Eating healthy for your heart can seem difficult, but it does not have to be. Research through the National Institutes of Health has found that the DASH diet plan helps treat and prevent high blood pressure. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
However, because the DASH diet is an overall healthy eating plan, following the DASH diet plan can also prevent osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
One major component of the DASH diet is to lower your dietary sodium intake. The average American consumes 3,400 mg Sodium daily. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming less than 2,300 mg sodium daily for the average adult and less than 1,500 mg sodium daily for those with a history of heart disease and hypertension. Not only does the DASH diet reduce sodium intake, but it also increases potassium intake, which has known health benefits to reduce blood pressure. This is by consuming 4-5 servings of fruits daily and 4-5 servings of vegetables daily. If you currently only consume 1-2 servings of fruits and vegetables, make small changes by adding an extra serving of fruits and vegetables at lunch and dinner. Choose fruits and vegetables to snack on between meals.
Aim to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, ™ of your plate from whole grains, and ™ of your plate from lean or plant-based proteins. To increase the number of servings you consume daily, be creative. Fresh, frozen, and no-salt added canned vegetables are all good choices. In a stir-fry, cut back on the meat and double up on the vegetables. Infuse vegetables into your grain side dishes. For example, instead of serving plain brown rice make a Lemon-Spinach Brown Rice by chopping onion and garlic into the water, add zest and juice of a lemon, and then steam the brown rice as usual. Once rice if fully steamed, add about ¢ bag of fresh chopped spinach and let the hot rice wilt the spinach. Serve topped with a low-fat feta cheese. Adding vegetables like this can easily add vegetables at each meal. Not only are your fruits and vegetables low sodium and packed with potassium, they are full of fiber and are low in fat.
In addition to increasing your fruit and vegetable intake, it is recommended to follow other recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans by limiting high sodium processed foods and paying attention to salt during food preparation by adding flavor to your foods using lemon, lime, vinegar, herbs and spices.
Choose whole grains over refined grains, lean and plant-based proteins, and low-fat dairy. If you are interested in learning more tips on healthy eating, contact Office for Aging to learn where a SHINE (Senior Health Improvement and Nutrition Education) workshop may be occurring in your area.
