Controlling Blood Pressure with Diet The DASH food plan can help control your blood pressure.
What’s so important about blood pressure?
The DASH food plan gives you lots of fruit, vegetable and low-fat dairy choices, and helps you cut down on fat and cholesterol. Here are some tips for using the DASH plan: • Make whole grains (like whole wheat pasta, and brown rice), beans and vegetables the center of your meals. • Eat smaller servings of meat. • Watch out for fatty foods like oil, margarine, butter and salad dressing. Use very little of these, or use low-fat or nonfat types. • Have fruits and fruit juices for desserts and snacks. If you eat foods like ice cream, cookies and potato chips, choose the low-fat, low-sugar ones. • Keep a food diary. Writing down what you eat and drink will help you keep track of your food plan. • Don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip up.
• High blood pressure raises your risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke and many other conditions. If you lower your blood pressure (even by only a few points), you will reduce your risk of these. • Blood pressure tends to go up as you get older. Controlling your blood pressure now (even if it isn’t high) can prevent future health problems.
My blood pressure is:
My blood pressure goal is:
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Here are some other ways to control your blood pressure: • Try to eat no more than 1,500-2,300 mg of sodium a day. (One level teaspoon of salt has about 2,000 mg of sodium.) • Lose weight if you need to. Ask your doctor for help. • If you drink alcohol, limit it to 1-2 servings a day (1 serving = 1 1/ 2 oz of 80 proof liquor or 5 oz of wine or 12 oz of beer). • Talk to your doctor before you stop taking your blood pressure medicine or if you plan to take any other medicines. • Don’t smoke.
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