DASH DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Dash Diet for Weight Loss is very trendy today and recommended by doctors.
The dash (an abbreviation from Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet has been originally intended to reduce high blood pressure, but it turns out that you can use the dash diest for weight loss, too.
It is built upon the Food Pyramid, released by the USDA. It is not a very strict diet, though. The following foods are recommended according to the dash diet for weight loss:
◾Grains: 6 to 8 servings of grains daily are highly recommended; a very high preference is given to whole grains (whole grain bread, brown rice, brown pasta), because they are richer in fibers.
◾Fruits and vegetables: Most Americans are used to eating no more than 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, so they find it very difficult to increase their consumption to 4-5 servings of each, as it is suggested by the dash diet for weigh loss. Of course, vegetables are on this list because they also contain plenty of vitamins and minerals that are a key to lowering blood pressure.
◾Dairy products: These are high not only in saturated fats, but also in sodium. For this reason, 2 or 3 servings each day is the limit put on dairy products by the DASH diet for weight loss.
◾Meat and fish: Here the rule is “the leaner the meats, the better”. It is also important to reduce your portion size to one that is much smaller than the typical – the dash diet for weight loss suggests not more than 6 servings per day, each of maximal size of 1 oz.
◾Nuts and seeds: Although they are very rich in fats and calories, they contain vitamins and minerals that are important for lowering blood pressure. However, the suggested amount is just 4 to 5 servings weekly.
Although the basic purpose of the dash diet is to help reduce high blood pressure, people who do it are pleasantly surprised by losing weight, in addition.
The efficacy of the dash diet for weight loss depends on how contrasting the diet is with your normal menu. Definitely, because of consuming less fats and more vegetables, you are very likely to lose weight.
But keep in mind that the DASH diet suggests a 2000 calorie intake, so if you want to use the dash diet for weight loss, you would better limit the daily amount of calories you consume to 1600.
Contact your doctor or nutritionist first, in case you plan to use the dash diet for weight loss!
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