High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is called the “silent epidemic” with millions and millions of Americans living with this condition. Hypertension rarely shows any warning signs or symptoms, therefore, it’s easy to miss if you’re not looking out for it. High blood pressure can be very dangerous because it increases your risk for a heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. The DASH diet: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is an evidence based diet that’s been specially designed to help reduce blood pressure. Let’s explore how you can get started with the DASH diet.
Your blood pressure is impacted by your nutrition. There are several nutrients that can increase or decrease your blood pressure, depending on how much you consume. The nutrients associated with lower blood pressure include the minerals potassium, magnesium, and calcium, along with fiber and protein.
The most notable nutrient linked to increased blood pressure is sodium. According to the American Heart Association, in general, the more sodium you consume, the higher your blood pressure. One of the biggest sources of sodium in the diet is not from your kitchen salt shaker, but the sodium hidden in processed and packaged foods.
There is a dietary pattern and food recommendations that have been put together specifically for hypertension. The DASH diet has been deemed one of the best overall diets by U.S. News and is ranked among the top diets in the categories of heart-healthy, healthy eating, diabetes, easy-to-follow, and overall diets. Harvard Health weighed in on the DASH diet and says, “research supports the use of the DASH diet as a healthy eating pattern that may help to lower blood pressure, and prevent or reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, kidney disease, and gout.”
whole grains (6-8 servings/day)
fruits (4-5 servings/day)
vegetables (4-5 servings/day)
low-fat dairy (2-3 servings/day)
meat, poultry, or fish (no more than two 3 oz servings/day)
fats and oils (2-3 servings/day)
nuts, seeds, or beans (4-5 servings/week)
sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages (no more than 5 servings/week)
sodium (<2300 mg of sodium daily)
saturated and trans fats
red meat
sweets (including sugar-sweetened beverages)
One thing to keep in mind when transitioning to a higher-fiber diet with more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables is to do this slowly in order to reduce your risk of experiencing gas and bloating. This can easily be accomplished by increasing these plant-based foods by one or two per week until you’re eating the recommended amounts.
If you have high blood pressure or simply want to start a healthier diet to reduce your risk for a whole host of diseases, then the DASH diet may be for you. The DASH diet is rich in foods that are highly nutritious and can help you reduce your risk of stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, diabetes, and gout.
The DASH diet is considered one of the easiest diets to follow and includes simple nutritional improvements like enjoying more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Looking for help with creating and implementing a sustainable meal plan to optimize your blood pressure? Book a discovery call with me today to see how my programs can help you get started today.
American Heart Association. (2016, October 31). Managing high blood pressure with a heart-healthy diet.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, May 18). High Blood Pressure Symptoms and Causes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, September 27). High blood pressure: Facts about hypertension.
Harvard Public Health. (n.d.). Diet review: DASH.
Mandrola, J. M. and Neal, B. (2021). Will the Positive Findings From the SSaSS Trial on Salt Substitution Silence the Salt Skeptics? Medscape.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (n.d.). DASH Eating plan.
Neal, B., Wu, Y., Feng, X., Zhang, R., Zhang, Y., Shi, J., Zhang, J., Tian, M., Huang, L., Li, Z., Yu, Y., Zhao, Y., Zhou, B., Sun, J., Liu, Y., Yin, X., Hao, Z., Yu, J., Li, K. C., Zhang, X., … Elliott, P. (2021). Effect of Salt Substitution on Cardiovascular Events and Death. The New England journal of medicine, 385(12), 1067–1077.
U.S. News. (n.d.). Best diets 2021.
U.S. News. (n.d.). DASH diet.
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