There is no specific food to eat in the DASH diet.
Rather, it suggests particular servings of various food groups.
The number of servings you can eat relies upon what number of calories you can consume. The following is an example of food servings based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Whole Grains: 6–8 servings per day
Examples of whole grains include whole-wheat or whole-grain breads, whole-grain breakfast cereals, brown rice, bulgur, quinoa and oatmeal.
Serving suggestions include:
- 1 slice of whole-grain bread
- 1 ounce (28 grams) of dry, whole-grain cereal
- 1/2 cup (95 grams) of cooked rice, pasta or cereal
Vegetables: 4–5 Servings per Day
All vegetables are allowed on the DASH diet.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 cup (about 30 grams) of raw, leafy green vegetables like spinach or kale
- 1/2 cup (about 45 grams) of sliced vegetables — raw or cooked — like broccoli, carrots, squash or tomatoes
Fruits: 4–5 servings per day
A lot of fruits are recommended if you are consuming the DASH diet. The fruits you can eat are pears, peaches, apples, berries and tropical fruits like mangoes and pineapples.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 medium apple
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) of dried apricots
- 1/2 cup (30 grams) of fresh, frozen or canned peaches
Dairy Products: 2–3 servings per day
Low fat dairy products are allowed for the DASH diet. Examples are skimmed milk and low-fat cheese or yogurt.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 cup (240 ml) of low-fat milk
- 1 cup (285 grams) of low-fat yogurt
- 5 ounces (45 grams) of low-fat cheese
Lean chicken, meat and fish: 6 or fewer servings per day
Pick lean slices of meat and occasional red meat servings— no more than once or twice a week.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 ounce (28 grams) of cooked meat, chicken or fish
- 1 egg
Nuts, seeds and legumes: 4–5 servings per week
These include hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, kidney beans, lentils and split peas.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1/3 cup (50 grams) of nuts
- 2 tablespoons (40 grams) of nut butter
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) of seeds
- 1/2 cup (40 grams) of cooked legumes
Fats and Oils: 2–3 Servings per Day
The DASH diet prescribes vegetable oils over different oils. These includes margarine and oils like canola, corn, olive or safflower. It likewise prescribes low-fat mayonnaise and light serving of mixed greens dressing.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 teaspoon (4.5 grams) of soft margarine
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of salad dressing
Sweets and added sugars: 5 or fewer servings per week
Added sugars are kept to a minimum on the DASH diet, so limit consuming of sweet treats, soft drink and table sugar. The DASH diet additionally doesn’t allow unrefined sugars and alternative sugar sources, like agave nectar.
Examples of a serving include:
- 1 tablespoon (12.5 grams) of sugar
- 1 tablespoon (20 grams) of jelly or jam
- 1 cup (240 ml) of lemonade
DASH diet are beneficial for those who want to reduce high blood pressure and also for those who want to lose weight and the risk of having cancer.
In any case, you shouldn’t anticipate that DASH will enable you to shed weight on your own, as it was originally created to lower blood pressure. Weight loss may essentially be an additional benefit.
The eating routine affects your body in different ways.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a measure of the force that is present on your blood vessels and organs as your blood passes through them. It’s counted in two numbers:
Systolic pressure: The pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats.
Diastolic pressure: The pressure in your blood vessels between heartbeats, when your heart is at rest.
Below 120 mm Hg is the normal systolic pressure for adults and below 80 mm Hg is te normal diastolic pressure.This is usually written with the systolic blood pressure above the diastolic pressure, like this: 120/80.
Individuals with a blood pressure reading of 140/90 are considered to have hypertension.
Strangely, the DASH diet obviously brings down blood pressure in both healthy individuals and those with hypertension.
In studies, individuals on the DASH diet still experience lower blood pressure regardless of whether they didn’t get more weight or they have limited salt intake.
Additionally, the person with hypertension who limits salt intake have a great possibility of lowering blood pressure. It reduces systolic blood pressure by an average of 12 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 5 mm Hg.
In individuals with normal blood pressure, it decreased systolic pulse by 4 mm Hg and diastolic by 2 mm Hg.
However, the decrease in blood pressure does not always lead to a decreased the risk of having heart disease.
You will probably have lower blood pressure on the DASH diet regardless of whether you shed weight or not, but if you have hypertension, you are advised to lose weight. If you are overweight, you will most likely have high blood pressure.
A few studies recommend that individuals can get more fit on the DASH diet.
However, individuals who have lost weight on the DASH diet have been in a controlled calorie deficiency — which means they were advised to eat less calories than they were using.
In any case, if you want to lose weight with the DASH diet, you’ll have to go on a calorie-lessened eating regimen.
DASH may also affect other areas of health. The diet:
- Decreases cancer risk: DASH diet helps reduce the risk of having some cancers, including colorectal and breast cancer
- Lowers metabolic syndrome risk: You can reduce the risk of having metabolic syndrome by up to 81% through the DASH diet
- Lowers diabetes risk: Studies have shown thatthe DASH diet helps improve insulin resistance and can lower the risk of having type 2 diabetes.
- Decreases heart disease risk: Following a DASHdiet eating plan was related to a 20% lower risk of heart disease and a 29% lower danger of stroke
