DASH Diet: Chart, Meal Plan, Meaning, and Benefits

Introduction

Diabetes is the increased glucose or sugar level in a person’s blood. When your body fails to produce enough insulin, the glucose level in your body rises automatically. The most common type of diabetes is type-2 diabetes. It is prevalent among adults. However, children are often victims of type-1 diabetes. It is also called juvenile diabetes. 

Diabetes is a common medical condition. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 422 million people have diabetes. In India, the prevalence of diabetes is almost 11.4%. However, the 2019-2021 reports revealed that India saw 31 million new cases dealing with diabetes, a rise of 46%. The rate of diabetes in the United States is also growing. Almost 37.3 million people covering 11.3% of the total population, have diabetes. What is more disturbing is that many of them are unaware of their condition. 

Diabetes may damage internal organs like kidneys, heart, eyes, and blood vessels. Nearly 1.5 million people die due to diabetes every year. To curb the growing menace, doctors and dieticians are promoting a new type of diet—dash diet. It is said that dash diets can help you control your blood sugar levels naturally. The dash diet is simple and easy to follow.

What is a Dash Diet?

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. As the name suggests, the dash diet is recommended to reduce blood pressure. However, in the past few years, doctors are recommending this diet to patients dealing with diabetes, especially type-2.

The diet is simple. It allows you to eat a spoon full of your favourite dish. However, the diet focuses on limiting the quantity of a serving while increasing the number of servings a day. 

Who is a Preferred Candidate for Dash Diet?

Though the dash diet is primarily recommended for people with blood pressure and diabetes, anyone can try it for a healthy life.

Research says that the dash diet can positively affect everyone, especially children. You must visit your doctor for a consultation. Once your doctor certifies that you are a good fit for the dash diet, you can rest assured. Visit a designated dietitian and get your diet chart according to your body requirements. 

Is it Tough to Maintain a Dash Diet?

Every new practice seems to be difficult at first. But, once you initiate the program and stick to it diligently, you will find it easy. The dash diet is easy to follow. You can continue enjoying your favourite dishes but in moderation. However, you may have to say goodbye to salty and sweet snacks.

Relay your preferences to your dietitian and get a chart prepared accordingly. 

What Can You Eat in A Dash Diet?

You can eat almost everything. The dash diet primarily focuses on whole grains, green vegetables, and lean meat. Let’s dig more into it:

Whole grains: Bread, chapatti, pasta made of whole grains, brown rice, oat cereals, quinoa, and other whole grains if possible.

Fresh vegetables: All kinds of vegetables, especially green leafy ones like spinach, kale, and collard greens. Add colourful vegetables like carrots, beetroots, beans, bell peppers, and tomatoes

Protein (Lean): Chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, and fish. Avoid organ meats like liver and brain—tofu for vegetarians

Fruits: Fresh fruits like apples, bananas, berries, citrus fruits, and melons

Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, peanuts, pistachios in nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and lentils and chickpeas in legumes

Dairy products: Low-fat milk, cheese, and yoghurt

You do not have to go from one store to another to find the right ingredients. All these items are easily accessible in the market.

A Sample of Servings Per Day

• Whole grains: Rice: 98 gms; chapatti: 1; cereals: 28 gms
• Vegetables: Green vegetables: 30 gms; others: 45 gms
• Protein: 28 gms; egg:1
• Fruits: Apple: 1; others: 40 gms
• Dairy products: Milk: 240 ml; yoghurt: 285 gms; cheese: 45 gms
• Oil and fat: Oil: 1 teaspoon; mayonnaise: 1 tablespoon; olive oil for salad: 2 tablespoons
• Nuts and seeds, and Legumes: Nuts: 50 gms; seeds: 16 gms; legumes: 40 gms

You can have snacks in limited servings, 5 or less, weekly. Try to eat in moderation so you do not exceed the 2,000-calorie limit daily. This is a general serving number for each day. Your dietitian will instruct you properly. 

Book Sugar Test

Conclusion

Dash diet is for everyone. A good dash diet can reduce the chances of getting diabetes by 20% in the future. You can start a dash diet for your entire family to ensure good health. However, you should always consult a certified dietician and get a customized diet chart for everyone in your family. This is because every individual requires nutrition according to their health condition. It may seem challenging initially, but you will get used to it.

Try to follow the instructions of your health provider strictly. You must check your blood sugar level regularly to ensure the changed diet works positively. 

Metropolis Healthcare stands amongst the leading diagnostic centres in India. They have one of the largest chains spread throughout the country. Visit the nearest Metropolis Healthcare Care to monitor your blood sugar level. They are reputed in the market for their satisfactory services.