DASH Diet

jasonmh630
jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
in Food and Nutrition
First off, I want to say that I'm not on this diet... My dad is. His heart doctor has put him on this diet, due to hypertension and blood pressure. He's 63, soon to be 64 (Oct. 11), and had an episode last Friday. His vision started getting blurry and he was jumbling his words, as well has having a killer headache. We took him to the ER because we thought maybe this was a stroke. His BP was around 200/90, so they did all kinds of tests (including an upper and lower CT scan). They got his BP down to normal and sent him home. Well, he saw his heart doctor on Wednesday and told her what happened. From examining his records from the ER visit, she suspects he had a mini-stroke (forgot the technical term she used -- it was an acronym), then told him she would be putting him on this "DASH" diet. She said this was not to lose any weight, but to keep his sodium down as much as possible. She also upped the dosage of his BP medicine.

My question is, does anyone have any experience with this diet or know anyone that does? Looking for a little advice to give him, other than what his doctor told him.

Thanks, in advance, for any and all advice/suggestions. I'm kind of indifferent at the moment on whether I am for/against it. That's why I'm asking here, because I know most doctors aren't nutrition experts. I'm leaning more towards believing what his doctor said, just because of her reputation in North Alabama. She's one of the best heart specialists in this part of the state.
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Replies

  • let1179
    let1179 Posts: 58 Member
    I looked into it at one point, what I remember is it's basically clean eating... sorry that's all I got.
  • All4Me2014xx
    All4Me2014xx Posts: 155 Member
    I'm sorry, but your asking strangers who find ways to make nutrition and exercise work for their situations about a diet prescribed by a heart specialist?

    And if she's one of the best specialists in your area, do you have concerns that the diet is somehow not a good idea? From my very limited research (aka I googled it), it doesn't appear to be that counter-intuitive to good health.
  • let1179
    let1179 Posts: 58 Member
    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/dash/

    There's a lot of info on it out there
  • bugaboo_sue
    bugaboo_sue Posts: 552 Member
    A quick google search states that the diet lowers blood pressure so I''m not sure what you're looking for.

    Also why didn't you ask the doctor to go into a bit more detail about the diet and why she felt it was the best plan for your dad?

    And as someone else said if she is one of the best specialists out there perhaps she knows what she is talking about.
  • teresamwhite
    teresamwhite Posts: 947 Member
    Hi, there...I'm a healthcare chef, so helping patients adhere to their prescribed diets is what I do for a living. What are your questions? i'd be happy to help however I can.

    EDITED: like you said, doctors aren't nutrition experts...has your father made an appointment with a registered dietitian? The doctor can prescribe a diet order...like reduced sodium or cholesterol, even dial it all the way back to say, max 2g sodium or potassium...but an RD will be able to help best define down what those restrictions entail. Then I step in and try to make it taste good!
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    It's a low sodium, high electrolyte diet. Other than that, it pretty much follows FDA diet recommendations.
  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
    The other name for a mini-stroke is transient ischemic attack (TIA).

    The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension *might* lower BP a *few* points in someone who is sodium-sensitive. Basically, it's just another low-fat, low-protein, high-carbohydrate, calorie-restricted diet, with the addition of sodium restriction. It restricts saturated fat and cholesterol, which is unnecessary for most people and doesn't affect blood pressure much, if any. DASH does emphasize whole foods (good) and restricting sugar (also good); but it also emphasizes eating lots of starchy grains to minimize fat intake (not so good).

    Just because the doctor is an excellent heart specialist doesn't mean she knows much about nutrition...or about strokes, for that matter, since strokes are in the brain and not the heart. Has your dad been referred to a neurologist?
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
    It is a reference to low sodium diet.
    mrs-dash-sample.png
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    Thanks for the responses, everyone. I'm not one of those who gets butthurt when I don't get the answers I'm looking for. ;)

    I've been here for a while, so I know there are a lot of intelligent and knowledgeable people here, so I thought I'd ask. I wasn't at the doctor with him because I was working (something I probably should have mentioned), so I couldn't ask her to go into more depth about it. I know I can't call her and talk to her about it, because after all, I'm not her patient. She does have a great reputation, so I'm not disputing that she doesn't know what she's talking about. I'm just simply asking if anyone knows anything about this particular diet. I know it will affect different people in different ways and that results may vary. I probably should have clarified that I was just looking for information until I had the time to sit down and thoroughly research. My apologies for not stating that.

