href="#u0669c568-1617-5530-8959-5e7d68432466">Chapter 11.
Lean meats, fish, and poultry provide plenty of protein to build a healthy and strong body, while limiting your exposure to saturated fats and calories. Although DASH hasn’t been specifically tested in vegetarians, it’s easily adaptable, especially because animal protein is a proportionately smaller part of the plan than it is in a typical Western diet. If you’re a vegetarian, try substituting soy products or other high-protein, vegetable-based options. Of course, nuts and seeds (see the next bullet) also supply some protein. In Chapter 21, we whip up some terrific meat-free recipes to help get you started.
Nuts, seeds, and legumes provide heart-friendly, plant-based protein, along with healthy fats, fiber, and magnesium. Peanuts and soy nuts are, technically speaking, members of the legume family, which also includes beans, chickpeas (found in hummus), and lentils. Although the calories can add up quickly, especially if you’re a nut lover, they come from healthy fats and are a much better choice than typical snack-food fare.
DASH is important not only for the foods it includes but also for those it limits:
Fats and oils are limited but not out of bounds in the DASH diet. Since the time that DASH was developed in the 1990s, more recent research has confirmed the benefit of foods rich in omega-3 fats, such as oily fish, as well as monounsaturated fats like olive oil. A second set of studies known as Omni-Heart confirmed that switching out a small portion (about 10 percent) of carb-based calories and replacing them with healthy monounsaturated fats can make DASH even more effective, as long as the calories remain the same.
Sugary and high-fat treats aren’t forbidden on DASH, but they’re kept to a minimum. If you’re like us, you probably need a little indulgence from time to time. Severely restrictive diets aren’t always realistic and may even cause you to jump ship, giving up on a healthy eating plan altogether. DASH allows you a little leeway to enjoy the foods you love, but don’t be surprised if you find that, after a few days on DASH, you feel so good that snack foods no longer hold the same appeal.
Table 1-1 shows the quantities you should eat of different food groups when following DASH and examples from each group. If what you see here looks a bit basic or maybe kind of daunting, don’t despair. We share more than 40 great-tasting recipes in Part 4 that really make the DASH diet come alive. (Note: The servings listed in Table 1-1 are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Some people need more calories than that; others need fewer calories.)
TABLE 1-1 The DASH Diet (Based on 2,000 Calories/Day)
| Type of Food | Number of Servings for a 2,000-Calorie Diet | Example Serving Sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Grains and grain products | 6–8 per day | 1 slice bread, 1 cup dry cereal, ½ cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta |
| Fruits | 4–5 per day | 10 grapes, ½ grapefruit, 1 small banana, 2 tablespoons raisins, 1 medium apple |
| Vegetables | 4–5 per day | 1 cup raw, ½ cup cooked |
| Low-fat or nonfat dairy products | 2–3 per day | 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1 ounce cheese |
| Lean meats, fish, poultry | 2 or fewer per day | 3–4 ounces cooked per day |
| Nuts, seeds, legumes | 4–5 per week | 1/3 cup nuts, 2 tablespoons nut butter, 2 tablespoons seeds |
| Fats and oils | 3–4 per day | 1 teaspoon margarine, butter, or oil; 2 tablespoons salad dressing |
| High-fat/high-sugar extras | 5 or fewer per week | ½ cup sorbet or frozen yogurt, 1 “fun-size” candy bar, 8 pieces of gummy-type candy, 1 tablespoon jam; 1 ounce dark chocolate (70 percent to 85 percent cocoa) |
That’s the DASH diet in a nutshell; for a deeper look at DASH nutrition, see Chapter 5.
The most powerful lifestyle changes
Just as you need a balanced blend of healthy foods to achieve good health and better blood pressure, your body also requires balance in other areas. Throughout this book, we help you cultivate healthy habits to support the vitality, energy, and overall well-being that you’re craving. Although making changes to your daily routine may seem intimidating at first, it’s surprisingly simple. You just have to take it one step at a time.
We tell you much more about the way lifestyle impacts your health in Chapter 16, but to get started, check out the following sections to get a feel for the simple things you can do or change that may help reduce your risk for hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and a wide array of other conditions.
Moving more
Being active daily is essential for a healthy lifestyle. Before you start calculating the cost of a gym membership and fancy workout clothes, it’s important to understand that getting more daily activity can be as simple as putting on your sneakers and walking out the door. Combat the modern sedentary lifestyle by looking for simple ways to add daily activity: taking a ten-minute walk break, choosing to use the stairs, walking where you may normally drive, sweeping the porch more often, or committing to housework or yard maintenance.
While you’re busy getting more active, why not add in some exercise? It’s nearly impossible to be healthy without regular exercise. By exercising two and a half hours each week, you’ll lower your blood pressure, reduce your stress level, burn some calories, and cut your risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia a well-worth-it 30 percent. If hitting the gym’s your thing, go for it! If you’re a weight lifter, just make sure you get a good balance of aerobic exercise along with the resistance training. Yoga and Pilates are also terrific ways to take care of your body and encourage serenity of mind, but adding in some walking, running, biking, or swimming to your weekly routine helps keep your heart even stronger.
