Fall 2015
Have you heard of the DASH diet? DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Hypertension is another word for high blood pressure. Health experts in the U.S. News and World Report ranked the DASH diet the best overall diet for the last four years. The DASH diet was compared with 20 to 32 of the most popular diets during those years. The expert panel also ranked the DASH diet as the best diet for diabetes.
What is the DASH diet?
The DASH diet was developed at the National Institutes of Health in an effort to lower high blood pressure. Researchers of the DASH diet found that eating foods that are high in potassium, calcium and magnesium and lower in sodium can help lower blood pressure. Better still, the DASH diet helps people who already have high blood pressure.
The DASH Diet and diabetes
Besides lowering blood pressure, the DASH diet can lower cholesterol and even help lower fasting blood glucose and A1C levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Also, the DASH diet is easily adjusted for weight loss. The main benefit of the DASH diet for people with diabetes, however, is its ability to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
| FOODS THAT ARE PART OF THE DASH DIET | |
| Food | Servings |
| whole grains | 6–8 daily |
| fruit and vegetables | 4-5 daily |
| low-fat dairy | 2-3 daily |
| nuts, seeds or beans | 4-5 per week |
| lean meat, poultry or fish | 6 ounces per meal |
| sweets or added sugar | 5 or fewer per week |