    Again, thanks for the comments. I'll sit down this weekend and thoroughly research it.
  • bugaboo_sue
    bugaboo_sue Posts: 552 Member
    I know I can't call her and talk to her about it, because after all, I'm not her patient.

    Actually yes you can. You have every right to call her and talk about your father's diet and the reasons why she put him on it. You can call her and tell her that your father told you what diet she put him on but didn't really have any details and you want her to go over it with you and explain why, what it is etc. etc.
  • Boardergurl
    Boardergurl Posts: 206 Member
    Why do people have to be such A@@holes!
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    The other name for a mini-stroke is transient ischemic attack (TIA).

    The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension *might* lower BP a *few* points in someone who is sodium-sensitive. Basically, it's just another low-fat, low-protein, high-carbohydrate, calorie-restricted diet, with the addition of sodium restriction. It restricts saturated fat and cholesterol, which is unnecessary for most people and doesn't affect blood pressure much, if any. DASH does emphasize whole foods (good) and restricting sugar (also good); but it also emphasizes eating lots of starchy grains to minimize fat intake (not so good).

    Just because the doctor is an excellent heart specialist doesn't mean she knows much about nutrition...or about strokes, for that matter, since strokes are in the brain and not the heart. Has your dad been referred to a neurologist?

    This was my thinking, which is why I asked the question. He has not been referred to a neurologist as of yet. From what my mother told me on the phone last night, his doctor doesn't know for sure that it was a TIA (as mentioned in another comment). That's just what she suspects. She wanted him to try this method first, as well as another couple of tests scheduled later in the month before she refers him to another specialist.
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    I know I can't call her and talk to her about it, because after all, I'm not her patient.

    Actually yes you can. You have every right to call her and talk about your father's diet and the reasons why she put him on it. You can call her and tell her that your father told you what diet she put him on but didn't really have any details and you want her to go over it with you and explain why, what it is etc. etc.

    Thanks for that info. I thought this might fall under doctor/patient privilege.
  • bugaboo_sue
    bugaboo_sue Posts: 552 Member
    Why do people have to be such A@@holes!

    :huh:
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    Why do people have to be such A@@holes!

    I don't think anyone was being an a**hole. I think they were just trying to understand better what I was asking.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    It's a low sodium, high electrolyte diet. Other than that, it pretty much follows FDA diet recommendations.

    That. Apart from being used for hypertension, there's nothing special about it. I imagine following it strictly might prompt someone to lose weight if their diet had previously consisted of a lot of calorie dense foods (which are also frequently high in sodium, though not always).

    That said, the same person could achieve the same weight loss by limiting their calories. Naturally, they still would have hypertension to deal with.
  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
    Thanks for that info. I thought this might fall under doctor/patient privilege.

    You have the "right" to call. But the doctor also has the right and *obligation* not to discuss your father's medical treatment with you without his express permission. The HIPPAA laws prevent it. So, while I don't disagree that a conversation with the doctor will be helpful, you're going to need your father to give his consent to the doctor first.
  • Boardergurl
    Boardergurl Posts: 206 Member
    Ok then sorry for my comment
    but some of the comments just seemed like jerk comments to be honest and very sarcastic
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    I know I can't call her and talk to her about it, because after all, I'm not her patient.

    Actually yes you can. You have every right to call her and talk about your father's diet and the reasons why she put him on it. You can call her and tell her that your father told you what diet she put him on but didn't really have any details and you want her to go over it with you and explain why, what it is etc. etc.

    Thanks for that info. I thought this might fall under doctor/patient privilege.

    You can call and ask. However, under HIPPA, he has to have authorized the doctor's office to discuss his conditions and treatments with you for them to give any specifics. If you call and let them know you have questions about the diet recommended for your dad, they can give you general information or point you in the right direction (If they have time and want to do so), but they won't be able to discuss anything about his health or numbers specifically.

