Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Getting Started with the DASH Diet 5
Chapter 1: What is DASH? 7
Understanding the DASH Difference 8
Exploring the origins of DASH 8
Recognizing why DASH isn’t just another trendy diet 9
DASH: A Dietary Prescription for a Healthier Lifestyle 11
The basic dietary guidelines 11
The most powerful lifestyle changes 13
Preparing for Success with DASH 16
Choosing foods that support your health 16
Creating lifestyle changes that stick 18
A DASH of Caution 18
Chapter 2: The DASH Diet and Wellness: What Scientists Know 21
Exploring the Science behind the Diet 22
Setting up the study 22
Conducting the research 23
Analyzing the results 24
Responding to America’s Salt Obsession and Addressing Controversies 25
Omni-Heart: A Variation on the DASH Theme 27
DASH: Wellness through Optimal Nutrition 28
Chapter 3: Improving Your Overall Health 31
Fighting the Silent Killer: Hypertension 31
Why blood pressure matters 32
How DASH can help 33
DASH and Cholesterol 34
Why cholesterol matters 34
How DASH can help 36
Battling the Bulge 36
Why weight matters 36
How DASH can help 37
Fighting Diabetes 38
Why diabetes matters 38
How DASH can help 39
Tackling Cancer 40
Why cancer matters 41
How DASH can help 41
Chapter 4: Gearing Up for a DASH Lifestyle 43
Setting Yourself Up for a DASHing Success 44
More of This, Less of That 45
Increasing the quantity of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beans 46
Decreasing the amount of saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium 48
Creating Goals for Dietary Change 49
Being SMART 49
Tracking your progress 53
Planning around Obstacles 54
Chapter 5: Presenting Your DASH Nutrition Primer 57
Revealing Where Sodium Hides 57
Processed foods 58
Table salt alternatives 61
Figuring Out How Much Sodium You Really Need 61
Reducing Your Salt Intake by Retraining Your Taste Buds 62
Stepping away from the salt shaker 62
Employing table salt substitutes 63
Examining the DASH Diet Framework 64
2 to 3 servings of low-fat dairy 64
4 to 5 servings of vegetables 68
4 to 5 servings of fruit 69
6 to 8 servings of grains 71
Small servings of better fats 72
2 servings of lean proteins 73
4 to 5 servings of nuts, seeds, and legumes 74
Part 2: DASHing toward Better Health 75
Chapter 6: Taking Charge of Hypertension 77
A Crash Course in Cardiology 78
Zeroing In on Blood Pressure Basics 79
Figuring out what those numbers indicate 80
Understanding high blood pressure readings 81
Distinguishing between Primary and Secondary Hypertension 82
Examining the Factors That Contribute to Primary Hypertension Risk 84
Diet 85
Obesity 85
Exercise 86
Smoking 86
Alcohol 88
Stress 88
Family history 89
Age 89
Exploring the Medical Treatments for Hypertension 90
Reducing Your Risk of Hypertension with DASH 92
Chapter 7: Reducing the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke 95
Introducing the Cholesterol Component
of Cardiovascular Disease 96
Understanding how plaque happens 96
Breaking down the ideal numbers 96
Getting Acquainted with Matters of the Heart 98
Palpitations: Heart rhythms gone haywire 98
Heart attack: When the flow of oxygen-rich blood gets blocked 100
Heart failure: When the heart can’t keep up 102
Stroke, Otherwise Known as a “Brain Attack” 103
Sifting through the facts on strokes 104
Acting FAST if you suspect a stroke 105
Fighting Heart Disease and Stroke with DASH 106
Chapter 8: Maintaining a Healthy Weight 107
Understanding the True Effect of Excess Weight on Your Health 108
Diabetes 108
Hypertension 108
High cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke 109
Lung disease 109
Intestinal issues 110
Reproductive issues 110
Arthritis 111
Cancer 112
Mental health issues 112
Figuring Out whether You’re Overweight 112
Determining your body mass index 113
Measuring waist circumference 115
Who’s at Risk for Obesity? 115
Eating Your Way to a Healthy Weight with DASH 116
Losing weight 116
Maintaining a healthy weight 117
Chapter 9: Reducing Diabetes Risk 119
Digging into Diabetes 119
Pre-diabetes 121
Metabolic syndrome 122
Examining the Not-So-Obvious Downsides of Diabetes 124
Determining Your Risk for Diabetes 125
Watching for the Signs That You Have Diabetes 126
Treating Diabetes 127
Lifestyle 127
Pills 127
Shots 128
DASH and Diabetes: A Perfect Prescription 128
Chapter 10: Keeping Yourself Healthy from Head to Toe 131
Realizing How Food Affects Your Brain 131
Breaking down brain fog 132
Mulling over mild cognitive impairment 133
Bettering your brain function with DASH 133
Maintaining Healthy Kidney Function 134
Getting a grip on normal kidney function 135
Discovering how hypertension impairs kidney health 136
Creating balance with DASH 138
Reducing Cancer Risk 139
What you should know about cancer 139
DASH as cancer prevention 141
Understanding Diet and Healthy Aging 144
Frailty 144
Bone health 144
Part 3: Enjoying Life the DASH Way 145
Chapter 11: Adopting the DASH Diet 147
Creating a Change-Driven Plan of Attack 147
Easing Tasty, DASH-Friendly Foods into Your Diet 148
Sneaking in fruits and vegetables 149
Enjoying vegetables in new ways 150
Going beyond plain ol’ milk to get your daily dairy 152
Surveying Common Obstacles 153
Forgetting about liquid calories 153
Craving junk food 154
Meeting resistance within your household 155
Presenting a Sample 14-Day Meal Plan 156
Day 1 156
Day 2 157
Day 3 158
Day 4 159
Day 5 159
Day 6 160
Day 7 161
Day 8 162
Day 9 163
Day 10 163
Day 11 164
Day 12 165
Day 13 165
Day 14 166
Chapter 12: DASHing Successfully through the Grocery Store 167
Getting Organized before You Go 168
Deciphering the Many Details and Claims on Food Packaging 169
Analyzing the Nutrition Facts label 170
Vetting nutrient claims 175
Focusing on the Perimeter of the Store for Wholesome Food Choices 177
Checking out the produce aisle 177
Sorting through the bread and grains 179
Protein pointers 180
Browsing the dairy case 181
Choosing wisely in the freezer section 182
Buying fats and oils 183
Treading Carefully in the Center Aisles 184
Heading Home and Storing Your Food with Care 186
Chapter 13: Setting Up a DASH-Friendly Kitchen 187
Creating a Healthy Pantry 188
Pantry staples 188
Refrigerator staples 189
Freezer staples 190
Arming Yourself with the Right Kitchen Supplies 191
Cookware basics 192
Essential knives 193
Helpful kitchen tools and storage supplies 194
Infusing More Flavor into Food — without Salt 198
Spice blends 198
Coulis 199
Salsas 199
Making Over Recipes So You Can Indulge without Guilt 200
Changing cooking methods 201
Modifying ingredients 202
Chapter 14: DASH Meal-Planning Strategies 207
Getting a Grip on How Meal Planning Works 207
Using MyPlate to plan DASH-friendly meals 210
Putting portions into perspective 212
Starting the Day off Right 214
Grab-and-go breakfasts 215
Make-ahead morning fixings 216
Packing Your Lunch to Avoid the Takeout Trap 217
Embracing the bento box 217
Going beyond PB&J 218
Taking Shortcuts to Dinnertime 219
Prepping ingredients ahead of time 219
Stocking up on freezer-friendly staples 220
Putting your slow cooker or Instant Pot to work 223
Cooking in batches 224
Making one-pot meals 225
Livening up leftovers 225
Chapter 15: Dining Out and Traveling on DASH 227
Dining Out with DASH, Generally Speaking 227
Share and share alike 229
Finding the Healthy Options at Various Types of Restaurants 229
Sit-down restaurants 229
Fast food places 230
Ethnic options 231
Planning Ahead to Follow DASH on the Road 232
Travel tips to help you stick to your goals 232
Simple portable snacks 233
Chapter 16: Adopting Everyday Lifestyle Changes 235
Remembering That the Rat Race Isn’t Really a Race 236
Getting enough quality sleep 236
Savoring your food rather than scarfing it down 237
Practicing mindfulness in your everyday life 238
Coping with Stress 239
Exercising regularly 241
Connecting the mind and body with yoga 241
Meditating 242
Calling on Your Support System 244
Figuring out how family and friends can help 244
Enlisting an exercise partner 245
Sticking to the DASH Plan 246
Building strategies toward lasting success 246
Keeping track of where you’re at with a journal or app 247
Dealing with falling off the wagon 247
Part 4: Smashing DASH Recipes 249
Chapter 17: Delicious Breakfasts and Brunches 251
Unscrambling Breakfast, the Most Important Meal of the Day 251
Getting Creative with the Food Groups 252
Chapter 18: Quick and Healthy Lunches 259
Preparing the Big Three: Sandwiches, Salads, and Soups 260
Chapter 19: Mouth-Watering Entrees 271
Keeping Protein Portions in Perspective 271
Building Flavor with Techniques and Seasonings 274
Chapter 20: Savory Side Dishes 285
Embracing the Complexity and Tastiness of Whole Grains and Vegetables 285
Chapter 21: Meatless Main Dishes 295
The Magic of Plant Food 296
Chapter 22: One-Pot and Sheet-Pan Meals 307
Keeping It Simple with One-Dish Wonders 307
Wrapping Up Dinner Fast with Foil 308
Chapter 23: Sweet Endings 315
Part 5: The Part of Tens 321
Chapter 24: Ten Tips for Following DASH on a Budget 323
Plan Meals and Snacks for the Week 323
Include Canned and Frozen Fruits and Vegetables 324
Purchase in Bulk 324
Select In-Season Produce and Store It Properly 324
Buy Store Brands 325
Skip Convenience Foods 325
Buy Food from Local Farmers 325
Grow Your Own Vegetables and Herbs 325
Cook at Home 326
Go Meatless Once a Week 326
Chapter 25: Ten Ways to Add Flavor without Salt 327
Saute, Grill, Roast, and Oven-Crisp 327
Add Herbs and Spices 328
Squeeze in Some Citrus 329
Toss in Onions, Peppers, Garlic, and More 329
Use Fresh Ginger and Horseradish 330
Cook with Oils and Flavored Oils 330
Pour in Vinegars, Wine, and Liqueur 330
Puree and Chop Vegetables 331
Make Rubs and Marinades 331
Sprinkle on a Wee Bit of Cheese 331
Chapter 26: Ten Lifestyle Changes to Curb Hypertension 333
Lose Weight and Keep It Off 333
Develop an Exercise Routine 334
Stick to DASH 334
Eat Less Salt 335
Add Good Fats to Your Diet 335
Avoid Drinking Alcohol Excessively 335
Don’t Use Tobacco Products 336
Stress Less 336
Enlist Your Family and Friends 337
Follow Your Doctor’s Orders 337
Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide 339
Index 343
