DASH DIET

 

The heart wants what it wants, but sometimes it’s more a type of food

than a person. Your heart craves it. Yearns for it even. Except this

time it’s incredibly logical. We’ll give you one better, it’s

scientifically proven.

 

The heart wants what it wants and it absolutely sings for the DASH

diet-an age-old friend of your heart to keep its foe away. It’s

tailor-made by professionals to battle high blood-pressure and prevent

heart-related and cancerous diseases. Although tasked with numerous

benefits, this diet specializes in lowering blood pressure levels. 

 

A study at Harvard revealed that the DASH diet decreased cholesterol

and blood pressure levels and steps up its game by lowering damage to

cardiac muscles too-an unprecedented but fortunate effect. This study

employed the help of 412 American individuals who had fallen prey to

high blood pressure and randomly assigned a controlled diet resembling

the average American diet or the DASH diet. They were each scanned for

three biomarkers that usually pave the way for heart-related diseases

in the future. The outcome highlighted an 18 per cent decline in

biomarkers related to heart-damage and a 13 per cent decrease in

biomarkers linked to heart inflammation. However, the DASH diet effect

on the biomarker for stress did not reduce. But still if DASH diet is

combined with low sodium intake the stress biomarker reduced by 19%

"Our study represents some of the strongest evidence that diet

directly impacts cardiac damage, and our findings show that dietary

interventions can improve cardiovascular risk factors in a relatively

short time period," Juraschek, the study’s lead author, commented. 

 

This diet entrusts your body with 2000 calories a day by focusing on

food items like vegetables, grains, fruits and lean meat by limiting

sugar, sodium, sweets and products high in saturated fats like coconut

oil and fat-infested meals. While meals containing saturated fats are

not completely banned, using products containing a smaller amount of

them and a larger amount of potassium, magnesium, fibre and proteins

are recommended. These promote the electrolyte balance in the body by

letting it excrete a fluid that increases blood pressure and helps

relax the blood vessels.

  

The DASH diet encourages 6-8 servings of whole grain, 4-5 servings of

vegetables, 4-5 servings of fruits, 2-3 servings of dairy products,

fewer than six servings of meat and dairy products and 2-3 servings of

fats and oils. Sweets and sugars and nuts, seeds and legumes are

limited to 4-5 servings per week respectively. Coupled with this diet,

physical activity is not a suggestion but a must. This provides the

best, most effective results. 30 minutes of exercise daily, believe it

or not, is like a spring of newfound life for the heart. It ensures

your heart’s health and releases endorphins tasked with keeping you

happy, hence lowering your stress-another advocate for heart disease.

 

Changing to a completely new diet may be harsh on your mind and body

but taking baby steps like eating more vegetables and fruits than

normal, choosing fat-free alternatives and swapping your usual kitchen

oils with vegetable oil is a great place to start.