    And I'm sorry, I don't have any info on the DASH diet. But I agree that, if the heart specialist recommended it, it's worth looking into with a registered dietician. Even a mini stroke can be scary, and it can be a warning sign for a full stroke coming if nothing is done, so don't take this lightly :flowerforyou:
  • casmithis
    casmithis Posts: 216 Member
    Yup, bought the book and a recipe book. Basically no fast food, no packaged food and never add salt to meals. We;ve taken salt out of our home (except for on the walkways when there's ice). My blood pressure has come down substantially and I feel a whole lot better.

    Good luck to your dad.
  • LorraineZinn
    LorraineZinn Posts: 43 Member
    The DASH diet is basically a very sensible eating plan that includes loads of veggies and fruits. It is the only diet that actually lowered blood pressure when tested in clinical trials. The study participants were instructed NOT to lose weight during the study, and if they did lose weight they were required to eat more food. The researchers don't know for sure why it decreased blood pressure, but they suspect it was the high-electrolyte aspect (since this diet is very high in potassium). Interestingly, one of the control groups was assigned to eat ONLY the five servings of veggies and 3-4 servings of fruits required in the diet and allowed to eat anything else they wanted, and they also experienced decreased blood pressure.
  • ljmorgi
    ljmorgi Posts: 264 Member
    Basically it's a "diet' in the meaning of "what one eats" rather than "overhyped program with silly buzzwords (like "clean eating") or expensive products (like Shakeology or Jenny Craig")." Reducing sodium (and losing weight, if that's an issue) is one of the best things you can do for your blood pressure. The fastest way is to cut out packaged foods and restaurant foods--which means a lot more cooking for yourself. (Does your dad cook?) I had to go low-sodium in 2002 after my kidneys failed, and it was kind of a shock, but your tastebuds do adjust over time once you've eliminated the excess salt. Get to know the various other spices and seasonings out there; they'll be your dad's best friends. :)
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    I know I can't call her and talk to her about it, because after all, I'm not her patient.

    Actually yes you can. You have every right to call her and talk about your father's diet and the reasons why she put him on it. You can call her and tell her that your father told you what diet she put him on but didn't really have any details and you want her to go over it with you and explain why, what it is etc. etc.

    Thanks for that info. I thought this might fall under doctor/patient privilege.

    You can call and ask. However, under HIPPA, he has to have authorized the doctor's office to discuss his conditions and treatments with you for them to give any specifics. If you call and let them know you have questions about the diet recommended for your dad, they can give you general information or point you in the right direction (If they have time and want to do so), but they won't be able to discuss anything about his health or numbers specifically.

    And I'm sorry, I don't have any info on the DASH diet. But I agree that, if the heart specialist recommended it, it's worth looking into with a registered dietician. Even a mini stroke can be scary, and it can be a warning sign for a full stroke coming if nothing is done, so don't take this lightly :flowerforyou:

    Understood, now. As you can tell, I have not a clue about confidentiality practices in the medical field. If I'm not satisfied with what I find online over the weekend, then I will definitely ask my dad to give them permission to talk to them about it, if he's ok with it. Thanks, everyone, for the info. :drinker:
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    The DASH diet is basically a very sensible eating plan that includes loads of veggies and fruits. It is the only diet that actually lowered blood pressure when tested in clinical trials. The study participants were instructed NOT to lose weight during the study, and if they did lose weight they were required to eat more food. The researchers don't know for sure why it decreased blood pressure, but they suspect it was the high-electrolyte aspect (since this diet is very high in potassium). Interestingly, one of the control groups was assigned to eat ONLY the five servings of veggies and 3-4 servings of fruits required in the diet and allowed to eat anything else they wanted, and they also experienced decreased blood pressure.

    This is the type of information I'm looking for. Thanks! Do you have links to these studies?
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    Basically it's a "diet' in the meaning of "what one eats" rather than "overhyped program with silly buzzwords (like "clean eating") or expensive products (like Shakeology or Jenny Craig")." Reducing sodium (and losing weight, if that's an issue) is one of the best things you can do for your blood pressure. The fastest way is to cut out packaged foods and restaurant foods--which means a lot more cooking for yourself. (Does your dad cook?) I had to go low-sodium in 2002 after my kidneys failed, and it was kind of a shock, but your tastebuds do adjust over time once you've eliminated the excess salt. Get to know the various other spices and seasonings out there; they'll be your dad's best friends. :)

    That makes sense, because the ER doctor said his test results showed a slight problem with kidney function too.

