Dietary approaches targeting health promotion and disease prevention.
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After receiving multiple compliments about the last article discussing dietary approaches to promote weight loss, I felt it would be appropriate to discuss other dietary approaches targeting health promotion and disease prevention. One approach is the dietary approach to stop hypertension known as the (DASH) diet. The American Heart Association once contributed up to 80% of high blood pressure found in Americans to be a direct correlation between dietary habits. During my 19 years working with individuals suffering from high blood pressure, I have found this diet to be most effective because it focuses on limiting the amount of salt or sodium one consumes. One should limit the amount of salt or remove the salt shaker from the table altogether as most foods have added salt as a cheap way to preserve and add shelf life to the foods we purchase. If one is choosing vegetables and can’t purchase fresh produce, one should choose plain frozen vegetables over canned. As we most all know, canning involves large amounts of salt as a preservative to add shelf life. Basically, any processed food has added salt content, including things like lunch meat and frozen dinners. If one wants to consume meat, try to buy it fresh and don’t add salt or sauces that are sodium based. Instead use other seasonings such as spices. lemon juice, herbs, thyme, parsley, or garlic for added flavor. A recommended sodium goal is 2300mg per day. However, my advice is to consult the health care provider who knows you best prior to adopting any new diet as certain conditions may determine your specific needs. Some medications predispose one to hyponatremia or a low sodium count and in this case, it may not be appropriate to limit sodium intake. In closing I recommend everyone suffering from high blood pressure to use the American Heart Associations DASH diet website to further guide you. I truly feel sodium intake is pertinent to controlling blood pressure. As an added benefit, this diet also incorporates other recommendations to optimize blood pressure management.
