High Blood Pressure? Fast and long-lasting results are possible with the DASH diet.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects many elderly people. Maintaining a healthy diet is just as important as taking medications to help people control their systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure. Residents at senior living facilities like Heritage Care Home have a lot of freedom when it comes to selecting their meals, making it difficult to stick to a strict diet in the face of so much temptation.

The DASH Diet, which stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension," can be very effective because of this. You consume a variety of real foods to ensure that you are always satisfied, but you are not required to monitor your calorie or carbohydrate intake, or even to consistently say no to desserts. The DASH Diet emphasizes foods that are high in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, as well as protein and fiber, and low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol. It is more of a lifestyle change than a rigid diet.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) funded research demonstrated that DASH can lower high blood pressure and improve blood lipid levels, which can lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Making good decisions is simple

Although it may sound perplexing, this is not the case. Simply choosing chicken and fish over red meat, consuming a lot of fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, and avoiding or limiting your intake of sweets, fatty meals, and sugar-sweetened drinks will help you lose weight. Following are the suggested daily or weekly servings:

• 6 to 8 servings of whole grains each day.
• 4 to 5 servings of vegetables daily.
• Fruits: four to five servings daily.
• Dairy products with low or no fat: 2 to 3 servings daily.
• 2 to 3 portions of lean meat, chicken, and fish every day.
• Four to five servings per week of nuts, seeds, and legumes.
• Two to three servings of good fats and oils each day.
• Less than five sweets every week.

That may seem like a lot, but as we said, you won’t go hungry! Start slowly and give your body time to adjust to the new way of eating. You’ll find that you’ll feel better, have more energy and that eating will be as fun and satisfying as it’s supposed to be. After all, DASH is not a fad diet; it’s a day-to-day, lifelong approach to healthy eating so that you can stick with it more easily.

Although that may seem like a lot of food, you won't go hungry, we guarantee it! Start cautiously by giving your body time to get used to the new eating habits. You'll discover that eating will be as enjoyable and rewarding as it should be and that you'll feel better and have more energy. DASH is not a fad diet; rather, it is a daily, lifetime approach to good eating, making it easier for you to remain with it.

Information and menu suggestions

While we don't have a precise DASH menu at Heritage Care Home Senior Living homes, we do have heart-healthy selections similar to the DASH diet. However, the important thing to remember is that you have a choice, and by selecting lean meats, boosting fruits and vegetables, low- or nonfat dairy, and reducing fats and sugars, you may significantly improve your health.