Hypertension/High Blood Pressure Health Center

High Blood Pressure and the DASH Diet

One step to lower high blood pressure -- incorporate the DASH diet into your lifestyle. Doctors recommend:

• Eating more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods
• Cutting back on foods that are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat
• Eating more whole grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts
• Eating less red meat and sweets
• Eating foods that are rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium

The DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is an example of such an eating plan. In studies, patients who were on the DASH diet reduced their blood pressure within two weeks. Another diet -- DASH-Sodium -- calls for reducing sodium (salt) to 1,500 mg a day (about 2/3 teaspoon). Studies of patients on the DASH-Sodium plan significantly lowered their blood pressure.

Starting the DASH Diet

The DASH diet calls for a certain number of servings daily from various food groups. The number of servings you require may vary, depending on your caloric need. When beginning the diet, start slowly and make gradual changes. Consider adopting a diet plan that allows 2,400 milligrams of salt per day (about 1 teaspoon) and then once your body has adjusted to the diet further lower your salt intake to 1,500 mg per day (about 2/3 teaspoon). These amounts include all salt consumed, including that in food products, used in cooking, and added at the table.

Here are some tips to get you started on the DASH diet:

• Add a serving of vegetables at lunch and at dinner.
• Add a serving of fruit to your meals or as a snack. Canned and dried fruits are easy to use.
• Use only half the butter, margarine, or salad dressing, and use low-fat or fat-free condiments.
• Drink low-fat or skim dairy products three times a day.
• Limit meat to six ounces a day. Try eating some vegetarian meals.
• Add more vegetables, rice, pasta, and dry beans to your diet.
• Instead of typical snacks (chips, etc.), eat unsalted pretzels or nuts, raisins, graham crackers, low-fat and fat-free yogurt and frozen yogurt; unsalted plain popcorn with no butter, and raw vegetables.
• Read food labels carefully to choose products that are lower in sodium.

Staying on the DASH Diet

The following is a list of food groups and suggested serving amounts for the DASH diet:

• Grains: 7-8 daily servings
• Vegetables: 4-5 daily servings
• Fruits: 4-5 daily servings
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy products: 2-3 daily servings
• Meat, poultry and fish: 2 or less daily servings
• Nuts, seeds, and dry beans: 4-5 servings per week
• Fats and oils: 2-3 daily servings
• Sweets: try to limit to less than 5 servings per week

How Much Is a Serving?

When you're trying to follow a healthy eating plan, it may help to know how much of a certain kind of food is considered a "serving." The following table offers some examples.

SERVING SIZES

Food/amount

1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta

1 slice bread

1 cup raw vegetables or fruit

1/2 cup cooked vegetables or fruit

8oz. of milk

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 ounces cooked meat

3 ounces tofu

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise gets the heart working to pump blood through the heart more quickly and with more force than normal. As blood is pumped faster, it must be oxygenated more quickly, which quickens respiration. Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart and boosts healthy cholestrol levels. Low impact aerobics include walking and swimming. Running, tennis and dance are high impact aerobics.

Men's Nutrition: Iron, Diet, Blood Donations, and More...

See what Dr. Lonnie Lowery says about iron in men's diets.

By Dr. Lonnie Lowery

I'd like to quickly share some information of a men's issue that's come up recently: iron in the diet.

Although the public often gets the message that iron is "good", it's possible to get too much of a good thing - especially for men who don't menstruate (lose blood and thus iron monthly). Sometimes I even wonder if the 97% female majority of a major dietetics group doesn't influence this message somewhat. Yes, iron deficiency, which can eventually lead to anemia, is the world's number one nutritional deficiency. And yes, one can feel fatigue even before full blown iron deficiency anemia (small pale and reduced red blood cells) hits. But it's partly a gender issue - especially in developed countries like the U.S. where meat and iron fortification are plentiful.

