What You Need To Know About The DASH Diet

The foods we eat can affect our overall health.
This diet is called the DASH or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. What is DASH diet? The researchers found out that a diet high in potassium, magnesium, calcium, protein and fiber, and low in fat and cholesterol can drastically reduce high blood pressure.The study showed that a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products had a big effect in reducing hypertension.

The DASH diet also emphasizes on three important nutrients: magnesium, calcium and potassium. These minerals are thought to help reduce high blood pressure. Doing the DASH diet, Foods rich in fats and cholesterol are avoided. The dieter is advised to eat as much vegetables, fruits and cereals as possible. Since the foods you eat in a DASH diet are high in fiber content, it is recommended that you slowly increase your consumption of fiber-rich food to avoid diarrhea and other digestive problems.
Whole grains, whole wheat breads, bran, wheat germ and low-fat breakfast cereals are some of the grain products you can eat to increase your fiber consumption.

Look for foods that are low in fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol. Meats, chocolates, chips and fast foods are main sources of fat and cholesterol, so you should reduce your consumption of these foods. There are also healthy snack options for those on the DASH diet such as graham crackers, unsalted nuts and low-fat yogurt.