DASH diet?

alaine5377
alaine5377 Posts: 30 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone really follow the DASH diet for either weight loss or other reasons?
I'm running out of recipes and need some tips.

Replies

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/category/eat/recipes/
    These recipes have calories and macros listed.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited July 2016
    The DASH diet is a sodium reduced diet to reduce hypertension. If you have hypertension, it's probably wonderful. For me, to lose and maintain weight, any dietal restriction beyond controlling/restricting calorie intake, has failed and will fail. Your mileage may vary.

    For recipes and meal ideas, google recipe+meal or recipe+ingredients, or visit one of the recipe sites like yummly, food.com, allrecipes.com, foodnetwork.com.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I meant "dietary", but I think you figured that out :D
  • sonia9240
    sonia9240 Posts: 140 Member
    Dash diet works for losing weight I never try it
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited July 2016
    I had crazy bad hypertension and they kept trying to push that Dash stuff on me, no thanks. I got my blood pressure back to normal and got off the meds mainly by walking an hour every day and losing 40 pounds. I find salt doesn't affect my BP nearly as much as the conventional wisdom would indicate. And I watch it like a hawk too, take several readings a day. So that's my own experience fwiw.

    Obviously I lost the 40 pounds thru calorie counting, weighing and logging my food every day, the MFP way! All hail MFP!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    I sort of follow DASH. I eat more fruits and veggies than I did 5 years ago.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    I think of DASH as less of a diet and more of a list of low sodium foods. If you want to lose weight, calorie counting is going to be better than any named diet out there. If sodium is your concern for health reasons, MFP allows you to track sodium so you can take recipes and foods from the dash diet and use them on MFP and just set a sodium limit for yourself. Staying low sodium is pretty hard. Generally 2500mg or less is where you want to be and I routinely come in around 5000mg on a typical day. If I ever struggle with hypertension my entire diet would need a rework.
  • VividVegan
    VividVegan Posts: 200 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    The DASH diet is a sodium reduced diet to reduce hypertension. If you have hypertension, it's probably wonderful. For me, to lose and maintain weight, any dietal restriction beyond controlling/restricting calorie intake, has failed and will fail. Your mileage may vary.

    For recipes and meal ideas, google recipe+meal or recipe+ingredients, or visit one of the recipe sites like yummly, food.com, allrecipes.com, foodnetwork.com.

    Does that mean its bad to eat low-sodium if you're the complete opposite (low blood pressure)? Mine is always low, even before I began low-sodium. The reason I switched to low-sodium is because I bloat very easily.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    FeedMeFish wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    The DASH diet is a sodium reduced diet to reduce hypertension. If you have hypertension, it's probably wonderful. For me, to lose and maintain weight, any dietal restriction beyond controlling/restricting calorie intake, has failed and will fail. Your mileage may vary.

    For recipes and meal ideas, google recipe+meal or recipe+ingredients, or visit one of the recipe sites like yummly, food.com, allrecipes.com, foodnetwork.com.

    Does that mean its bad to eat low-sodium if you're the complete opposite (low blood pressure)? Mine is always low, even before I began low-sodium. The reason I switched to low-sodium is because I bloat very easily.

    I really don't know. I think you should talk to your doctor about that. Those two issues may be related, or the treatment of each interfere with the other. Better be on the safe side.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    85Cardinals wrote: »
    I had crazy bad hypertension and they kept trying to push that Dash stuff on me, no thanks. I got my blood pressure back to normal and got off the meds mainly by walking an hour every day and losing 40 pounds. I find salt doesn't affect my BP nearly as much as the conventional wisdom would indicate. And I watch it like a hawk too, take several readings a day. So that's my own experience fwiw.

    Obviously I lost the 40 pounds thru calorie counting, weighing and logging my food every day, the MFP way! All hail MFP!

    I'm so relieved to hear that! I have dreaded the day when (if) I get diagnosed with high blood pressure and then being forced to eat low sodium. I need my salt. I don't oversalt, but I need meat, fish, grains etc to taste good, and it doesn't taste good without salt.
  • ernestrodgers82
    ernestrodgers82 Posts: 208 Member
    alaine5377 wrote: »
    Does anyone really follow the DASH diet for either weight loss or other reasons?
    I'm running out of recipes and need some tips.

