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Rapid Weight Loss Strategies- The DASH Diet for Lowering Weight and Blood Pressure

bugaboo | Aug 23, 2009 |

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Rapid Weight Loss Strategies- What is the DASH Diet?

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet is a food plan formulated to lower elevated blood pressures in the same ranges that traditional drug therapies do. In short, the diet seeks to become a lifestyle change that is with results comparable to taking medication without the need to do so. On the DASH diet, meals consist almost primarily of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nonfat dairy proteins. The diet has one several other benefits, amongst them calorie control resulting in fairly rapid weight loss for the obese and high nutrient density for better overall nourishment and health. The DASH diet is also extremely low in fat and salt making it an excellent choice for cardiac health.

How Much Can I lower My Blood Pressure?

When studied recently, the study participants lowered their blood pressures an average if 5 mmHg systolic and 3 mmHg diastolic in just 6 weeks without the benefits of any change in physical activity. With improved activity, the results were nearly doubled in the same time period. Staying on the diet for longer time periods also resulted in additional decreases in blood pressure levels.

What about Cholesterol?

There is good news on the cholesterol front as well. The DASH diet has been clinically proven to lower both bad and good cholesterol levels 11 and 4 points collectively in the same study. What does this mean? All indications point to the fact that the DASH diet is heart healthy, lowering the big three for cardiac health; weight, cholesterol and blood pressure all at once. These findings are particularly encouraging since most patients with high blood pressure also have other major risk factors for cardiac disease, namely obesity and high cholesterol levels.

According to the American Heart Association, the DASH diet is appropriate for all Americans because it is easy to learn and follow, while allowing the flexibility to select the foods you like rather than being on a strict menu planner. Moreover, the foods found on the diet can be purchased in any grocery store at inexpensive prices, making the diet appropriate for those on fixed or tight household budgets.

In short the DASH diet is a way to ensure high nutrient density foods are included in your meals and improving your general health, while also significantly lowering your risk factors from cardiac disease, high blood pressure and stroke. You can get all of these benefits with the same diet, with and easy to follow system for eating healthy meals at a reasonable price.