If you have been diagnosed with hypertension or high blood pressure, your physician would recommend the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and ask you to make the required changes to your diet right away. The diet plan is simple enough and easy to follow in its concept and design; one of the key functions of this diet is to reduce sodium intake to the bare minimum.
The diet mainly includes the following:
Various studies have shown that patients who followed the DASH diet strictly were able to lower their blood pressure in a matter of two weeks.
1. Beginning the diet
The DASH diet primarily consists of lowering your sodium intake. You may want to begin the process gradually since a sudden and abrupt change in eating habits may shock your system. The good part about this diet is that you get to enjoy multiple helpings from various food groups all through the day, but the essential thing is that you opt for a low-fat diet that is also low in sodium.
You may want to start the process by limiting your intake to about 2,400 mg of sodium each day, and once your body has adapted to this change, you can reduce it further to 1,500 mg. Just remember to check the amount of sodium in each food item you purchase at the store as that should give you an accurate fix on the sodium you would consume.
2. Diet tips
You may also want to follow the following diet tips, as they can help you to adapt to the DASH diet quickly: