The Dash diet is one of the most famous diets in the world. It is recommended by nutritionists for loosing weight as well as for preventing several diseases. Furthermore this diet is optimal for diabetics, it is a proven solution for lowering blood pressure and it has no side effects. A lot of people only follow diets when they need to lose weight. However instead of following diets we need to learn the basics of a healthy lifestyle. This doesn’t mean that we must let go of all culinary pleasures. It is OK to indulge ourselves once in a while as long as we don’t make it a daily habit. Whether you are fighting a few extra pounds or you just want to cleanse your body, this meal plan is the best solution for you.
A lot of people choose to follow drastic diets that promise magic results in a short period of time. However by doing so they are only endangering their health. Furthermore people who follow drastic diets rarely succeed to maintain their weight once they return to normal eating habits. Although the Dash diet was not originally intended for loosing weight, positive weight loss results have been seen in a lot of people following this diet. There are two types of Dash diet plans : the standard one (you can consume 2300 mg sodium/day) and the low sodium one(1500 mg sodium/day). While both are aimed at reducing the sodium levels in the body the second diet is more suited for adults especially the ones over 50 years old who are suffering from hypertension, kidney diseases or diabetes. While this diet contains almost all groups of aliments it is low on fat and cholesterol.
In order to follow an easy 2000 calories a day diet, Dash recommends the following quantities of food/day: 6-8 serving of grains, 4-5 serving vegetables,4-5 servings of fruit, 2-3 servings of dairy (one serving means 1 cup low fat dairy), maximum 6 servings of meat poultry of fish (low fat skinless meat), 2-3 servings fats and oils(one serving is a tablespoon). Nuts, seeds and legumes should only be consumed 4-5 times a week. Unlike other weight loss plans the Dash diet allows 5 servings of sweets per week( 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 cup lemonade and so on). The amount of food per serving is debatable. It mainly has to do with a person’s will power. We all know what we should eat and how much but most of the time we ignore our instincts. However if you really want to be healthy you will cut your portions in smaller pieces.