You see, most men accumulate iron between their teen and middle years, up to a point that (debatably) increases heart disease risk (iron is a pro-oxidant) and could even damage cells (liver, muscle, etc.). You "damage" muscle cells and tendon cells enough with chronic weightlifting.

So what does one do?

Find balance.

Mix-up protein foods and don't rely too heavily on just meats (highly absorbable heme iron) or rely too much on eggs and dairy, which actually block iron availability somewhat. (And, if coupled with frequent blood donations could be bad.)

If you're a guy who knows he's not anemic, consider the "Silver" (iron-free) type of multivitamin/multi-mineral tablets. It's likely that you eat too much iron from the foods you already ingest; you probably don't need even more from your supplements!

Even a low-moderate amount of supplemented vitamin C (~250 mg is a common dose) or vitamin C-rich foods like citrus, strawberries, red bell peppers, etc. will further up your absorption of iron.

Some foods decrease iron absorption such as tannins in tea, phytates in whole grains and oxalate in spinach.

Do you consume lots of these?

Get used to reading Nutrition Facts panels on food labels. Iron is one of the "highlighted" minerals that you'll always see there. Men don't need more than 8 mg daily (teens 11 mg) and you probably shouldn't consume more than 30mg per day.

If you are concerned enough to donate blood - helping yourself and others - consider this: the Red Cross does a simple density check on a finger prick sample to check if you are "ready" to donate. However, it's possible to be low iron (e.g. if you've been donating 4-5 times per year for a long time) and they'd still clear you. I personally don't appease the "vampires" more than twice per year these days.

Whether you're a guy or a gal, the information in this list is helpful when adjusting iron intake (upward or downward), thus affecting bodily stores over the weeks and months.

I'll leave you with two related email questions from readers…

------------------------------

Lonnie,

Great article this week. I do have a question regarding donating blood.

The last time I gave blood successfully was about 1.5 years ago, and they came back showing I had high liver enzymes. I wasn't taking anything at the time ... not protein supplements, no androgens, nada. Then, last Fall I tried to donate again, but I was denied because of my high levels. I was told that I placed on a list that bars me from giving blood. I'm 20 years old, 190 lbs currently.

Do you know how long this ban lasts and/or is there any way around it? I think the high levels may have attributed to overtraining, but I'm not sure.

Thanks!
Justin Case

Hello Justin,

Of course I don't know all the specifics, but weight training men often have elevated ALT and AST. These enzymes "spill" out of sore, exercise-damaged skeletal muscle and are not just "liver enzymes". You can read "Muscle Masochism I" and II after an online search (Google). I don't know if there is a time limit on the list you mentioned. If muscle microtrauma/ soreness is indeed the etiology behind your high ALT and AST, then taking a week off from lifting before attempting to donate again (at another location?) may help.

Take care,
LL

----------------------------------

I read your online article regarding iron.

I have hemochromatosis and have given blood every week for 12 consecutive weeks. Under Dr.'s care, I take 300mg of T every other week and 500iu of HCG every other day. I still feel like crap compared to when I started to feel last August. Although, the addition one month ago of HCG has proved worthwhile - I really feel it in my testicles.

A question no one can answer is whether giving blood the day after taking a cypionate shot, funnels T from my body. I am somewhat anemic so perhaps that is why I am tired. But maybe also the blood draws are taking T from my stream?

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Justin Time

Hi Justin,
Well, I can't comment on your medical issues but as general info., I suppose it is possible that, since T injections "spike" quickly in the bloodstream (hence the popularity of "slower-release" patches or daily gels), that one may indeed lose more of that T during a subsequent phlebotomy session (500cc out of about 5000cc of blood being removed). I know it sounds like a copout, but I'd discuss concerns with the physician.

And remember one can get tired and exhibit reduced athletic performance from low iron levels well before full blown anemia develops. So always stay aware of your blood iron (or ferritin or transferrin saturation) levels, if and when they start to fall from the treatments

Good Luck!
LL