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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
New Guide Makes It Easier to Use Diet to Lower High
Blood Pressure
June 29, 2006 - If youre one of the 65 million
American adults, one in three, with high blood pressure, you have
probably heard the advice, watch your diet, cut back on salt. But how?
Figuring out what to eat and how much to eat is not always simple. A new
guide by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute may be what the
doctor ordered.
NHLBI has developed Your Guide to Lowering Your
Blood Pressure with DASH to provide step-by-step advice on lowering and
controlling high blood pressure by following the DASH eating plan.
DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop
Hypertension, follows heart-healthy guidelines to limit salt or sodium,
saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, and focuses on increasing
intake of fruits, vegetables, and fat-free or low-fat milk products. It
is also rich in whole grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts.
NHLBI studies have shown that the DASH eating plan
can significantly lower high blood pressure, even within the first few
weeks, said NHLBI Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D. They demonstrate
that by making healthy choices in diet and physical activity, you can
get on track to a healthier life.
The new guide updates previous publications of the
DASH Eating Plan with a new look, and is consistent with the 2005 U.S.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It also contains new information on
potassium, weight loss, physical activity, a weeks worth of menus,
easy-to-prepare recipes, and a food diary for recording what you eat and
the physical activity you do. In addition, the guide provides tips for
heart-healthy choices at every meal, even when dining out, and for
increasing physical activity.
Sometimes getting started on a heart-healthy eating
plan can be the hardest part. The guide provides practical advice and
suggestions for beginning with small changes such as:
● If you eat only one or two servings of
vegetables per day, try adding one serving at lunch and another at
dinner.
● Gradually switch to fat-free or low-fat milk
and reduce servings of soda or other sweetened beverages.
● Choose whole grain foods, such as whole wheat
bread or whole grain cereals to get added nutrients, such as minerals
and fiber.
● When shopping, read the Nutrition Facts label
on foods to find sodium content, and choose items lowest in salt or
sodium.
● Start with a simple 15-minute walk during your
favorite time of day and slowly build up.
● Dont worry about a slip. Start again, and be
sure to celebrate successes.
The DASH guide is available for ordering through
the NHLBI Information Center, (301) 301-592-8573 or 240-629-3255 (TTY)
or online
click
DASH is used as an example of a healthy eating plan
by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. DASH is also
featured in a consumer book, A Healthier You: Based on the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, published by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
Information is available on the Web at:
>> Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure With
DASH
click
>> Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 and A
Healthier You
click
>> Latest News & Information on High Blood Pressure
at Medline Plus -
click
Part of the National Institutes of Health, the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and
supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and
treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep
disorders. The Institute also administers national health education
campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and
other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available
online at:
www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) The
Nation's Medical Research Agency includes 27 Institutes and Centers
and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic,
clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the
causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For
more information about NIH and its programs, visit
www.nih.gov.
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Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
June 13, 2006 - A relaxation technique known as
transcendental meditation may decrease blood pressure and reduce insulin
resistance among patients with coronary heart disease, according to a
report in the June 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of
the JAMA/Archives journals.
