Question

Dash diet sodium restricition

Answer 1

Dash diet means Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is an eating plan to lower or control high blood pressure.

The DASH diet encourages to reduce the sodium in diet and eat a variety of foods rich in nutrients that help lower blood pressure, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium.

By following the DASH diet, you may be able to reduce your blood pressure by a few points in just two weeks. Over time, the top number of your blood pressure (systolic blood pressure) could drop by eight to 14 points, which can make a significant difference in your health risks.

The DASH diet is also in line with dietary recommendations to prevent osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

DASH diet: Sodium levels
The DASH diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy foods — and moderate amounts of whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts.

Standard DASH diet. 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day.

Lower sodium DASH diet. 1,500 mg of sodium a day.

Both versions of the DASH diet aim to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet compared with what you might get in a typical American diet, which can amount to a whopping 3,400 mg of sodium a day or more.

The standard DASH diet meets the recommendation from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to keep daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg a day.

The American Heart Association recommends 1,500 mg a day of sodium as an upper limit for all adults.

DASH diet: foods to be included

Grains: 6 to 8 servings a day
Grains include bread, cereal, rice and pasta.

Vegetables: 4 to 5 servings a day

Tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, greens and other vegetables are full of fiber, vitamins, and such minerals as potassium and magnesium.

Fruits: 4 to 5 servings a day

Dairy: 2 to 3 servings a day

Milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products are major sources of calcium, vitamin D and protein. But the key is to make sure that you choose dairy products that are low-fat or fat-free because otherwise they can be a major source of fat — and most of it is saturated.

Lean meat, poultry and fish: 6 one-ounce servings or fewer a day

Meat can be a rich source of protein, B vitamins, iron and zinc

Nuts, seeds and legumes: 4 to 5 servings a week

Fats and oils: 2 to 3 servings a day

Sweets: 5 servings or fewer a week

General principles to cut back on sodium;

Avoid using sodium-free spices or flavorings with your food instead of salt
Not adding salt when cooking rice, pasta or hot cereal
Rinsing canned foods to remove some of the sodium
Buying foods labeled "no salt added," "sodium-free," "low sodium" or "very low sodium"
Even low-fat soups, canned vegetables, ready-to-eat cereals and sliced turkey from the local deli — foods you may have considered healthy — often have lots of sodium.

Limit milk to 2 cups daily.

4 gm sodium diet- allows cooking with small amounts of salt and can add upto 3 cups milk products daily.

1000mg sodium diet- use salt free butter and vegetables. Restrict milk to 1 cup daily

Foods to be avoided

Candy

Cookies

Chips

Salted nuts

Sodas

Sugary beverages

Pastries

Snacks

Meat dishes

Prepackaged pasta and rice dishes (excluding macaroni and cheese because it is a separate category)

Pizza

Soups

Salad dressings

Cheese

Cold cuts and cured meats

Breads and rolls

Sandwiches

Sauces and gravies

Soups