by Josie Oleson, Oregon Health & Science University Dietetic Intern

Having trouble setting a New Year’s resolution? Why not DASH into 2018 by eating better and working toward a healthier you?

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, emphasizes dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein as part of a balanced diet to reduce high blood pressure and improve health. Cheese, milk, and yogurt provide essential nutrients like calcium, potassium and magnesium that are key in making the DASH diet work.

For eight years, DASH has been ranked the Best Diet Overall diet by U.S. News and World Report. In 2018, the eating plan also topped the “healthy eating” and “heart disease prevention” categories.

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recently lowered the recommendations for what it means to have high blood pressure. This change will increase the number of people with elevated or high blood pressure, but this also means that people will be able to fight back sooner by changing their diet and getting more exercise. This is what the DASH diet was originally designed to do, but it’s also a healthy way of eating that is recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Want to kick-start your DASH resolution?

Take the Rate Your Plate Quiz and get started with this 4-step plan.

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Try this new DASH recipe – White Chicken Chili

 

 

 

 

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