If there’s one thing we get tired of, it’s the endless changes in diet trends. Eat less fat and more carbs, eat more meat, eat less meat, eat less carbs and more fat. Can’t it even be a bit simpler? A diet that doesn’t go with the trend waves, but always stands up? Yes. Which can. Introducing: the DASH diet.
What is the DASH diet
DASH is an abbreviation of Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension – Hypertension is the English term for high blood pressure. The DASH diet therefore has its origins in tackling high blood pressure. In the early 1990s, the US NIH (National Institute of Health) conducted research into the effects of diet on hypertension. Their findings? Switching to a DASH diet can significantly lower dangerously high blood pressure and help you lose weight in the process.
What should I eat on a DASH diet?
Following a DASH diet is mainly about lowering salt and alcohol intake and eating whole, unprocessed food such as fresh vegetables, fruit and nuts. In addition, with a DASH diet you eat a lot of potassium-rich foods such as bananas, potatoes and spinach. Potassium is known to have a blood pressure lowering effect. In addition, eating enough fruit and vegetables ensures that you get enough fiber, so that you are full faster and often eat less than with a diet consisting of (highly) processed food.
Is the DASH diet difficult to follow?
Following the DASH diet is not that difficult; you hardly have to impose any restrictions on yourself. It’s not so much about what you eat, but how fresh and unprocessed you eat. With a DASH diet breakfast, for example, you choose to make overnight oats yourself instead of taking an oatmeal bar in the morning. And in the evening you throw your homemade sauce over the pasta, instead of sauce from a jar. This is how you fill a DASH diet weekly menu with dishes made from fresh, unprocessed ingredients.
DASH diet vs Mediterranean diet
The DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet together form the top 2 among the U.S. News en World Report Diet Rankings, a ranking based on the opinions of 27 health experts. Basically, they have many similarities. With both eating plans you eat mainly unprocessed food and lots of fruits and vegetables. With the DASH diet, in contrast to the Mediterranean diet, you eat animal products such as dairy more often and you attach more importance to the importance of eggs in your diet. With the Mediterranean diet you can just drink a glass of wine – it just depends on what you prefer.
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