Dash Diet, Simple Ideas That Work
This a repeat post that is worth reviewing as we think about our New Years resolutions. Dr. Calder
My first impression of the DASH diet is very good. Their ideas are simple , much like the Mediterranean Diet , with a focus of gradual lifestyle change. I purchased a 3 month trial of the diet and then had to talk my wife into trying to follow it with me. She was reluctant to join in the venture because she knows it means more work for her. She has been down this road before with more than a few diet ideas. We both agree that the ADKINS Diet was the most challenging .
My wife likes the structured organized approach
The one part of the diet that she likes is the structured , 1 week of meal plans with recipes and a shopping list. This diet will not be a big change for us because we have followed the basic ideas of a Mediterranean diet for years but it will require more work for my wife
Things I like about the diet
Less salt but not low salt
My impression of the DASH Diet from reading the literature was wrong. I thought it was just a low salt version of the Mediterranean diet and a useful tool for blood pressure management.
Immediate response to questions
I reviewed the excellent web page and the diet and was surprised to find very little to no mention of salt.
I immediately emailed their contact person and received a response within 24 hours. She explaimed the idea of eating more fruits, vegetables and grains but couldn't tell exactly how many grams of sodium the diet contained. She referred my request to a physician who explained that most of the salt is hidden in the foods and he could not give me an exact number . He estimated that a typical 1600 to 2200 calorie diet recommendation would have between 2300 mg to 2875 mg of sodium/day.
This is close to the goals recommended by the American Heart Association of 2400 mg/day.
These recommendations help us avoid excessive salt intake rather than trying to impose a rigid salt
restriction. Another good idea
According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC ) the typical american eats between 2500 mg to over 4000 mg of sodium /day
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes
Daily Serving Goals
I think this is the best part of the diet.
This is the take home message that I can remember and apply most of the time . I chose an 1800 calorie diet because my initial goal is to weigh 180 pounds.
My serving goals:
fruit vegetables dairy grains meat/ fish/poultry nuts/beans fats sweets
4 4 3 7 1.5 0. 5 2 0.5
I have tweaked my goals because I am an almost vegetarian and will most of the time eat no meat and increase my bean and nut serving to 2. They have a nice serving size sheet and a discussion of ideas for vegetarians.
I think this diet is a big step forward in simple diet management ideas that we can all use.
Be happy , Be Smart and Defeat Diabetes
David Calder,MD
My wife likes the structured organized approach
The one part of the diet that she likes is the structured , 1 week of meal plans with recipes and a shopping list. This diet will not be a big change for us because we have followed the basic ideas of a Mediterranean diet for years but it will require more work for my wife
Things I like about the diet
Less salt but not low salt
My impression of the DASH Diet from reading the literature was wrong. I thought it was just a low salt version of the Mediterranean diet and a useful tool for blood pressure management.
Immediate response to questions
I reviewed the excellent web page and the diet and was surprised to find very little to no mention of salt.
I immediately emailed their contact person and received a response within 24 hours. She explaimed the idea of eating more fruits, vegetables and grains but couldn't tell exactly how many grams of sodium the diet contained. She referred my request to a physician who explained that most of the salt is hidden in the foods and he could not give me an exact number . He estimated that a typical 1600 to 2200 calorie diet recommendation would have between 2300 mg to 2875 mg of sodium/day.
This is close to the goals recommended by the American Heart Association of 2400 mg/day.
These recommendations help us avoid excessive salt intake rather than trying to impose a rigid salt
restriction. Another good idea
According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC ) the typical american eats between 2500 mg to over 4000 mg of sodium /day
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes
Daily Serving Goals
I think this is the best part of the diet.
This is the take home message that I can remember and apply most of the time . I chose an 1800 calorie diet because my initial goal is to weigh 180 pounds.
My serving goals:
fruit vegetables dairy grains meat/ fish/poultry nuts/beans fats sweets
4 4 3 7 1.5 0. 5 2 0.5
I have tweaked my goals because I am an almost vegetarian and will most of the time eat no meat and increase my bean and nut serving to 2. They have a nice serving size sheet and a discussion of ideas for vegetarians.
I think this diet is a big step forward in simple diet management ideas that we can all use.
Be happy , Be Smart and Defeat Diabetes
David Calder,MD
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Your comments and questions are appreciated. David Calder,MD