About 74 million people in the U.S. as of 2010 have hypertension, or high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hypertension is a major health care concern because it, if left untreated, can lead to potentially life-threatening diseases like stroke and heart attack. Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the U.S., and stroke is the third. MedlinePlus says the DASH -- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension -- diet has been shown to reduce heart attacks by 20 percent by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.
Step 1
Reduce sodium. Use other spices in its place to flavor food. Avoid prepared foods, as these processed foods account for about 77 percent of salt consumed by the average American. The standard DASH diet allows for 2,300 mg of sodium each day, and the low-sodium DASH diet restricts sodium intake to just 1,500 mg per day.
Step 2
Plan to eat six to eight servings of grain each day. A serving of grains might be one slice of bread, an ounce of dry cereal or 1/2 cup of pasta or rice. Try to eat whole grain foods whenever possible.
Step 3
Eat four to five servings each of fruits and vegetables. A diet high in fruits and vegetables has been shown to lower blood pressure. A serving size is 1 cup of green, leafy vegetables or 1/2 cup of chopped vegetables or fruit. Leave edible peels on fruits and vegetables whenever possible for extra nutrition, flavor and texture. If eating canned or frozen foods, look for low-sodium products.
Step 4
Avoid meats high in fat. Cut back to six servings of lean meat a day, with a serving being about 1 oz. Trim away any fat from beef before cooking. Increase fish intake, especially salmon, tuna and herring. These types of fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help in reducing cholesterol.
Step 5
Eat less dairy products, which are high in fat. Switch to low-fat or no-fat dairy products like low fat milk and cheese. Cut dairy down to two or three servings each day, with a serving size being about 1 cup of milk or yogurt. Reduce cheese servings to about 1 1/2 oz. Be aware that low fat cheese is often high in sodium.
Step 6
Eat a wide variety of food to establish a broad nutritional base. Foods rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium help to lower blood pressure. Eat four to five servings of nuts, seeds and legumes each week as these foods are high in nutrition but also are high in fat.
Step 7
Treat yourself to sweets like low-fat jelly beans, fruit ices and sorbets, low-fat cookies graham crackers or hard candy. Sugar substitutes can help reduce calories, but do not choose diet cola over a fruit juice.
Step 8
Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Alcohol has been linked to hypertension. The DASH diet suggests men have only one or two alcoholic drinks each day, if any, and women imbibe in only one drink per day. Caffeine can increase blood pressure, at least temporarily, and should be avoided.
