The Dash Diet has the main objective of helping to reduce blood pressure, but it has also been used to balance weight or lose weight, in addition to helping to control diabetes. The acronym Dash comes from the English term Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, which means Methods to Combat Hypertension, and it focuses mainly on encouraging the consumption of vegetables and whole grains.
So that the diet is also used to lose weight, the food routine can be maintained, but one must consume less than usual, to reduce the calories of the diet.
How it works
The Dash diet is not only focused on reducing salt to control hypertension, but mainly focuses on improving the quality of the foods eaten daily, which also helps to control other problems, such as obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Allowed Foods
Foods that should be consumed in greater quantities are those rich in protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium and unsaturated fats, such as:
- Fruits; Vegetables and greens; Whole grains, such as oats, whole wheat flour, brown rice and quinoa; Skimmed milk and derivatives; Good fats: chestnuts, peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, olive oil; Lean meats: prefer fish, chicken and lean cuts of red meats.
In addition, regular physical activity also helps to reduce blood pressure and control weight, helping to improve overall health.
Prohibited Foods
Foods that should be avoided from the Dash diet are:
- Sweets and foods rich in sugar, including industrialized products such as stuffed cookies, soft drinks, chocolate and ready-to-eat pastries; Foods rich in white flour, such as biscuits, pasta and white bread; Foods high in saturated fat, such as red meats high in fat, sausage, sausage, bacon; Alcoholic beverages.
In addition, reducing the consumption of salt and sodium-rich foods, such as bouillon cubes, sausage, sausage, powdered soups and frozen frozen food, increases the effectiveness of the Dash diet in reducing blood pressure.
Dash Diet Menu
The following table shows an example of a 3-day Dash diet menu:
| Meal | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
| Breakfast | 1 glass of skim milk with unsweetened coffee + wholemeal bread with minas frescal cheese | 2 slices of papaya with chia and oats + 1 fried egg with cheese | 1 plain yogurt + 1 slice of whole grain bread with egg |
| Morning snack | 10 strawberries + 5 cashew nuts | 1 plain yogurt | 1 banana + 1 spoon of peanut butter |
| Lunch dinner | brown rice + braised cabbage + grilled fish fillet | ground duck meat + wholegrain pasta in tomato sauce | sweet potato puree + chicken fillet with grated cheese + raw salad |
| Afternoon snack | 1 plain yogurt + 2 col granola soup | Sugar-free coffee + wholemeal toast with ricotta cream | 1 cup of avocado smoothie + 1 col of chia tea |
In addition, it is important to remember to avoid consumption of prohibited foods and to reduce salt consumption in food preparation.
How to use the Dash Diet to lose weight
The Dash diet can also be used to lose weight by reducing the amount of food consumed, so that the calories of the day are less than the calories needed for the body to maintain weight.
In addition, other strategies such as increasing physical activity, taking thermogenic teas and reducing carbohydrate consumption also help to lose weight, and can be included in the Dash diet to enhance its effect on weight control. See which thermogenic foods help burn fat.
