New diet focuses on basics

     By Kim Springer
     View columnist
      The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has long been an advocate of adopting healthier lifestyle habits for the improvement of overall health.
      Now, the institute is encouraging those who suffer from hypertension to look at the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.
      Anyone who has ever been on a diet before knows how difficult it is to continue on with healthier eating habits. One of the first keys to making the DASH diet work for you includes making gradual changes in your current eating habits.
      For example, if you eat only one or two vegetables a day, add one serving at lunch and one at dinner. Next, add fruit to your diet by eating this healthy treat for a snack rather than a processed goody.
      Cut down on your use of butter, margarine and salad dressing by reducing your current servings to half. Slowly phase out your dependence on low-nutrient drinks like soda, alcohol and teas by drinking low or non-fat milk.
      The DASH diet is based on the basic food pyramid and encourages individuals to make nutrient-rich carbohydrates the main focus of every meal rather than meat.
      Most meat is loaded in fat, including saturated fat, calories and cholesterol. Limit meat to six ounces a day (two servings) which is still less than the average American eats. Also, try vegetarian-style meals at least once a week which might include beans, grains and vegetables.
      Give yourself plenty of time to get used to this type of eating. The worse your eating habits are, the tougher it will be to adapt to this diet.
      If you do fall of the wagon, step back and look at what happened. Examine any distraction in your life that might have made sticking to a sound-eating plan difficult. Holidays and vacations are usually the biggest culprits when a diet goes awry. Do not beat yourself up and try to learn from your mistakes.
      A diet that is low in sodium might also be helpful for those trying to reduce high blood pressure. Sodium intake should be limited to 2,400 mg or less a day; that is equivalent to about one teaspoon.
      Most people do not add salt to their food so it is the unseen sodium that really makes your day's intake high. Processed and canned foods are often high in salt. A low-fat frozen meal might be low in calories and fat but the sodium content could be high. Make it a habit of looking at your food labels not only for calories but also for sodium content.
      Before you are quick to latch on to this new diet, examine your motives. Although this diet would be a good eating plan for almost any person, it was specifically designed to help those with hypertension.
      DASH is based on a 2,000 calorie a day eating plan and so this might not lead to significant weight loss for the average person. Also, the importance of exercise when trying to reduce hypertension should not be overlooked.
      If you would like more information regarding this diet, you can visit DASH on the Internet at dash.bwh.harvard.edu. This site provides further tips on how to make healthful eating a regular part of your life and also has a chart that lists food portions and servings suggestions.
     
     Kim Springer and her husband, Mike, are certified by ACE, NASM and ACSM as personal trainers. They can be reached at (702) 233-9442, by fax at (702) 233-9446 or by e-mail at springtrain@ netscape.net.