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Your Checkup: Health Conversations for Motivated Patients
78: DASH Diet: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
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The DASH diet offers a powerful, evidence-based approach to lowering blood pressure through nutritional changes rather than medication.
• Stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
• Focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy
• Limits sodium, saturated fat, added sugars, and processed meats
• Can lower systolic blood pressure by 5-6 points and diastolic by 3 points
• Recommends 4-5 servings each of fruits and vegetables daily
• Suggests 6-8 servings of whole grains per day
• Advises limiting sodium to 1,500mg daily for those with hypertension
• Provides numerous meal ideas including oatmeal with berries, turkey sandwiches, and grilled salmon
• Encourages using herbs and spices instead of salt for flavoring
• Benefits extend beyond blood pressure to include improved cholesterol and weight management
For more information about hypertension management, check out our previous episodes: episode 4 (explaining hypertension), episode 5 (lifestyle changes), episode 14 (common medications), and episode 33 (measuring blood pressure at home).
References
1. Diets. Yannakoulia M, Scarmeas N. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2024;390(22):2098-2106. doi:10.1056/NEJMra2211889.
2. Treatment of Hypertension: A Review. Carey RM, Moran AE, Whelton PK. JAMA. 2022;328(18):1849-1861. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.19590.
3. DASH Dietary Pattern and Cardiometabolic Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Chiavaroli L, Viguiliouk E, Nishi SK, et al. Nutrients. 2019;11(2):E338. doi:10.3390/nu11020338.
4. Primary Prevention of ASCVD and T2DM in Patients at Metabolic Risk: An Endocrine Society* Clinical Practice Guideline. Rosenzweig JL, Bakris GL, Berglund LF, et al. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2019;104(9):3939-3985. doi:10.1210/jc.2019-01338.
5. Recommended Dietary Pattern to Achieve Adherence to the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) Guidelines: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Van Horn L, Carson JA, Appel LJ, et al. Circulation. 2016;134(22):e505-e529. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000462.
6. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) for the Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases. Bensaaud A, Seery S, Gibson I, et al. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2025;5:CD013729. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD013729.pub2.
7. Popular Dietary Patterns: Alignment With American Heart Association 2021 Dietary Guidance: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Gardner CD, Vadiveloo MK, Petersen KS, et al. Circulation. 2023;147(22):1715-1730. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001146.
8. Dietary Approaches to Prevent and Treat Hypertension: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Appel LJ, Brands MW, Daniels SR, et al. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979). 2006;47(2):296-308. doi:10.1161/01.HYP.0000202568.01167.B6.
9. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH): Potential Mechanisms of Action Against Risk Factors of the Metabolic Syndrome. Akhlaghi M. Nutrition Research Reviews. 2020;33(1):1-18. doi:10.1017/S0954422419000155.
10. The Effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet on Metabolic Risk Factors in Patients With Chronic Disease:
Production and Content: Edward Delesky, MD & Nicole Aruffo, RN
Artwork: Olivia Pawlowski
Hi, welcome to your checkup. We are the patient education podcast, where we bring conversations from the doctor's office to your ears. On this podcast, we try to bring medicine closer to its patients. I'm Ed Dolesky, a family medicine doctor in the Philadelphia area.
Speaker 2:And I'm Nicole Rufo. I'm a nurse.
Speaker 1:And we are so excited you were able to join us here again today. You've got an experience, a story, something about New Jersey that you need to say, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we need to talk about the highways in New Jersey, I guess. I was recently the other day had to drive in New Jersey twice, unfortunately, and every other time, if we are ever in New Jersey, you are driving, because driving is a boy job.
Speaker 1:Sure Blue job.
Speaker 2:And like otherwise I'm really just going to the beach. So I just hop on the AC expressway and like don't think anything about it.
Speaker 1:Sure.
Speaker 2:And we were. I've been talking to your niece who like recently started driving more she's 18 and she would tell us like how nervous she was to drive on the highways. And like this one time she accidentally got on the highway and she was like really stressed out about it and so I like got it and I was, you know, kind of thinking like yeah, I guess when I was 18, like I didn't love getting on 95.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Cause that's like the highway I was mostly on and then I was driving in New Jersey and I was like, oh, and then it clicked to me why she was so stressed out driving on the highways, Because I've been driving for a lot longer than she has been and I was stressed out and it's like it's. It's absolute anarchy, to be honest. Like people like to clown on New Jersey drivers and honestly like that's why, cause it's like you're in survival mode out there. It's crazy.
