The Dash Diet Plan

With new diets coming out so often, it tends to be hard to keep up with the newest fashions in eating. It can also be difficult to determine what will genuinely aid your health and what is just a fad. So in this article I decided to discuss the DASH diet, what it is and its pros and cons.

View image on Twitter

What is The DASH Diet?

DASH is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. High blood pressure (hypertension) is big problem for a lot of people and the DASH diet was thought up in an attempt to combat the issue.

The diet was designed to support research supported by the National Institute of Health or NIH. It has also been named the number 1 diet for the past six years. The Dash diet is also recommended by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

The diet encourages people to lower their intake of sodium, calcium and potassium and replace that with nutrient rich foods. People with high hypertension can benefit from lowering their blood pressure by a few points in as little as two weeks from following the DASH diet.

Although the DASH diet was initially intended for those with hypertension, its healthy eating plan also offers a number of other benefits. It is also thought that it can also prevent diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.

The DASH Diet For Weight Loss

As noted, the DASH diet was originally intended for lowering blood pressure. However, it has a major emphasis on plant based eating, making fruits and vegetables the main source of nutrition. This not only makes this eating plan a great healthy option all round, but is a great plan for those looking to lose a few pounds. The large portion of fruits and vegetables means that meals are filling while remaining low on calories.

The diet is also protein rich which offers a number of benefits for weight loss:

• Protein rich meals make you feel fuller for longer
• Snacks and meals high in protein encourage weight loss while retaining lean muscle mass.

How to Start the DASH Diet

When starting this eating plan there are a few things you need to consider. First of all, what you eat will depend on the limits you intend to set yourself. If you are using the dash diet for weight loss, you may want to lower the allowed daily calories. The normal DASH diet allows around 2000 calories a day, for weight loss you may not want to allow yourself this many.

Also, the dash diet tends to be quite low in sodium, however, some people try to lower it even further.

What to Eat

Fruits - 5 portions a day

• Packed with vitamins and minerals
• One portion is ½ cup of fresh fruit
• Leave skins on fruit (where possible) for extra nutrition
• Have fruit as a snack or as dessert
• Avoid coconuts as they have a higher fat content

Vegetables - 5 portions a day

• Full of fiber and vitamins
• Try green leafy veggies like broccoli as well as salad vegetables like cucumber and tomato.
• Use vegetables as a main meal rather than simply a side dish
• Leave skins on vegetables like carrots and potatoes for added nutrients
• Frozen vegetable work just as well as fresh

Grains - 8 portions a day

• ½ cup of cereal, rice or pasta is one portion
• Try whole grains rather than refined grains
• Eat rice, pasta, bread or cereal
• Try without spreads or sauces to keep them low fat

Dairy - 2 portions a day

• Try yoghurt, milk or cheese
• Stick to low fat options
• Try to avoid too much cheese to keep sodium levels low

Nuts, seeds and legumes - 2 portions a day

• Try peas, kidney beans and lentils
• Almonds, hazel nuts or brazil nuts
• Sunflower seed, chia seeds,
• Eat nuts in moderation due to their high fat content

Meat, chicken or fish - 6 portions a day

• Great source of protein and iron
• Trim fat from meat and remove skin from poultry
• Avoid frying meat instead boil or break

So obviously the Dash diet is great for anyone looking to significantly lower their blood pressure, but it is also great for everyone looking to simply live a healthier and leaner life.

Quick weight loss program

Are you so obsessed with losing Quick weight loss program.. instant weight loss and natural weight loss? If you are, do not worry almost everyone today is in that situation

* There is this secret quick weight loss program that can make it a lot easier for you. 

* In fact, you can be able to cut down your weight significantly within a week. 

* This instant weight loss is commonly referred to as the GM diet plan.

The benefits of the GM diet plan: 

* Lose between 5 and 8 kilograms within a week.

* Better skin health and appearance.

* Eliminate toxins from your body and therefore leave you feeling young and energetic.

* Reduce the fats around your waist and tummy areas.

* The fat quick weight loss program involves consumption of starch, fruits and vegetables. 

* In preparation for this diet you should avoid alcohol for a few days before you start.

* You have to increase your water intake to about 10 glasses every day to substitute carbohydrates and also give you the energy that you require.

Day 1

* This is the hardest because you have to fight the cravings and only consume fruits. 

* However, avoid fruits such as mangoes, grapes and bananas.

Day 2 

* You are only allowed to eat vegetables and nothing else on the second day. 

* You can eat any vegetables whether boiled or raw. 

* You are allowed to take boiled potatoes with a spoon of butter to give you enough energy for the day.

Day 3 

* This is a combination of the first two days.

* That means you can eat all the fruits and vegetables mentioned above.

* You should also remember to drink a lot of water.

* You should avoid potatoes because your carbohydrates will come from the fruits.

Day 4

* This is the day that you are allowed to eat a maximum of 6 bananas, which you have been avoiding since day 1. 

* You can also drink up to 4 glasses of milk. 

* In addition to bananas playing a crucial role in instant weight loss they are also a source of sodium and potassium.

Day 5

* This is the day that you can have a tasty meal.

* You can eat sprouts, tomatoes and cottage cheese, referred to as paneer in India.

* It is recommended that you add soya chunks to the meal.

* You also need to increase your water intake.

Day 6

* You can eat the same stuff as in day 5 but without the tomatoes.

* A tasty soup and a lot of water will get you through the day.

Day 7

* This is the final but still the most important day of the entire diet plan.

* You can take fresh fruit juice, a cup of brown rice and other vegetables.

Few Important Points to Keep in Mind:

* Avoid fruit juice for the first 6 days of the quick weight loss program and drink as much as 15 glasses of water by the fifth day.

* Avoid alcohol, tea and coffee. Replace with black tea, black coffee and lime. All drinks to be taken without sugar. 

* Work out every day for about 45 minutes.

* The vegetables can be taken as salad or in whole.

* You are not limited in your soup consumption.

* Once you are done with the diet plan you are only expected to maintain yourself.

* This is to prevent you from regaining the weight that you lost.

* You have to monitor the fat loss diet charts so as to have an idea of how you are progressing.

Source: Build My Fitness

See Also:

3 Week Diet System - Lose more weight - All body fat - Faster than anything else

START YOUR 3 WEEKS →→ https://goo.gl/rjaDRS

3 best healthy breakfast weight loss

It is all too easy to put on weight, especially during the winter. An injury which prevents you working out, terrible weather that stops you getting outside or just hibernating from the cold all make it too easy for weight to just creep up on you. So if you are looking to slim down or just prevent the inevitable winter weight gain, I want to share with you my top 3 breakfast weight loss.

Getting into a good breakfast routine is an excellent way to start re-thinking about your current eating situation. A healthy start to the day is a great way to make you feel good and keep you on track for the rest of the day.

Often eating the wrong things or skipping breakfast altogether will lead to cravings and can knock your diet off track for the entire day. Ideally you want to try and get something which is healthy, low fat and packed with fiber to make you feel fuller for longer.

It is also a good idea to try and make your breakfast one that is rich with protein. Not only will this help you stay feeling full but it will also ensure that your losing weight while maintaining lean muscle. Don’t be afraid of having meat for breakfast! Turkey and chicken are great breakfast meats that will give you a protein boost in the morning!

So what's a healthy breakfast?

Best Healthy Breakfast #1 - Grilled Turkey Breast with Tomato Salad and Toast

this is one of health breakfast foods. It is full of flavour and packed with protein. It will leave you feeling satisfied, fuller for longer and ready to start the day. The best part is this recipe is really simple, takes a matter of minutes to complete and only needs a handful of ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 10 Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 Lean Turkey Breast
• 1 Pinch of Salt and Pepper
• A Handful of Coriander
• 2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
• 1 Slice of wholegrain bread
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar

Method:

First of all cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a small bowl with a pinch of salt, handful of coriander, teaspoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix well and place in the fridge while you make the rest.

Take the turkey breast and ensure all skin and fat is removed. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and place it on the grill. Grill until golden brown on both sides. You can also toast the whole grain bread at the same time under the grill also.

Cut the grilled turkey into slices and place on top of the toast. Remove the tomato salad from the fridge and place it on the plate and there you have it.

Best Healthy Breakfast #2 - Spicy Broccoli Omelet

I love broccoli. Well actually I love all greens. I sometimes would make this dish with brussels sprouts rather than broccoli as they surprisingly packed with protein, however, I thought for this option broccoli was the more favourable choice of veggie!

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of Chopped Broccoli
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Method:

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and add the chopped broccoli. Cook for 2-3 minutes until tender.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with some cayenne pepper. Pour the eggs into the pan over the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes then flip and cook the other side.

Best Healthy Breakfast #3 - Yummy Grapefruit and Granola

I know for a lot of people the sour taste of grapefruit is just too much to handle. Nevertheless, grapefruit is one of the best foods for weight loss. Time and time again studies show that grapefruit is incredibly beneficial to those on a diet.

This simple breakfast is quick and easy and will fill you up while leaving you fresh and ready to start the day.

Ingredients:

• 1 Red Grapefruit
• 2 Tablespoons of Granola
• ½ Cup if Greek Yoghurt

Method:

Segment your grapefruit and place in a cereal bowl. Pour on your greek yoghurt and sprinkle the granola on top.

So there you have it. The three best healthy breakfasts for weight loss. Give them a try and let me know what you think.