About 1 in 3 Americans are affected with high blood pressure (hypertension); and according to the latest study, it seems that vegetarian diets may protect against hypertension and help manage this stage before progressing into a more advanced stage (cardiac issues). It is crucial to manage it before it becomes more serious to avoid chronic illness and the time, energy, and cost of managing a chronic illness in today’s America (think health care crisis). The onus is on each of us to manage our health for better quality of life as we age. In fact conventional medicine points towards a specific diet for hypertension sufferers: DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).
In other studies, people on DASH were able to lower their blood pressure within 14 days! The DASH diet consists of these daily servings:
- 7-8 servings of grains
- 4-5 servings of vegetables
- 4-5 servings of fruits
- 2-3 fat-free dairy products (or calcium fortified non-dairy alternatives)
- less than 2 servings of fish or poultry
- 4-5 servings of nuts, seeds, or legumes/beans
- less than 2 servings of fats/oils
It also cuts back on anything high in saturated fats, cholesterol, trans-fats, meats, refined salts, and refined sugars. Of course doctors may advise to eliminate salts from your diet, but the challenge is to keep our tongues happy also. So a great strategy is to acclimate your palette to a little less salt, and then each week reduce it just a little further. Other strategies involve:
- Reducing meats to less than 6 ounces/day. In fact people have been quite successful with meatless Mondays and incorporating more lunches that are meat-free yet still satisfying. Some choices include: bean burritos, lentil burgers, tofu stir-fry, seitan (faux meats) hotdogs, veggie nuggets, pasta primavera, and veggie pizzas!
- Try plant-based milks and non-dairy alternatives; Ripple is a company that is featuring a variety of plant-based milks that taste delicious. This helps avoid the fat and cholesterol from regular dairy milk. Daiya is a company that features non-dairy cheeses which are being used for pizza and pasta quite successfully.
- Adding an extra salad at lunch or dinner (no salt needed).
- Adding an extra portion of lentils or beans to satisfy both the vegetable and protein requirement simultaneously.
- Use an apple in between meals to curb hunger; other good snacks include celery with nut butter, raisins, brown rice cakes with nut butter, and unbuttered popcorn. The main thing is to avoid pre-packaged foods and go for natural real foods.
- Steam and boil foods vs. sauteeing with butter, lavishly adding spices/condiments to flavor foods. Aside from nutritional therapy, exercise can help with hypertension.
If these beneficial changes seem intimidating, consider working with a health coach that can do all the research and customization of a meal plan for each individual lifestyle. Make an appointment today!