Speaker 1:Every person for the speed limit 65.
Speaker 2:So everyone's going 80. And then it's like on a six lane highway that divides into two more six lane highways, or you like. Think you're getting off the highway but then you just get on to another big, giant wide highway and it's this like it's oh, my god yeah, I can't believe that like people in new jersey, just like do that every day, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's the nature of South Jersey. I think that, uh, that congested type of like amalgamation of highways.
Speaker 2:I've never experienced anything like that in my life.
Speaker 1:Right, I mean, well, you're, like you know, passenger princess.
Speaker 2:maybe you're not so like on my phone, or like reading, or I'm just like not paying attention to the driving conditions.
Speaker 1:No, paying attention to the driving conditions. No, this stuff is, it's intense and then, like you're merging at like 50, 60, maybe more miles per hour into different lanes. Yeah, there are certain lanes, like there are some going from like different parts of south jersey that connect to camden and philly, that, like you could unknowingly be in like the leftmost lane. The signs are really confusing.
Speaker 2:Like this site, it'll be like this sign for this exit and then it lists all these towns like you could unknowingly be in, like the leftmost lane, the signs are really confusing, like the sign it'll be like this sign for this exit and then it lists all these towns that it gets off. But like, if you don't get off, if you're not in that one lane, you're just to get onto another highway. You're like you missed it and now you just have to stay on this gigantic highway.
Speaker 1:You may even have to pay a toll.
Speaker 2:Probably have to pay a toll with no end in sight, right? No, it's a lot. No, I get it. Jill, if you're listening to this, I empathize with you. More than ever, that was nuts, you know how people, if you live in this like part of the country, have Wawa and people are like if you can like drive in a Wawa parking lot, you can drive anywhere. No, I think if you can drive in New Jersey, you can drive anywhere.
Speaker 2:You know this is big vindication, but then the Jersey people come over here to our normal highway and we're like what are these crazy lunatics doing?
Speaker 1:That's why Well, that's why Dan called it. I remember years ago we were driving in Philly and I was in the back seat and dan is driving and he's like I forgot what type of car, but he's like, oh yeah, I'm in the right lane, gotta get in the left time to do the jersey shuffle, and he like crosses three or four lanes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, that's how, in a moment you're not just switching a lane, you're like going over the entire thing. I'm like are you guys okay? Like who did this? Someone is responsible for, like I don't know what that job role is of like designing highways and civil engineering yeah, well, they're like crazy, they need help. They need professional help because, like, I don't know what happened to them, that they were hurt so badly that they decided to do this and make us drive like this.
Speaker 1:It is a six lane highway. It's crazy. The 42. I guess I know they're all numbers and like it doesn't really ring any bells, but no, it's crazy, especially Ollie thinks it's crazy too.
Speaker 2:He agrees.
Speaker 1:I'm getting a delivery, I think I might be getting a package oh, I'm not decent to look in the package. Yeah, so it was a package. Um, he doesn't normally get just excited for for anything it's exciting when we get deliveries. It's like christmas, but every day yeah every day.
Speaker 2:Okay, I have a collection of like things for our honeymoon. Have our 100 deep bug spray so we don't get malaria or japanese encephalitis that'd be a bummer neck pillows neck pillows.
Speaker 1:No, it's great. You are a wonder when it comes to acquiring items that we need for.
Speaker 2:The Amazon ferry comes.
Speaker 1:The Amazon ferry. So you know all right. Well, I think it's a natural transition to our next pre-show, banter.
Speaker 2:What else have we got?
Speaker 1:Well, I'm just thinking and maybe this has been said before. I think there is a timeline. No, there's an equation out there somewhere of travel time that it takes to a venue or location and time spent at the venue for it to be worth it. Say you have to drive an hour and 20 minutes somewhere and an hour and 20 minutes back. Make it an hour and 30, say three hours in the car. To make it worth it, you have to spend. I know that simple math would be. It's a one-to-one. You have to spend more than three hours at this event. Do you see it differently?
