[Music] what is the dash diet and why doctors call it one of the best diets doctors say that this diet is the most effective way to improve your overall condition according to the national institute of health it scored a 3. 3 out of 5 in the weight loss effectiveness category and 4. 5 out of 5 in health usefulness out of 40 diets evaluated it was chosen number one so who is this all-star it's something called the dash diet the dash diet is an easy safe and useful plan that can help you feel better and get rid of excess weight you can lose weight gradually no starving or yo-yo dieting it won't shock or stress your body out dash stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension it's a diet developed specifically to reduce blood pressure in those with hypertension but scientists understood later on that this diet resolves tons of other health issues it reduces cholesterol prevents stroke and heart failure and brings weight down to a healthy level even for those with obesity plus it's considered the best diet to prevent diabetes besides controlling blood pressure people following it manage to improve insulin resistance what's it all about the dash diet balances all the necessary nutrients and minerals like calcium potassium protein and fiber that are responsible for brain and overall organ function it improves the condition of your hair and skin as well what's convenient about this diet is that you don't have to calculate and monitor each nutrient you just need to reduce your salt intake and eat certain recommended foods for instance fruits vegetables grains protein-rich foods and dairy products compared to trendy crash diets dash is different this is a complete lifestyle change it's for people who need to take care of their eating habits throughout their lives there's no cutting out or starving involved you can have all sorts of tasty dishes you just need to keep in mind a few general rules it's not about the quantity of the food as much as it is about the quality drink 67 ounces of fluids per day ideally it should be still water or green tea just limit the tea to no more than four cups a day try to eat five times per day one serving should be no more than 8.
8 ounces so it's basically better to have smaller portions but eat more often limit your daily calorie intake it should be around 2000 to 2500 a day if you have a sweet tooth you'll need to control yourself you don't have to stop eating sweet foods completely just no more than 5 times a week try to eat more cereals seeds beans lean meats and vegetables you should avoid drinking soda or alcohol this is because too much alcohol elevates your blood pressure plus it harms your liver heart and brain limit your snacks to no more than eight per day in between meals but have a bite only if you're really hungry not bored remember that tobacco use is prohibited reduce your salt intake to a maximum of two to three teaspoons a day your diet should include whole wheat bread exclude smoked or fatty foods pickles pastries and canned fish or meat what you can eat according to the dash principle to come up with a proper diet plan you should keep in mind your goals do you want to lose weight or become healthier if you want to slim down your menu should contain fewer calories in other words you need to reduce the size of your servings for anyone on the dash diet you can have the following cereals no more than seven servings per day one serving should be a slice of bread half a cup of cooked pasta or half a cup of oatmeal for example fruit no more than five servings a day this could be one fruit a quarter cup of dried fruits or half a cup of juice vegetables five servings in a day half a cup of steamed vegetables could be a serving non-fat dairy products two to three servings per day for instance 1. 8 ounces of cheese or five ounces of milk would do just fine seeds beans and nuts five servings a week one serving is 1. 4 ounces animal and vegetable fats three servings per day this could be one teaspoon of olive or linseed oil sweet dishes no more than five times a week a teaspoon of honey or jam is okay fluids again 67 ounces per day water is preferred but green tea and juice are fine too protein seven ounces of lean meat fish or eggs a day is ideal what to avoid of course it is a diet and lifestyle change so you'll have to avoid all the typical unhealthy products fast food and chips smoked in canned food salami sausage fatty meat candy cookies and other sweets soft drinks because our bodies form a dependency to junk food you can eliminate harmful products little by little don't try to go cold turkey you're only setting yourself up for failure take baby steps over time your cravings will disappear how to plan your diet you can create your own menu by taking into consideration the diet's rules and incorporating the products you're allowed to eat you don't have to do anything special to create your diet plan you just need to include the necessary products and gradually exclude the bad ones if your goal is to lose weight cut the amount of recommended servings you can also find all kinds of tasty dash approved dishes on the internet an abundance of recipes for appetizers drinks main dishes and even desserts can be found there once you look for them weight loss benefits the dash diet wasn't originally designed for weight loss but there have been some studies proving that this eating plan can help people get rid of unwanted pounds in a 2006 study researchers divided 810 adults with borderline to mild hypertension into three groups the first group was given some general advice on how to change their lifestyles so that they could get their blood pressure under control the second group were given instructions to keep their sodium intake under 2 300 milligrams a day exercise and limit their alcohol consumption people in the third group had to follow the same directions as those from the second group but also eat according to the dash guidelines after a year and a half people from the second group became approximately eight pounds lighter while those from the dash group lost an average of nine and a half pounds and these results were significantly better than the results of the first group who managed to drop only three pounds on average is it easy to follow the dash eating plan first let's consult with the experts according to those numbers from the national institute of health we mentioned earlier dash scored a 3.
