RESULTS OF THE DASH DIET

DASH DIET

   We have been on the DASH diet for ten days.  Our first day was documented on Oma's Life, the other day's recommended diets were on Oma's Health.  My Significant Other has lost ten pounds since we started.  My blood pressure, without medication, was 121/87 today.  The diastolic (bottom reading) is still high, but I have prescriptions for two different blood pressure medications, so I consider this impressive.  My systolic (top reading) was running 150-over 160.  That is why I have the prescriptions.

   My biggest take away has been unsuspecting item that I have been killing myself with.  Things like bread.  I like to start my day with a little breakfast taquito.  Just consider the bread:  white bread:  115mg sodium, wheat bread:  DEPENDING ON THE BRAND Mrs. Baird's honey wheat: 100mg sodium, Nature's Own honey wheat:  120mg sodium.  THE SAME BREAD!  For my taquitos, one tortilla has 310mg sodium.  That is amazing!  The better choice is to have a fold over egg sandwich with the Mrs. Baird's honey wheat bread.  Not an entirely different meal, but a big difference in sodium.

   We have been eating more salads that we did before.  Look at the different dressings:  Italian, which contains vinegar, which is good for lowering blood pressure, has 340mg of sodium; Hidden Valley Ranch has 260mg sodium.  The ranch also has 1gm protein, which is good, but has 10 mg cholesterol and 14 fat grams.  The Italian has no cholesterol or protein, and only 7 fat grams.  He likes Catalina.  It is a trade off, and you can mix it up to keep interest high.  

   We have also incorporated ground turkey instead of ground chuck.  So far, we have eaten turkey burgers and spaghetti with the turkey.  I told him not to turn his nose up at the turkey.  After all, he has been known to go to fast food restaurants.  I told him he really didn't know if he was eating beef or camel!  The turkey has received no complaints.  I will make his meat loaf with ground chuck.

   We are also eating a lot of fruit.  I like bananas, pears, oranges and apples with cool whip on them.  I bought the sugar free cool whip.  It is like what we fix on Christmas.  Today, he added pineapple chunk to the mix.  I just don't eat pineapple.  The pineapple has no sodium, but also has no potassium.  Remember, we want to increase dietary potassium while we decrease the sodium.  Raisins have potassium, as does the banana and orange.

   Breakfast is oatmeal with a little cinnamon and some raisins, or Raisin Bran.  And we have fruit-on-the-bottom Oikos Greek yogurt daily with walnuts.  Walnuts have potassium, no sodium.  Pecans have no sodium, also, but have no potassium.  Walnuts are the better choice.

   How are you doing on the diet?  I'd love to have your feed-back.

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