The DASH Diet for Hypertension

IN A 2011 RANKING PUBLISHED IN U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, THE DASH DIET WAS RATED #1 BY A PANEL OF MEDICAL EXPERTS INCLUDING SPECIALISTS IN DIABETES AND HEART DISEASE— THE BEST OVERALL DIET AND THE BEST DIET FOR DIABETES!

More than 50 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure, and most of them control it by taking prescription drugs with potentially dangerous side effects; and nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes. But there is a natural and affordable alternative for managing these potentially deadly conditions, reducing your risk of heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease, and achieving the best health of your life: the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Developed by a world-class team of doctors and nutritionists, the DASH diet gives you:

• Complete and balanced nutrition for safe short-term and long-term weight loss

• A scientifically proven approach to managing diabetes and heart disease without prescription medication

• A hearty and healthful selection of DASH menus, recipes, and grocery lists

• DASH exercise programs for everyday living

• Key tools including calorie worksheets and a formula to calculate body mass . . . and much more from this revolutionary program, which is recommended by the American Heart Association; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the American Society for Hypertension; and other leading medical authorities.

The DASH Diet for Hypertension, recommended by the American Heart Association, has been shown in studies to lower blood pressure in two weeks without the use of drugs. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy; includes moderate amounts of fish, poultry, and nuts; and reduces consumption of red meat and sweets. Studies from the National Institutes of Health followed 800 participants and found that the DASH diet lowered blood pressure as much as typical medication.

This is no quirky diet--it's the way the major medical groups have been advising us to eat all along, but with a specific formula that tells you how many servings to eat from each Food Pyramid food group. You also get suggestions for exercising moderately, losing weight, reducing salt, and food shopping.

Included are two weeks of daily menus and 62 recipes, with modified favorites like Macaroni and Cheese and Sweet and Sour Pork with Vegetables, plus innovative dishes such as Mango/Black Bean Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Sweet-Potato Chips (baked). The authors are medical hypertension experts associated with Harvard and Duke medical centers. Recommended for people who want to lower their blood pressure or just eat more healthfully. --Joan Price