The DASH Diet: What The 5:2 Was To 2013

The DASH Diet: What The 5:2 Was To 2013

Last year was all about the 5:2 diet and the Paleo or 'caveman' diet is already set to be the healthy eating craze of 2014. But there's another one to know - the DASH diet.

So - what's DASH? It stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Its aim? To reduce blood pressure and aid weight loss. Is it doable? Yes - it's low in saturated fat and high in fruit and vegetables. And carbs? They're allowed!

The NHS reports that this diet was tested in the US after the government recommended an increase in fruit and vegetables and a reduction of fatty foods in the American diet.

The test results proved that the DASH diet had a positive impact on the heart and blood pressure.

"The study enrolled 459 healthy people with slightly high blood pressure and randomly assigned them to follow the DASH diet, a high-fat "American" diet or an American diet supplemented with more fruit and vegetables After eight weeks," the NHS reports.

"The DASH diet lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, and decreased the participants' risk of developing heart disease in the next 10 years more than the other diets."

By minimising the daily intake of fats and oils (DASH recommends three servings a day) and lowering salt intake, the diet will also help with weight loss.

However, the dietary changes aren't as drastic as the low-carbs low sugar Paleo rules. Lean proteins, complex carbs and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables are the DASH guidelines.

Want to try doing DASH? Find out more from the NHS here.

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