Hypertension?
A surprising question came up this week from a friend … What to do for high blood pressure? The reason I was surprised is this friend is young, slim, and exercises regularly. Are there certain foods you should avoid, and are there any foods that can help if you have high blood pressure?
I’m glad she asked – and yes to both questions!
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is used to help lower blood pressure and fight hypertension. It consists of a meal plan with low-fat or non-fat dairy products, lots of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts (think low saturated fat). The chart below gives the recommended amount of servings/ day from each food group based on your calorie intake. DASH also suggests exercising often, losing weight if you are overweight, and limiting alcohol intake. Within 2 weeks you may see a drastic drop in your blood pressure, and even more when you reduce your sodium intake.
Food Groups
|
1600 calories a day
|
2600 calories a day
|
3100 calories a day
|
Grains*
|
6
|
10 to 11
|
12 to 13
|
Vegetables
|
3 to 4
|
5 to 6
|
6
|
Fruit
|
4
|
5 to 6
|
6
|
Fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
|
2 to 3
|
3
|
3 to 4
|
Lean meats, poultry and fish
|
3 to 6
|
6
|
6 to 9
|
Nuts, seeds and legumes
|
3 per week
|
1
|
1
|
Fats and oils
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
Sweets and added sugars
|
0
|
2 or less per week
|
2 or less per week
|
*Whole grains are recommended for most grain servings as a good source of fiber and nutrients.
Foods to limit or avoid are processed, canned and jarred foods with added salt such as soup, tomato sauce, and canned vegetables. Some low sodium varieties are available so look out for those, but also in moderation. Other high sodium foods to watch for are pretzels, chips or other snack foods with added salt, pickles, ketchup, olives, processed deli meats and processed cheeses. Many fast foods are also high in sodium so if you can make your own meals and snacks it will be helpful. Be careful with “fat free” foods as many of them include more sodium to make up in taste for less fat.
Foods to include: TRY – snap peas, apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, oranges, blueberries, strawberries, mango, cantaloupe, broccoli, bell peppers, plain Greek yogurt, watermelon, red grapes, and raw nuts. Experiment with new colors and shapes, and have fun!
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