The Effective DASH Diet Meal Plan

Before starting a DASH Diet Meal Plan, you need to understand what exactly a DASH diet is. DASH is short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. A DASH diet meal plan is recommended for those who suffer from high blood pressure or are at a higher risk of getting hypertension because of their family or work pressures or family background. It is also recommended to those who are overweight.

• Standard DASH Diet meal plan- in this the patient is allowed to consume 2300 milligrams of sodium in a day. This plan is suggested to people who do not as yet have a high blood pressure problem but are at a high risk.
• Lower Sodium DASH Diet meal plan- in this the patient is allowed to consume only 1500 milligrams of sodium in a day. This plan is suggested to people who have already been diagnosed with hypertension or high blood pressure.

Like any other diet plan, the DASH Diet meal plan also has three components- what to eat, what to avoid and what is the optimum mix. To understand the practical implementation of the DASH Diet eating plan, following is a list of food items that need to be included in the daily diet:

1. Natural Grains- grains are a natural source of fiber and nutrients and are naturally fat-free; they are the first thing recommended in the DASH diet eating plan. The best thing to do is substitute the refined grains with their whole grain versions, for example white bread with whole wheat bread, white rice with brown rice, regular pasta with whole grain pasta. 
2. Vegetables- much like grains; nature has supplied us with an amazing array of vegetables, which are our best sources of fiber, proteins, minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates. Fresh leafy vegetables, variety of gourds, underground roots (like carrot, radish and potato) and other colorful vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, aubergines, peppers give us our daily dose of nutrients and are strongly advised in the DASH Diet eating plan.
3. Fruits- Fruits like vegetables are nature’s gift to mankind and should be adequately respected in our daily diets as prescribed by the DASH Diet eating plan. Fruits are rich sources of vitamins, proteins and fiber and are effective and healthy means to curb those unwanted hunger pangs.
4. Milk and Milk Products- Milk and other dairy products give us our daily dose of calcium, which is needed for the healthy growth of bones. They also pack in a lot of protein and other vital nutrients. The DASH Diet eating plan, however emphasizes only low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
5. Meat, Chicken and Fish- the DASH Diet meal plan also suggests the daily consumption of lean meats, chicken and fish. All these animal products are rich in protein and carbohydrates and should be consumed in their skinned, fat-free and oil-free versions. The ideal cooking mediums are broiling, grilling, roasting or baking with little or no extra oil.
6. Legumes, Nuts and Seeds- although a lot of nutritionists are unsure about the effects of the fat contained in nuts, their nutritious characteristics cannot be ignored and the DASH Diet meal plan recommends their weekly (and not daily) consumption.
7. Fats and Oils- contrary to popular belief, fats and oils are required by the body to absorb the essential vitamins and also for the proper functioning of the immune system. As such the DASH Diet meal plan suggests their daily servings as well. Since there is a high risk of heart disease with excessive fat intake, the DASH Diet meal plan concentrates only on the healthy un-saturated fats and not the trans-fat or saturated fats and that too limiting their intake to only 30 calories a day.

1. Refined Grains- as they have lost most of their natural goodness, the DASH Diet meal plan avoids refined grains and instead opts for the whole wheat varieties.
2. Salted or Sweetened Vegetables or Fruits- while the DASH Diet meal plan does not stop the person from eating canned or tinned vegetables. It definitely abstains from salted or sweetened fruits and vegetables as they contain harmful trans-fats and the biggest reason of high blood- sodium.
3. Full Cream Dairy Products- full cream dairy products have too much fat content, which increases the cholesterol levels in the blood and increases the incidence of hypertension as well. The DASH Diet meal plan avoids the full cream varieties of milk and milk products.
4. Read Meats or Fatty Meats- working on the same logic as in the case of full cream milk products, the DASH Diet meal plan avoids red meats or any other kind of fatty meat. Even with leaner meats, chicken or fish, the DASH Diet meal plan recommends complete skinning and removal of all the fat or fatty parts. Also fried versions of any kind of meat should be avoided.
5. Saturated Fats and Trans-fat- the DASH Diet meal plan avoids all forms of food types with high content of saturated fats or trans-fats, such as processed foods, baked foods and fried foods.
6. Sweets- although the DASH Diet meal plan does not ask for the complete banishment of sweets from our daily diets. It definitely restricts the intake of sweets considerably. Sugar should be avoided as far as possible because it does not contain any dietary nutrient and only packs in calories.
7. Alcohol- the DASH Diet meal plan restricts the alcohol intake of men to 2 to 3 drinks in a week and the alcohol intake of women to 1 or less drinks in a week.

• Whole Grains- six to eight servings a day.
• Vegetables- four to five servings a day.
• Fruits- four to five servings a day.
• Milk and Milk Products- two to three servings a day.
• Meat, Chicken and Fish- maximum 6 servings a day.
• Legumes, Seeds and Nuts- four to five servings a week.
• Fats and Oils- two to three servings a day.
• Sweets- maximum five servings a week.
• Alcohol- 1 to 3 drinks a week.

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