Substitute Lean Pork for Chicken or Fish to Lower Blood Pressure
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a plan to lower blood pressure levels. This approach incorporates a diet low in saturated fat and rich in low-fat-dairy, fruits, and vegetable.
The DASH diet includes lean, unprocessed meats in appropriate serving sizes, with two or fewer servings consumed daily. One serving of meat equals three ounces. For a visual, three ounces is about the size of a deck of cards.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the impact of lean, unprocessed pork consumption with chicken and fish as dominant protein sources within this diet plan. Researchers determined lean pork could effectively be incorporated into a DASH-style diet promoting lower blood pressure.
Keep in mind, this only applies to unprocessed lean pork, such as tenderloins or uncured ham with visible fat trimmed. Research does NOT support adding other cuts or types of pork products that are higher in fat and salt to a DASH diet promoting low blood pressure.
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Can Probiotics Lower Cholesterol Levels?
Understanding gut bacteria and how they impact metabolism, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity may provide new treatment options.
Trillions of bacteria and other microbes live within our gut. This microbiome is necessary to neutralize by-products of digestion, decrease toxins and carcinogens, and inhibit the growth of unhealthy bacteria and yeast. The microbiome also aids in the absorption of nutrients, supports the digestive process, and produces vitamins B and K.
Research published in the journal Circulation Research found the microbiome may also play a role in body mass index (BMI) and blood lipid levels (i.e. HDL and triglycerides).
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Farmers Markets to Lower Blood Pressure with the DASH Diet
This Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is recommend to manage high blood pressure. This diet is rich in fruits and vegetables. You need to consume between three to five servings of vegetables daily and between four to five fruits daily. That likely sounds overwhelming, but it can be effective in your efforts to lower blood pressure.
One vegetables serving is equal to 1 cup raw leafy green vegetable, ½ cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetables, or ½ cup vegetable juice.
One fruit serving is equal to 1 medium fruit, ¼ cup dried fruit, ½ cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit, or ½ cup 100% fruit juice.
It’s the perfect time of year to adopt the DASH diet if you are struggling with high blood pressure. Many varieties of produce are in season and farmers markets are readily available.
3 Benefits of Shopping at Farmers Markets
- Farmers markets are environmentally friendly. The food is produced and sold locally, while food in grocery stores travels an average of 1500 miles before it reaches your plate.
- Produce grown for farmers markets is typically allowed to fully ripen naturally before it is harvested. Nothing is used to speed up the ripening process.
- The produce purchased at a farmers market comes straight from the garden. No processing. This equals fresh and nutrient rich food.
Tips for Shopping at Farmers Markets
Shopping at a farmers market is not the same as going to the grocery store.
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Are You Eating Enough Potassium?
If you have high blood pressure, one of the most important nutrients to increase in your diet is potassium.
If you’ve looked into the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) you’ll see that it is extremely high in fruits and vegetables. This is partly due to fruits and vegetables being rich sources of potassium . . . among other beneficial nutrients.
It’s recommended by the Institute of Medicine that adults consume 4700 milligrams (mg) of potassium daily. However, the average adult intake is typically around 2300 mg.
Here are the fruits and vegetables that are the best sources potassium:
Lower High Blood Pressure: 5 Ways
Let’s cover five ways you can lower high blood pressure through dietary changes.
1. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a very effective meal plan to lower blood pressure. The diet is high in fruits and vegetables, including 4-5 vegetable servings and 4-5 fruit servings everyday.
Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of fiber and phytonutrients essential to heart health and promotion of a lower blood pressure. The more the better!
2. Decrease sodium intake
Are you eating your fruits and vegetables?
According to a recent telephone survey we are eating even fewer fruits and vegetables than we were 10 years ago.
Why worry so much about fruit/vegetable intake?
