What does DASH mean in MEDICAL

The DASH diet is a lifetime approach to healthy eating that promotes eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. It’s also low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat. The DASH diet is based on research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that showed it can lower blood pressure.

Following a DASH Diet helps improve overall health. Studies have shown that this dietary approach lowers blood pressure, reduces risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as other chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes. It also provides essential vitamins and minerals from an array of fruits and vegetables.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet emphasizes foods that are low-fat, rich in fibre-containing grains, fruits and vegetables which can help reduce high blood pressure levels. Eating more water-soluble fibre from foods like beans, oats, barley and some fruit such as oranges or apples has been known to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressures as well as total cholesterol levels.

Sodium plays an important role in maintaining your body's fluid balance but too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure or hypertension. Reducing your sodium intake is an important part of following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet as consuming less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day may help reduce your risk for developing hypertension or lowering existing high blood pressure.

When following a DASH Diet you should limit refined sugars, saturated fats found in animal sources such as butter or red meat, trans fats found in processed foods such as margarine or shortening, refined carbohydrates found in white breads or cookies and processed meats including bacon or sausage to name few.

Counting calories isn't essential for following a Dash Diet since its focus is on improving overall dietary patterns rather than calorie restriction; however you should still be mindful of portion sizes so that you don't overindulge during meals. Paying attention to both portion sizes and type of food consumed will ensure you benefit from eating healthfully associated with this dietary approach.

Yes! When snacking while on this dietary plan it's best to choose nutrient dense options including fruits like apples or bananas which provide additional vitamins & minerals along with their natural sugars while satisfying hunger cravings until your next mealtime without excess calories & unhealthy fats associated with other snacks that could lack nutritional value..