What you eat affects your blood pressure

high blood pressure, or high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. This condition can make the heart work harder, harden artery walls, and cause organ damage. What you eat affects your blood pressure. One dietary plan designed to help prevent or treat high blood pressure is Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet.

Guidelines, not rules

The DASH diet requires no special foods and has no hard and fast rules. Eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, beans, nuts, and lean meat and fish is emphasized. This meal plan is rich in minerals potassium, calcium, and magnesium, which play a role in regulating blood pressure.

Here's what the DASH diet limits:

• Added sugar. Limit sugary drinks and sweets.
• Foods high in saturated fat. Reduce your intake of fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut oil and palm oil.
• Salt (sodium). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that an adult in the United States consumes approximately 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day. At DASH, he limits his salt intake to 2,300 milligrams per day. To reduce sodium in your diet, eat out less, cook less sodium, season your food with unsalted spices and herbs, and choose plain or minimally processed meats.

Practice the DASH diet

It's one thing to read about a meal plan, it's another to put it into practice. The basic guideline for DASH is to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. The other half should be 1/4 whole grains or complex carbohydrates and 1/4 lean protein.

Here are the recommended intakes for each food group on the 2,000 calorie/day DASH diet:

• Vegetables: 4-5 servings a day. One serving is 1 cup of raw green vegetables, 1/2 cup of chopped raw or cooked vegetables, or 1/2 cup of vegetable juice.
• Fruit: 4-5 servings per day. One serving is 1 medium fruit, 1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit, or 1/2 cup fruit juice.
• Cereals: 6-8 servings per day. One serving is 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta, 1 slice of bread, or 1 ounce of dry cereal.
• Red meat, poultry, and fish: 6 or fewer servings (1 ounce) per day. One serving is 1 ounce of cooked meat, poultry, fish, or one egg.
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy: 2-3 servings per day. One serving is 1 cup of milk or yogurt, or 1.5 ounces of cheese.
• Nuts, seeds, or dried beans and peas: 4 to 5 servings per week. One serving is 1/3 cup of nuts, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 2 tablespoons of seeds, or 1/2 cup of cooked dried beans or peas, also known as legumes.
• Fats and oils: 2-3 servings per day. One serving is 1 teaspoon soft margarine or butter, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, or 2 tablespoons salad dressing.
• Sweets and sugar-sweetened foods: No more than 5 servings per week. One serving is 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 cup jelly or jam, 1/2 cup sherbet, or 1 cup lemonade.

Mayo Clinic is for one week About DASH's meals.

eat well for heart health

There are no foods prohibited in the DASH meal plan. You can eat well and deliciously without feeling inadequate. These dishes — more — Enjoy heart-healthy meals.

Yellow pear and cherry tomato salad

From Mayo Clinic

Serves 6 people

vinaigrette

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

salad

1 1/2 cups yellow pear tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups orange cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
1 1/2 cups red cherry tomatoes, halved
4 large fresh basil leaves cut into thin ribbons

Combine the vinegar and shallots in a small bowl and let stand for 15 minutes. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper and whisk until well combined. Combine all the tomatoes in a large bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the tomatoes, add the basil ribbons, and stir briefly to coat evenly. Serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per serving (3/4 cup): 45 calories, 3 grams total fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 5 grams carbohydrates, 1.5 grams fiber, 125 milligrams sodium, 1.5 grams protein.

bbq chicken pizza

From Mayo Clinic
For 4 people

1 cup tomato sauce (no salt added)
1 12-inch thin whole grain pizza crust
1 bell pepper, cut into rounds
1 tomato (sliced)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
Slice 4 ounces of cooked chicken breast into approximately 1-inch thick slices, removing all visible fat.
4 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 cup (about 4 ounces) shredded, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 400°F. Spread the sauce evenly over the pizza dough. Add pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms and chicken. Pour barbecue sauce on top of the pizza and top with cheese. Bake for about 12-14 minutes. Cut the pizza into 8 equal pieces and enjoy.

Nutritional analysis per serving (2 slices): 261 calories, 7 grams total fat, 475 milligrams sodium, 28 grams total carbohydrates, 0 grams total sugars, 5 grams fiber, 21 grams protein.

Jamie Pronsinsk is nutritionist in La Crosse, Wisconsin.