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

POSITSCIENCE.COM: FITNESS PROGRAMS FOR BRAIN GAIN; THINK FASTER, FOCUS BETTER

We wanted to alert you to this website, which seems like a great place to achieve some brain gain with little pain: www.positscience.com. The PositScience slogan is, "Your brain will thank you." One program grad quoted on their site says that the PositScience program "expanded [his] brain power" and "sharpened [him] as an individual." High praise, indeed.

The first item featured on the PositScience site's Products list is the Brain Fitness Program Classic (TM), "Posit Science’s original program for the auditory system of the brain," which is now available for both the PC and the Mac OS X operating system. This program "features six computer-based exercises" that are "designed to speed up auditory processing, improve working memory, and encourage the brain to produce more of the chemicals that help it remember."

What results can one expect by using this Brain Fitness Program? The site cites "clinical trials that demonstrate it speeds up auditory processing by 131%, improves memory by an average of 10 years, and more." Sounds quite impressive. More information at http://www.positscience.com/products/brain_fitness_program.

Another product featured on the website is InSight, "Posit Science’s program for the visual system of the brain." More information at http://www.positscience.com/products/cortex.

Programs such as those offered by PositScience are becoming increasingly important for seniors as average lifespans continue to increase every year. The media often touts the crucial role of physical exercise, and while it is certainly important, mental exercise is just as vital for maintaining a healthy life.

Just as mental fitness, via systems like those offered by PositScience, enables seniors to maintain an independent lifestyle well into their advanced years, protection systems like Life Alert also enable independence to be maintained. With a fit body, sharp mind and protection against emergencies, today's seniors can increasingly put off or even eliminate the need to move to retirement homes, and instead choose to keep living with independence in their own homes.

Welcome to our new Life Alert Medical Alarm Blog! Feedback Welcome

We encourage all readers to contribute if they would like, and come back often to check out our new content, updated periodically. Any suggestions or feedback are always appreciated. Topics we will cover include medical alarms, achieving a healthy life, alert systems, health and wellness, senior issues, growing older (gracefully, and with maximum fitness!), medical illnesses and how to avoid them, prevention information, senior protection issues, and more.

LIFE ALERT FEATURED ON MARTHA STEWART SHOW; MARTHA AND DR. BRENT RIDGE RECOMMEND LIFE ALERT SERVICE DURING SEGMENT ON TECH DEVICES FOR HEALTH

Life Alert, nationally recognized for its protection of seniors, as well as Boomers and younger adults, garners praise from national talk show host Martha Stewart and Dr. Brent Ridge, VP of Martha Stewart Healthy Living, who touts Life Alert’s “inexpensive yet vital” service

(January 30, 2008 – Encino, CA) Life Alert is widely known for its popular TV commercials, featuring its trademarked slogan “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” Now, Life Alert is being featured on TV shows itself. The service -- which saves a life every 40 minutes, on average -- is essential for maintaining the health of its members, and no TV program embodies healthy living more than “The Martha Stewart Show,” where Life Alert was recently featured. The national TV program, which attracts the highest concentration of women 25-54 with incomes of $75,000-plus among all first-run daytime series, selected Life Alert to be part of its January 23rd segment on tech gadgets for your health.

The Life Alert service received a strong recommendation from Dr. Brent Ridge, who co-hosted the segment and serves as Vice President of Healthy Living at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. When discussing Life Alert, Dr. Ridge told the show’s studio and national audience that “we recommend this to all of the patients at the Martha Stewart Center for Living,” adding that the service is “so inexpensive yet so vital for people.”

Members of Life Alert can get assistance 24/7 in the event of an emergency (medical, fire or intrusion). As Martha and Dr. Ridge explained to their audience, one press of a small pendant quickly puts the wearer in touch with a Life Alert dispatcher, who talks to the member via a base unit (installed in the home) and sends help immediately if the member is injured, unable to speak, or in danger.

“We are pleased that Martha Stewart chose Life Alert for her show about health-related technology, as we know how selective she is on featuring products and services,” says Isaac Shepher, Life Alert’s founder and CEO. “We are extremely proud to serve our members with state-of-the-art equipment and services, as we have done for over 20 years.” The company, which has members nationwide, saved over 15,000 lives from catastrophic outcomes in 2007 alone. As Dr. Ridge pointed out in the TV segment, Life Alert handles over a million calls a year.

While Life Alert has primarily been servicing seniors and the elderly for the past 20 years, their service is becoming increasingly popular among Boomers and younger adults, whose parents may have the service as well. The reality is that adults of any age can benefit from Life Alert protection, especially when living alone.

About Life Alert

Life Alert is a Personal Emergency Response company that saves lives from catastrophic outcomes, using a unique technology to provide superior home monitoring and protection. Life Alert was founded in 1987, provides services nationwide, and is the only company endorsed by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop, M.D.

The Life Alert service solves an issue that is especially important for seniors: home-based protection. Life Alert enables seniors, the handicapped and anyone needing protection to keep living at home with independence and comfort, living their lives the way they are used to, without drastic changes. The average senior Life Alert member keeps living in their own home for an extra six years, compared to those of a similar age without Life Alert. In addition, an ACNielsen study showed that 87% of subscribers called Life Alert’s protection a main or important factor in their decision to keep living at home, rather than move to a retirement home. As Dr. Koop says, “Thanks to Life Alert, you can live alone without ever being alone, and that’s why I wear one.”

For more information on Life Alert, call 1-800-360-0329 or visit www.lifealert.com.

About The Martha Stewart Show

“The Martha Stewart Show,” also known simply as “Martha,” is a U.S. daytime television syndicated talk show that began airing in September 2005. Hosted by Martha Stewart, each episode includes segments on cooking, interior design, gardening, crafts, health and other topics. “Martha” attracts the highest concentration of women 25-54 with incomes of $75,000-plus among all first-run daytime series, according to Nielsen Media Research. It ranks second to only “The Oprah Winfrey Show” among women 25-54 in households that earn $100,000-plus annually. The Martha Stewart Show is produced by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Productions in association with Mark Burnett Productions.

Ms. Stewart's program, which also features celebrity guests, is taped live in New York City at 10 a.m. and airs at various times in several markets. “Martha” also airs nightly on the digital cable network Fine Living. The show is distributed by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution, in a partnership with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. In November 2007, “Martha” was renewed for a fourth season. NBC Universal renewed in over 60% of the U.S. Station groups picking up the how-to program include the NBC-owned stations, Fox, Belo, Fisher Communications, Scripps, Hearst-Argyle Television, Allbritton Communications and Clear Channel Communications.

For more information, please contact: Dr. Don Rose, Head of Public Relations, Life Alert Emergency Response. 1-818-700-7000 x103 or drose@lifealert.com .