DASH Diet for Hypertension »

More than 50 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure, and most of them control it by taking prescription drugs with potentially dangerous side effects. But there is a natural, affordable, and easy-to-manage alternative to medication: the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Developed by a world-class team of doctors and nutritionists, the DASH diet is clinically proven to lower blood-pressure levels and thereby reduce the risk of heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease. Now, with The DASH Diet for Hypertension, readers can benefit from:

• A hearty and healthful selection of DASH menus, recipes, even grocery lists

• DASH weight-loss and exercise programs for everyday living

• The science behind DASH, including calorie worksheets and a formula to calculate body-mass

...and much more from this revolutionary program, which is recommended by the American Heart Association; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the American Society for Hypertension; and other leading medical authorities.

Contents

Preface

Part One

Why We Need DASH and How It Works

1. Introducing DASH

   Take the 14-Day DASH Diet Challenge!

2. Why DASH? Hypertension: The Silent Killer

   A Deadly Disease That Affects Millions

   What Is High Blood Pressure/Hypertension?

   What Causes High Blood Pressure?

   Who Is Most at Risk for Hypertension?

   Understanding Blood Pressure Readings

   Truth and Consequences

   How High Blood Pressure Is Treated

3. Proving the Diet Works: How We Did It

   Top-Level Study Finally Launched

   DASH Study Design

   The Results

   The Science Behind DASH

   Implications of the Diet

   A "Feel-Good" Diet Too!

   A Postmodern Diet

Part Two

Making the Most of Your Commitment

4. Optimizing the Diet: Salt Reduction Is the Answer

   The DASH-Sodium Study

   How Salt Influences Blood Pressure

   Lowering Your Salt/Sodium Intake: Here's How

5. DASH Plus: Weight Loss, Exercise, and Limiting Alcohol Consumption

   Bring Your Body Fat to a Healthy Level

   Start an Exercise Program

   Launching a Vigorous Exercise Program

   Limit Your Alcohol Consumption

6. Want to Lose Weight? DASH Has the Answer

   Fundamentals of Weight Loss

   Customizing the DASH Diet for Weight Loss

   The Substitution Solution

   The Skinny on Fat

   Nutrition Facts Panel and Food Labeling

   Keeping It Off

Part Three

DASH in Action

7. Putting DASH into Action: How to Start Eating the DASH Way

   DASH in Three Easy Moves

   Preparing to DASH

   Vegetables

   Fruits/Fruit Juices

   Dairy Foods (Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt)

   Grains (Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta)

   Meat, Poultry, andFish

   Nuts, Seeds, and Legumes

   Added Fats and Oils

   Sweets

   Healthy Hints for Home Cooking

   DASH-Friendly Cooking Methods

   Supermarket Savvy: How to Shop for DASH

   Dining Out on DASH

   Eating the DASH Way: Any Tom, Dick, or Harriet Can Do It

   Track Your Food Habits

8. Make DASH Part of Your Life...for Life!

   Step 1: Recognize Your Food Issues

   Step 2: Believe You Will Succeed

   Step 3: Time It Right

   Step 4: One Step Leads You to the Next

   Step 5: Develop a SMART Action Plan

   Step 6: "Just Do It"

   Step 7: Assess Your Progress

   Step 8: Ask for Help If Things Aren't Going Well

   And the Final Step: Celebrate Every Success, No Matter How Small!

Part Four

DASH Menu Plans and Recipes

9. Fourteen Days on the DASH Diet

   Meeting Your Calorie-Intake Requirement

   How the Menu Plans Break Down

   Week 1: 2,000-Calorie Menus

   Week 2: 2,000-Calorie Menus

   Snacking on the DASH Diet

10. DASH Recipes

    Main Dishes

    Baked Catfish • Baked Macaroni and Cheese • BBQ Pork Chops • Blackened Beef with Greens and Red Potatoes • Chicken and Broccoli Bake • Chicken Fruity Stir-fry • Chicken with Rice • Dave's Cajun Catfish • Fettuccine with Chicken and Vegetables • Grilled Tuna • Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich • Mango and Black Bean Salad with Grilled Shrimp • New Orleans Red Beans and Rice • Northeast Gumbo • Snapper with Greens • Spicy Cod • Sweet-and-Sour Pork with Vegetables • Swiss Cheese Sandwich • Turkey Burger • Vegetarian Lasagna • Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce • Vermont Roast with Brown Mustard

    Soups

    Gingered Butternut Squash Soup • Tomato Bisque • Tomato-Orange Soup • Tortellini and Bean Soup

    Vegetable Side Dishes

    Broccoli Rabe • Green Beans with Almonds • Kale with Sesame Seeds • Limas and Spinach • Molasses-Braised Collards • Sautéed Collard Greens • Stuffed Acorn Squash • Sweet-Potato Chips

    Grains

    Apple Cobbler • Blueberry Pancakes • Bulgur Wheat with Tomatoes • Couscous with Broccoli • Scallion Rice • Wild Rice Pilaf

    Salads

    Broccoli and Walnut Salad • Cherry Tomato and Scallion Salad • Coleslaw with Dates • Fresh Fruit Salad • Hot Red Potato and Spinach Salad • Soybean Salad • Spicy Carrot Salad • Three-Bean Salad • Tomato and Red Onion Salad • Tossed Salad I • Tossed Salad II

    Breads

    Baked Brown Bread • Banana Raisin Nut Bread • Lemon Muffins • Lighter Sweet Country Corn Bread • Quick Pumpkin Bread

    Desserts

    Apple Crisp • Baked Apple • Chocolate-Dipped Fruit • Crustless Pumpkin Pie • Low-Calorie Walnut Brownies • Orange-Banana Fruit Salad • Smoothie • Sweet Potato Pie • Tapioca with Mandarin Oranges • Tropical Delight • Vanilla Pudding with Banana

11. DASH Meal Plans

    Breakfast

    Lunch

    Dinner

Appendix A The Science Behind DASH

The Role of Key Nutrients in Keeping Blood Pressure Healthy How Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium Combine to Lower Blood Pressure Fiber Matters, Too

Appendix B A Formula to Calculate Your Daily Calorie Intake

Appendix C A Formula to Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Appendix D Scientific Articles about the DASH Diet

Index