The DASH Diet: Add a Dash of Good into Your Life

According to the US News website, there are forty diets that are very well-respected in the weight loss world. In order to meet the criteria to be a top-rated diet, it has to be easy to follow, nutritious, safe, and effective for weight loss. Additionally, it has to help protect against diabetes and heart disease.

Out of the forty diets listed on the website, the first one listed is called the DASH diet. It's a government-endorsed diet which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Today, we'll be covering the many benefits of this highly respected diet and any potential cons.

The DASH diet was originally invented with the purpose of helping to lower blood pressure. If you suffer from high blood pressure, then this is definitely an ideal diet for you.

If you're familiar with the Mediterranean diet, then you'll be happy to know that the DASH diet is considered to be its Americanized counterpart.

As with most diets, you're probably wondering what you can and cannot eat. On the DASH diet, you can eat the following foods:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Low-fat foods
• Nonfat dairy
• Whole grains
• Lean meats
• Fish
• Poultry
• Nuts
• Beans

The DASH diet is high in fiber and the food you can eat is low to moderate in fat content. It follows the sodium regulations according to US guidelines, and it even includes the recommended vitamin and mineral intake. This diet makes it easy to lose weight, lower blood pressure, and even lower cholesterol.

As we've discussed in other blog posts, diets aren't always simply a way to lose weight: they also serve a significant lifestyle change that can improve your life tremendously. If making healthier lifestyle choices for improved health is what you've had in mind, then you would definitely find the DASH diet worth looking into. According to DASHDiet.org, the diet has even been linked to reducing depression, which is unique when compared to other diets we've discussed.

You might be wondering what some of the disadvantages are of the DASH diet, which makes sense. There are very little drawbacks to the DASH diet, but one major disadvantage is its lack of convenience. Since it's not a commercialized diet, you won't be able to find pre-packaged foods in the grocery store or have them delivered to your door, like other diets do. However, this diet is truly worth the work you put into it!

While you're out and about wearing your fitness tracker and implementing the DASH diet into your life, you'll be sure to feel a sense of well-being knowing that you're doing something extremely good for yourself. You'll be adding a dash of good into your life with this diet!