Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH

Get with the plan that is clinically proven to significantly reduce blood pressure! This updated booklet contains a week’s worth of sample menus and recipes recalculated using 2005 nutrient content data. The "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" eating plan features plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other foods that are heart healthy and lower in salt/sodium. Also contains additional information on weight loss and physical activity.

For those interested in a more condensed version on this topic, see In Brief: Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH.

1/18/2010 10:14:24 PM     12/3/2009 2:00:26 PM Jim Fixx died in 1984 (his arteries were plugged with too much cholesterol). His book The Complete Book of Running was a best seller. He thought that being super fit he could eat whatever he wanted. I’ve lost a ton of weight with another diet but this is better for BP and balanced nutrition. No need to take vitamins in an artificial form. The PDF is a million dollars worth of research diet book for FREE!     11/12/2009 10:34:18 AM i got a lot out of it.     10/27/2009 3:15:04 PM I have HBP and high cholesterol in my family. My father has had a serious heart attack and my uncle died from a heart attack. My doctor just tells me to eat right and excercise, but nothing more specific. This PDF download is great! My numbers are in a good place now and I am maintaining my weight. Would like to lose about 5 - 8% more weight, but need to excercise more. Thanks for the recipes!     10/25/2009 2:39:24 AM This is a wonderful diet plan, I have lost 12 pounds in three months and it is great and my blood pressure is a lot better. This is a Eating Plan I can live with. Thank you!     9/18/2009 1:51:07 PM     9/5/2009 12:48:08 AM Thank you for detailing the diet style for hyphertension. Also thanks for giving better knowledge about the blood pressure.     8/14/2009 7:39:36 PM Excellent Guide, I’m definitely going to start this diet asap. Thanks, www.teendietblog.com     8/3/2009 3:24:06 PM Information is easy to understand, the guidelines are simple to follow. If everyone followed these basic concepts, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease would be greatly reduced.     7/27/2009 11:49:10 PM Am 63. In seven weeks, lost 13 pounds, lowered BP significantly. Overall cholesterol went from 250 to 198; LDL from 155 to 125 and Triglycerides from 191 to 77. With only one kidney I was terrified of my doctor recommended medicine. Now she is almost as delighted as I am. Oh, and don’t forget the exercise which I do most days for thirty minutes. Also am never hungry and am enjoying the summer fresh veggies and fruits.     7/27/2009 6:13:00 PM I give the NON-EXISTENT Spanish version 0 stars. I give the English version 5 stars but it is useless for all my Spanish-speaking patients with limited English. I can’t find a Spanish-language alternative to this publication. None of them provide such a comprehensive instruction on how to implement the DASH diet. PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU, TRANSLATE IT INTO SPANISH!! (would it help if I beg some more???)     5/28/2009 10:59:55 PM I discovered this guide while taking a nutrition class. I had never heard of this diet until then. I had been searching for a guide that I could actually follow and I found it with the Dash EatingPlan. Thank-you so much!     5/8/2009 3:32:50 PM I just found out that my systolic is on a rising trend, so more exercise and this diet are just what I need :)     5/4/2009 11:34:38 AM     3/25/2009 7:44:08 PM The menu suggestions are way too complicated -- they seem to have been written for the 1950’s, with a mommy housewife in every suburban ranch house. 21st century folks often don’t have the time to make a dinner of 10 ingredients! A simpler, quick- or no-cooking version is needed, or seals of approval for frozen dinners that meet the DASH standards.     3/19/2009 6:45:38 PM     2/17/2009 8:02:56 AM Thanks for free DASH PDF again!!     12/18/2008 10:10:36 PM Like most, I’m trying to eat (and drink) better, including drinking more water. I’ve been buying gallons of "purified drinking water" from the local market, only to discover they have sodium bicarbonate and sodium sulfate in them "for flavor." I’ve switched to distilled water.     