Proving the value of DASH in .NET framework

Generating Denso QR Bar Code in .NET framework Proving the value of DASH

The study involved 459 people with a systolic blood pressure under 160 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure of 80 to 95 mm Hg In addition, the participants Were all older than 22 Took no medications for high blood pressure Had to stop taking all vitamins and food supplements Couldn t drink more than 14 drinks of wine or other spirits per week Couldn t have poorly controlled diabetes, high blood fats, or a body mass index greater than 35 (see Table 9-5) At the beginning of the study, Two out of three participants were African Americans The mean age was 44 years The average blood pressure of the group was 132/85 mm Hg with 29 percent having mild high blood pressure Participants were mildly overweight with an average body mass index of 27 Twenty-seven percent were smokers For three weeks, the participants closely followed a common American diet (high in fats and total calories); then they were randomly broken into three groups: One group continued the usual American diet The second group received a diet rich in fruits and vegetables The third group was given DASH In addition, participants were given sufficient food so that they didn t lose weight, and they didn t have a decrease in salt intake The diets continued for eight weeks

After only two weeks, the usual diet group showed no change in blood pressure while the fruits-and-vegetables group reduced their blood pressures But the DASH group had the greatest reduction in blood pressure, and they sustained this reduction for the entire study The average reduction in the DASH group s blood pressure was 6/3 mm Hg, but the best results were among the people with the highest blood pressures 11/6 mm Hg Since the DASH study, other studies have accomplished the same excellent results using DASH, whether in an academic setting or in a primary-care outpatient practice Some of these studies have shown other beneficial effects of DASH For example: DASH lowered total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or bad) cholesterol Blood levels of homocysteine, a substance associated with higher levels of coronary heart disease, were lowered Because most high blood pressure patients have mild stage 1 high blood pressure (140 to 159 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure or 90 to 99 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure, whichever is higher) and most illnesses and deaths occur in that group, the extent of DASH s effects can have a significant impact on the health of Americans, especially those most at risk from high blood pressure DASH-Sodium, a second study that used various levels of sodium with the DASH program, showed that the lowest sodium level (1,500 mg daily) lowered blood pressure even more

The DASH program is usually based on a 2,000-kilocalorie-a-day diet In the following sections, I provide you with the foods and servings in the program, sample menus, and tips for getting started and sticking with it If you find that following DASH is too difficult, don t hesitate to ask your doctor for a referral to a dietitian

The 2,000-kilocalorie DASH eating plan has the following foods and servings If you need fewer kilocalories to maintain your weight, take the lower number of servings; if you need more kilocalories, take the higher number of servings (See the later section Reducing Your Weight to Lower Blood Pressure for more information on determining the number of kilocalories you need)

7 to 8 servings of grains and grain products daily A serving is 1 slice of bread, 1 2 bagel, 1 2 cup dry cereal, 1 2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or other cereal 4 to 5 servings of vegetables daily A serving is 1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables, 1 2 cup cooked vegetables, 6 ounces vegetable juice 4 to 5 servings of fruit daily A serving is 6 ounces of fruit juice, 1 medium fruit, 1 2 cup dried fruit, 1 2 cup of fresh, frozen, or canned fruit 2 to 3 servings of low-fat or nonfat dairy products daily A serving is 1 cup 1-percent milk, 1 cup low-fat yogurt, and 11 2 ounces nonfat cheese 2 or fewer servings of meats, poultry, or fish daily A serving is 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, fish, or poultry 21 2 servings of fats daily A serving is 1 teaspoon oil, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, or 1 tablespoon regular or 2 tablespoons light salad dressing 4 to 5 servings of nuts, seeds, or legumes per week A serving is 1 3 cup nuts, 2 tablespoons seeds, 1 2 cup cooked legumes, or 3 ounces tofu 5 servings of sweets per week including 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon jelly or jam, 1 2 ounce jelly beans, or 8 ounces of lemonade Examples of good food choices in each group include Grains and grain products: English muffins, high-fiber cereals, oatmeal, pita bread, and whole wheat breads Vegetables: Artichokes, broccoli, carrots, collards, green beans, kale, peas, potatoes, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and turnip greens Fruits: Apples, apricots, bananas, dates, grapes, oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, grapefruit juice, mangos, melons, peaches, pineapples, prunes, raisins, strawberries, and tangerines Dairy products: Buttermilk skim or low-fat; cheese nonfat and partskim mozzarella; milk skim or 1-percent; yogurt nonfat or low-fat Fish, meats, and poultry: Lean meats, poultry without skin, and no frying or saut ing Nuts, seeds, and legumes: Almonds, mixed nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, and walnuts; sesame or sunflower seeds; garbanzo beans, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, lentils, split peas, and tofu