    I look to preparing my own food and keeping my macros within DASH recommended 27% fat, 55% carb snd 18% protein. The most important macro is keeping my sodium under 2300 mg a day but like @vismal I struggle with that number especially if I eat a meal out. With all of that I look at healthy cooking web sites and books like The DASH Diet Cookbook for inspiration. Try http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/diets/400-calorie-meals-weight-loss-is-simple-eat-400-calorie-meals just hold the salt!
  • alaine5377
    alaine5377 Posts: 30 Member
    ernestrodgers82 wrote: »
    alaine5377 wrote: »
    Does anyone really follow the DASH diet for either weight loss or other reasons?
    I'm running out of recipes and need some tips.

    I look to preparing my own food and keeping my macros within DASH recommended 27% fat, 55% carb snd 18% protein. The most important macro is keeping my sodium under 2300 mg a day but like @vismal I struggle with that number especially if I eat a meal out. With all of that I look at healthy cooking web sites and books like The DASH Diet Cookbook for inspiration. Try http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/diets/400-calorie-meals-weight-loss-is-simple-eat-400-calorie-meals just hold the salt!

    Thank you for the link! I love this diet because I don't like the flavor of salt and I work in really high stress enviroments so this helps in more way than one. Thank you again!
  • alaine5377
    alaine5377 Posts: 30 Member
    sonia9240 wrote: »
    Dash diet works for losing weight I never try it

    It can, but you really need to speak with a Dr when following this. Its designed for uncontrolled high blood pressure, but has secondary perks of weight loss. It's a life style choice, this isn't a diet you can just quit.
  • alaine5377
    alaine5377 Posts: 30 Member
    85Cardinals wrote: »
    I had crazy bad hypertension and they kept trying to push that Dash stuff on me, no thanks. I got my blood pressure back to normal and got off the meds mainly by walking an hour every day and losing 40 pounds. I find salt doesn't affect my BP nearly as much as the conventional wisdom would indicate. And I watch it like a hawk too, take several readings a day. So that's my own experience fwiw.

    Obviously I lost the 40 pounds thru calorie counting, weighing and logging my food every day, the MFP way! All hail MFP!

    Congrats! It's not for everyone. I don't actually use it for HTN. Truthfully, I just don't like the flavor of salt.
  • alaine5377
    alaine5377 Posts: 30 Member
    vismal wrote: »
    I think of DASH as less of a diet and more of a list of low sodium foods. If you want to lose weight, calorie counting is going to be better than any named diet out there. If sodium is your concern for health reasons, MFP allows you to track sodium so you can take recipes and foods from the dash diet and use them on MFP and just set a sodium limit for yourself. Staying low sodium is pretty hard. Generally 2500mg or less is where you want to be and I routinely come in around 5000mg on a typical day. If I ever struggle with hypertension my entire diet would need a rework.

    I didn't know it had the sodium tracker. I will definetly have to try it out. Thank you for the tips.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    @FeedMeFish
    I have low bp and have been advised to get more sodium. So I imagine low sodium can worsen low bp. But not sure.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    I have successfully used the DASH diet to lose 30 lbs. I like the "diet" because if you keep under 2300 mg of sodium that means you are eating a ton of veggies and fruit, which is why I think this diet works. For me, I found it very hard to follow the goal of 2300 mg of sodium. However the proportions are very good. I try to follow the proportions, while not worrying if I eat more servings of vegetables. I uses sauces which usually puts me over 2300 mg a day. Also, I love No-Salt and do not add any extra salt to anything I cook.

    Bottom line: I think cooking and eating alot more vegetables (and fruit) is key to this diet and easy to follow. Don't stress about the sodium (unless your doctor told you too) and focus on vegetables, fruits and whole grains and you will do very well.

    I highly recommend looking up vegan recipes (they can be adapted as needed and you can control how much meat and dairy you add if you feel a need to add meat and dairy.)
  • cincysue
    cincysue Posts: 9 Member
    I agree that eating a lot of fruits and veg is key! I've lost 43 pounds so far by going vegan. I haven't worried about sodium at all but now that my weight loss has leveled out I may reduce sodium intake. When you eat s large volume of fruits and vegetables you stay so satisfied!
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