11/17/2008 12:41:16 PM     11/16/2008 3:38:17 AM Thanks for the Dash eating plan. Doctors only want to medicate, without a search for cause. I’m convinced that even with hereditary factors, good food, reasonable exercise and minimal stress will lower blood pressure. Now I’m convinced based on the Dash study. Thanks for the free download - it made me trust the information more. I will buy books for my non-profit though.     11/12/2008 6:18:33 PM     11/4/2008 2:27:57 PM     10/23/2008 1:36:16 PM     10/21/2008 11:49:09 PM The Dash Eating plan ’free’ pdf is a most excellent publication, although basic guide, for the Dash Diet.     10/9/2008 10:19:06 PM     10/7/2008 6:59:42 AM     9/14/2008 10:12:45 AM This is an excellent source.     9/9/2008 6:38:08 PM     8/29/2008 5:02:43 PM As a newly diagnosed patient with HBP it is really nice to have a clear, plan based approach to treatment. I plan on reaching out to other sources as much as possible but this is a great baseline.     8/13/2008 9:28:20 AM     7/25/2008 9:20:19 PM     7/16/2008 4:02:44 PM I’ve lost and kept off 148 pounds following the DASH plan. I started out just adding a vegetable or two at meals. Then my husband joined in. Soon we were eating less salt & my blood pressure gradually went down. We both walk for exercise every day. My cholesterol went down to normal too. It took me five years to lose the weight, but I feel terrific that with DASH as a template, the weight loss is permanent for a longer and much healthier life. Thank you so much!     7/13/2008 5:58:11 AM     6/23/2008 2:10:30 PM Okay if you want to loose weight do what i did run and have fun dont diet or starve yourself it’s just not healthy you have to want it but don’t rely on a weight loss program don’t diet just RUN and JOG or EXERCISE!     6/13/2008 9:22:58 PM     6/5/2008 12:19:34 PM High Blood pressure is not something to play around with. I have been committed to this and my exercise plan. The two together has lowered blood pressure,cholesterol, adult on set Diabetes     5/31/2008 8:45:44 PM I am frequently looking for good sites that are thorough and user friendly.     5/30/2008 11:32:19 PM     5/30/2008 2:24:35 PM Thank you; I needed information with specific examples and recipes.     5/25/2008 4:41:00 PM     5/19/2008 9:51:34 AM thank u, i will try DASH!     5/6/2008 3:20:00 PM This is very helpful and they let you download it for free what a blessing.     4/16/2008 12:23:22 PM I am so glad that people care about this deadly risk.     4/15/2008 8:22:16 AM This diet is not new. This is something that the Seventh-day Adventist has been proclaiming for more than a century, a diet that is composed of fruits, nuts, legumes, etc. This diet will also work wonders for diabetics.     4/15/2008 8:02:28 AM HAVE BEEN EATING SIMILAR FOOD MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE S. NAIDOO SOUTH AFRICA     4/12/2008 5:26:21 AM Thank you for a wonderful resource for control of high blood pressure. My doctor simply put me on medication without any mention of diet or lifestyle. I discovered your great booklet via "High Blood Pressure for Dummies": I will be showing both to my doctor!     3/9/2008 12:44:36 PM     3/2/2008 7:01:16 AM I am amazed at the number of complaints about it being expensive!! "Compared to What?" If you think expense in prevention is high, how do you cope with the cost of the alternative? Get real. Great stuff keep it up for ALL our sakes. Good on ya mate!     2/29/2008 12:20:50 PM God Bless you for the PDF! I’m definitely going to put it to GOOD USE in bettering my health.     2/28/2008 5:55:55 PM     2/28/2008 5:55:54 PM     2/25/2008 1:22:34 AM     2/16/2008 8:50:10 PM     2/8/2008 7:02:55 PM Not only was your information useful in educating me in Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty. But your DASH eating plan is exactly what I was looking for.     2/6/2008 7:50:43 AM Another one...certainly a good book, I must say. But is it for sale?     1/27/2008 10:22:36 AM     1/26/2008 9:52:22 AM This info could save someone’s life if they are serious about their health, I shared this info with friends and family who has HBP. Thank you.     1/9/2008 2:29:43 PM I do have a high blood pressure and I am currently trying to control it by a healthy lifestyle (workout, food habits, medication), this book is great because it gives in-depth and step-by-step information. I really like the meal-plan area with the recipe. It really helps me.     1/8/2008 9:32:40 PM Having had to deal with hypertension most of my life, this is a great refresher in learning how to not only take control of your blood pressure but also gives you the knowledge to help you make overall healthier eating and activity choices. Thanks so much!     1/1/2008 10:29:56 AM I appreciate that the download is free, but with the amount of color/graphics in the original, it takes a lot of toner over the course of a 55 page document. Could another download be created in black and white with fewer graphics and photos? Thanks.     