==== ==== Quality_Exercise and losing weight will bring you a range of important health benefits http://goo.gl/2qhFn ==== ====
A group of researchers from 5 major medical centers found that eating a specific diet rich in nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low fat dairy can be a powerful tool in lowering blood pressure. The DASH DIET( Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) was found in 1996 to lower blood pressure about the same as a blood pressure medication would, and since that time has quickly become one of the most often prescribed diets in clinical practice today. The DASH Diet is recommended by the American Heart Association, in the USDA's 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and is featured in the US High Blood Pressure Guidelines. The DASH DIET Study 459 people were chosen to participate in the DASH DIET Study. They were randomly assigned to one of three different types: ·The "typical American diet" ·A diet with more fruits and vegetables, but otherwise similar to the typical American diet ·The "DASH diet" - rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products; moderate in fish, poultry, and nuts; and reduced in red meat, sweets, and sugar-sweetened drinks. To assure they weren't doing anything else that might lower their blood pressure, participants were asked not to make any major changes in the physical activity levels during the study. Participants were weighed frequently to make sure their weight stayed constant; if someone gained or lost weight, they were given a bit less or more food to eat to get their weight back to what it was. Salt/sodium intake was the same in all three diets -