DASH Diet for Weight Reduction

The DASH Diet is a clinical study that has been funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The word DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This clinical study showed that the DASH Diet lowered blood pressure and in some cases may have prevented and controlled high blood pressure.

The DASH Diet is also known as a combination diet. What this means is that people following this diet plan eat a combination of foods most of which are fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products and foods that are low in saturated fats. This diet plan also demands that you eat foods, which are low in cholesterol, high in potassium, calcium and dietary fiber. The DASH Diet is based on the daily intake of 2000 calories, slightly higher than other diet plans.

The DASH Diet demands that you have a certain number of serving from each food group daily. For example, if followed properly, on a daily basis you should have eight servings of grains, four servings of vegetables, five servings of fruit, 3 of dairy products, 2 servings of meat, fish and poultry, one serving of nuts and seeds and finally roughly about two and a half servings of fats and oils. When all of these are combined you should have a total 2000 calories per day.

However, for some people following the DASH Diet may be hard. Some people may not consume 2000 calories per day and might find it hard to do so. The key is to start small and slowing make changes to your daily diet. Do not try to do everything at once. This diet allows you some freedom to create your own meals so take advantage and treat yourself to a combination of pasta and vegetables. Finally, since you need to have at least five servings of fruit a day, use the fruit as snacks in between meals.

Like with any diet, the DASH Diet also requires that you take part in some form of daily exercise. This is combination will help you lower your blood pressure and to lose weight at the same time.