12/7/2007 4:12:04 PM     11/28/2007 10:44:36 AM GOOD TO KNOW THAT YOU CARE     11/22/2007 4:18:27 AM This PDF is very useful to control not only blood pressure also to help have healthy life. Thanks. Indore,India     11/14/2007 10:51:46 AM     10/31/2007 10:07:40 AM     10/30/2007 9:56:20 PM     10/30/2007 9:56:19 PM     10/29/2007 9:03:58 PM     10/26/2007 11:43:32 AM EUREKA ! I HAVE FOUND IT . I THINK THE INFO WILL ASSIST ME IN THE STABILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF MY TREATMENT FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. THANKS IT’S WHAT I’VE PRAYED FOR.     10/18/2007 4:11:45 AM     10/14/2007 1:41:09 AM     8/29/2007 1:04:51 AM     8/27/2007 6:02:01 PM     8/21/2007 2:33:04 PM They let you download free. Then you can print your own copies. I think this will help change people’s eating habits. Easy to follow if you really want to help yourself. Thanks.     8/20/2007 7:29:33 AM     8/7/2007 7:06:30 AM     8/7/2007 1:57:23 AM     7/25/2007 12:38:30 PM     7/23/2007 12:32:42 PM Is it possible to adjust the menus to suit vegetarian needs?     7/17/2007 11:37:49 AM This is an excellent resource. I am an RD and have been using this for years. I wish there was a more printer friendly version of the 7 days of menus, so they could be printed on just one page-front/back, with an average of the analysis for another page. Thanks for keeping this resource current and all the hard work that goes into the updates. I love the recipes and often will hand those out w/o the menus.     7/17/2007 4:29:36 AM     7/5/2007 9:04:21 AM Its one of the best resources about blood pressure control, I Live In Jordan/Middle east and my sister was looking for the healthy life style for her condition which is found in the Perfect Guide. MANY Thanks for NHLBI.     7/5/2007 4:38:29 AM Very interesting information and helpful except for the suggestion of margarine which contains hydrogentated oil. Butter is better     7/5/2007 4:37:31 AM     6/21/2007 12:23:43 PM After reading reports on USDA Food Plans and costs, and serving information on My Pyramid, what I need it a menu planner with recipes and a shopping list, interactive so I can plug in the number of members in my family and their ages, so it fits us. It’s the only real way to apply all the information available on My Pyramid in a way that saves me time in planning and money at the store, while making sure my family eats healthy meals.     6/18/2007 1:13:27 AM     6/13/2007 2:13:53 PM     6/9/2007 11:27:35 AM An excellent resource that can be consulted to help an individual take control of his/her dietary intake that will ultimately lead to lower blood pressure, weight loss and overall better health. The $3.50 price is cheap (or Web portal is free); many monthly magazines cost more than this and do not have near the amount of useful information this resource contains!     5/30/2007 1:00:11 AM The potassium to sodium ratio is the key. Reducing salt is very important, but increasing potassium should be emphasized also. I have switched to eating more fresh fruits and vegetables and stay away from processed food as much as possible. I am now off the beta-blocker drugs. Why hasn’t the food industry cut back on salt? One can of Hormel chili has 2200 mg of sodium. You would think they don’t care about our health.     5/29/2007 11:31:04 PM     5/15/2007 10:47:36 AM I don’t really think it is very good.     5/11/2007 10:55:05 AM As one of the subjects in the original DASH study, I can atest to the validity of of the outcomes.     5/11/2007 10:55:00 AM As one of the subjects in the original DASH study, I can atest to the validity of of the outcomes.     