    Also, yes... My dad is the primary cook at his house. He's retired, while mom still works. So, he's become sort of a house husband ever since he retired.
  • bugaboo_sue
    bugaboo_sue Posts: 552 Member
    I know I can't call her and talk to her about it, because after all, I'm not her patient.

    Actually yes you can. You have every right to call her and talk about your father's diet and the reasons why she put him on it. You can call her and tell her that your father told you what diet she put him on but didn't really have any details and you want her to go over it with you and explain why, what it is etc. etc.

    Thanks for that info. I thought this might fall under doctor/patient privilege.

    You can call and ask. However, under HIPPA, he has to have authorized the doctor's office to discuss his conditions and treatments with you for them to give any specifics. If you call and let them know you have questions about the diet recommended for your dad, they can give you general information or point you in the right direction (If they have time and want to do so), but they won't be able to discuss anything about his health or numbers specifically.

    That's what I was referring to. I didn't mean for him to discuss everything about his dad's medical condition with the doctor just an explanation of the diet he was put on.

    Also, OP for future reference when your dad goes to the doctor again you can ask if he can fill out a new HIPAA form and he can put you down as someone who they are able to discuss his medical information with. Whenever I go to the doctor I always put my husband down as someone who can have access to my medical info or who can talk to the doctor if they call.
  • markja
    markja Posts: 270 Member
    It is a reference to low sodium diet.
    mrs-dash-sample.png

    My personal fave is Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute."

    I love the stuff and I don't have to worry about sodium.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    You have the "right" to call. But the doctor also has the right and *obligation* not to discuss your father's medical treatment with you without his express permission. The HIPPAA laws prevent it. So, while I don't disagree that a conversation with the doctor will be helpful, you're going to need your father to give his consent to the doctor first.
    You can call and ask. However, under HIPPA, he has to have authorized the doctor's office to discuss his conditions and treatments with you for them to give any specifics. If you call and let them know you have questions about the diet recommended for your dad, they can give you general information or point you in the right direction (If they have time and want to do so), but they won't be able to discuss anything about his health or numbers specifically.

    And I'm sorry, I don't have any info on the DASH diet. But I agree that, if the heart specialist recommended it, it's worth looking into with a registered dietician. Even a mini stroke can be scary, and it can be a warning sign for a full stroke coming if nothing is done, so don't take this lightly :flowerforyou:

    Part of my job is making sure we are HIPAA compliant in our clinical trials.

    While these folks are technically correct, it isn't going to violate any HIPAA laws for you to give you specifics about the DASH diet, any more than it would violate HIPAA to give you information about a certain drug's side effects whether or not you are taking it. The doctor can give you all of that information. What he/she can't do is tell you that he/she prescribed the diet for your father, why he/she prescribed the diet, or discuss any test results or other prescriptions with you without his signed consent. He/she can speak about why he/she might prescribe that diet for a patient with symptoms of TIA and high blood pressure.

    This isn't to say the doctor will be willing to discuss the DASH diet with you - in my experience if you're not the patient or the patient's primary caregiver they won't take the time. But, that has nothing to do with HIPAA compliance and everything to do with a busy schedule.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Yes, I have a couple of relatives who have been put on this diet. It was designed by doctors specifically for those with hypertension. It's healthy diet but like any diet that is a significant change, it can be hard to follow, espeially at first.

    Here is some information on it that may help.

    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/dash/
  • tracysway
    tracysway Posts: 67 Member
    I'm nearing the end of school for being a nurse practitioner. I learned about this diet last night in fact. You want more fruits and vegetables because of the high potassium content which will help in lowering blood pressure. The biggest part of it is to not get more than 2.5 grams or 2500 mg of sodium daily. The best way to cut it down is to limit processed foods or look for low sodium. No added table salt. Sodium causes the body to retain more fluid which in turn increases blood volume which causes the increase in blood pressure.

    If he smokes he needs to quit, if he is overweight he needs to reduce it.

    That's the simple explanation

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