article on which the above article is based is from the US government. Hence, the information in that government article is in the public domain and, to the best of our knowledge, reliable and accurate. However, while Life Alert always strives to provide true, precise and consistent information, we cannot guarantee 100 percent accuracy. Readers are encouraged to review the original article, and use any resource links provided to gather more information before drawing conclusions and making decisions.

For more information about Life Alert and its services for seniors and younger adults nationwide, please visit the following websites:
http://www.lifealert.com
http://www.seniorprotection.com
http://www.911seniors.com