4/26/2007 12:46:31 PM I think it would be reasonable to ask pts or clients to spend $3.50 for an excellent resource. If we all did some soul searching, we probably spend that much on a coffee or bag of potato chips, pretzels, etc. The price of a single book is very reasonable, in my opinion and if a pt is motivated, it is not too much to ask.     4/24/2007 12:23:51 PM We use this for our cardiac rehabilitation patients, weight loss program and diabetes patients. It is a great tool for everyone, children as well.     4/19/2007 11:26:54 AM Good Information, but too expensive to hand out as a resource to my school communities. School Health Nurse     4/18/2007 8:27:05 PM Following the DASH diet and lifestyle produced many positive health benefits. It lowered my blood pressure, reduced my cholesterol levels and my waist and weight went down as well. This is a common sense approach for anyone who wants to lead a healthy lifestyle. If you want to increase the quality and quantity of your lifespan then a sensible dietary approach like DASH is the way to do it!     4/4/2007 9:24:45 AM I am a diabetes educator RD and I find this resource very useful. It is especially illuminating to show how a moderate calorie, low sodium, low fat diet can have so much food! Clients really appreciate the recipies and 7 day food plan. Thanks for the excellent product. Having the option to download is great for low budgets! The book does a great job explaining the background of the dietary theory.     4/2/2007 1:44:39 PM     3/30/2007 7:02:36 PM This resourse is a great way to become aware of the conditions related to this issue. The best part is that one does not have to buy this resource because the electronic version is free! Thanks for this!     3/27/2007 3:22:10 PM     3/25/2007 11:13:06 PM I am a consultant RD and I use the DASH diet as my primary tool for nutrition education and clarify "Fad Free" dietary approaches. Appreciate the resources.     3/25/2007 12:00:57 PM Yup. The information is really useful and refresh my knowledge on preventing hypertension.     3/21/2007 1:43:31 PM I am sure this is a great resource but the price would limit many individuals from purchasing it.     3/20/2007 11:17:05 PM I started the DASH plan on January 1,2007. I browsed the site, checked my weight and BMI with the easy charts on the site. I found the easy eating plans and the suggestions for planning my meals so easy to follow. I printed several of the pages from the PDF file after looking through the whole booklet of information. I had my annual check up yesterday and my blood pressure was down in the normal range, and I have lost 9 pounds! I am so happy I found your website and have shared it with others that are interested in knowing exactly what is good to eat and how to watch for that hidden sodium in so much of the food we eat. My doctor said I was the healthiest 65 year old woman she has seen! I combined the eating plan with a 2 mile walk every day, and I feel great because I found what works!     3/15/2007 2:54:31 PM     3/12/2007 8:56:36 AM This worked very well but it was also very expensive!     3/12/2007 8:54:22 AM     3/9/2007 10:26:30 AM Thank you for this great resource of beneficial information on the web, (pdf) free of cost. I printed the recipes and I am going to try it out daily. Thanks again.     3/7/2007 1:09:14 PM Was able to download and print in pdf form. Will find it very useful in lowering my blood pressure.     3/5/2007 2:43:23 PM letters spacing words are all off, making it irritating and bothersome for the patients. It’s not teacher/user friendly The premise is excellent, the information would be vital, it’s simply not user friendly     3/1/2007 2:09:52 PM     3/1/2007 12:45:55 PM     2/27/2007 3:52:26 PM I have used the old format edition in the past and people have loved it. However, the new edition is too expensive to hand out on a large scale such as community or worksite health.     2/26/2007 9:46:51 AM     1/29/2007 9:43:27 PM     12/18/2006 2:55:21 PM Great Resource! It is too expensive to purchase for use in community nutrition where we depend largely on take home materials to reinforce concepts that have been taught. Hope you can come up with a PDF downloadable form that will be more economical.     10/18/2006 10:19:58 AM too expensive Great resource. Too expensive to use as frequently as I would like for my ESRD and CKD patients.     9/14/2006 2:35:49 PM     9/10/2006 5:31:44 PM Great item - too expensive!!! I have used this in residency for the past several years and have promoted it. I think its great information for patients BUT too expensive for me to purchase and hand out.     8/31/2006 3:31:06 PM very helpful A great resource with practical help for eating right to lower blood pressure.     8/29/2006 9:14:45 AM too expensive, I liked your old format much better     7/12/2006 11:15:47 PM very good Renewed my knowledge about high blood pressure and helped me a lot.     7/3/2006 6:07:18 AM low fat,low carbohydrate, high protein diet

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Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Your Guide to Lowering Blood Pressure