Speaker 2:No, I agree. So if you're spending more time in the car than you are, I guess, like I don't know, I guess it depends, like what it is. You know there are other factors, but I think, broadly at least, we sometimes can't justify if we would be spending more time in the car than we would at you know the actual event or whatever it was yeah, gathering it is tough, and it's tough because of the parking.
Speaker 2:Um, you know, parking in center city has gotten rough again yeah, that is a huge um, I don't even know what word to use annoyance, not even annoyance. Annoyance is a lightweight, a light term, it's very light to use. It's just especially like on sundays, like if we're coming back from the beach or, like you know, do whatever on a sunday yeah or I mean on a saturday, it doesn't matter what day it is.
Speaker 2:When we come back from somewhere, especially if it's like we're not in the city, we have to drive here. Say, we have to drive 30 45 minutes to get back home, then eight times out of ten we spend another 30 to 45 minutes driving in circles looking for a spot to park the car which is good for two hours that's another ordeal. It's not just like when we leave somewhere, like, like if we're leaving my parents sure just for example, because they're like about a half hour away.
Speaker 2:Even if we leave there at like eight, which doesn't seem that late, okay, get home at 8 30, but then we're driving in circles until like nine, nine, 15. And then we have to walk back because God knows where we had to park the car.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's like a whole to do.
Speaker 1:It is a whole to do.
Speaker 2:It's really annoying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's bad the way.
Speaker 2:I just want to drive home and pull into a driveway. I cannot explain it.
Speaker 1:No, no, I and I well, so they can just be at my house. It was a moment that I I didn't like initially, where they put like every quarter of a block at the edges was dedicated to a loading zone, and some of these loading zones, like started at six, ended at 6 pm. So then it was parking that was available for overnight parking at starting at 6 pm, which was great for people who commute and come back from work, but now they're gone again because someone didn't like it and it was the people in another neighborhood nearby, and so now it's back to two-hour parking all over the place and the only time you can park for two-hour parking and have overnight is 8 pm, because then from 8 to 10 you're good, and then after it's overnight parking, which doesn't count. So I really I think this, yeah, this stuff has been happening in center city and we keep getting inertia of like it's time maybe to move on yeah where it's not so comfortable.
Speaker 1:But that's my thought about travel time. I don't know. It came up this week and I just think maybe it's relatable. Hit us up in the fan mail if you find that relatable at all. Um, what are we watching this week?
Speaker 2:oh, what are? You watching, and now I'm watching well, we're watching season three of the summer. I turn pretty. I watched season. Actually, the first season came out kind of like when we first started talking and then I watched the second season, like this year, so I could watch the third season. The second season was like hard to get through, it wasn't the best, but the third season it's good.
Speaker 2:But it's also like makes me like hate all of these characters that's good though which I guess means that they're acting, is good I think they're so good at acting yeah you thought that this was the line for me I did well because I I was watching.
Speaker 2:I would be watching season two. Initially I wanted to watch season two so that I could download and just like, have all of season three for our honeymoon flights. But then I was like but then people were like talking about it and I was like I'll just watch it, Like there's plenty of content to download for a flight and I would watch it on nights that Eddie would work late. And then you kind of were like, oh, what's this Like, what are you watching? And then he got hooked.
Speaker 1:That's how it usually happens. Yeah, I'm in. That's how it usually happens. Yeah, I'm in there.
Speaker 2:So we're watching that, which apparently the season goes off script from the books, which will be refreshing. That's another thing. We were recently talking about all these shows that are coming out that are already books, and then it's like you know what happens, Like you know what the twist is. Like they're making. The house made the movie or a show. I already know what that twist is. Apparently they're making Verity a movie Already. Know what that is, cause whatever.
Speaker 2:And then there was something else that they said. They were recently making a show or a movie. I'm like, and it's not going to be as good as the book, it's too much for you, but I'm obviously going to watch it For sure, but you already know what happens.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, well, I don't.
Speaker 2:I can't read Like can people just be like original, write something new that isn't already a book?
Speaker 1:No, no original write something new that isn't already a book? No, no, I don't think so. No, it's. It's um great show. I um definitely thought.
Speaker 2:You thought that that was the line and it wasn't no clearly. Well, now we're gonna have to watch the bachelorette, because the girl from mormon wives is the bachelorette that's crazy, I haven't I haven't watched that show, I think probably since like 2018 ish.
Speaker 1:No, I don't think I've ever seen a whole season of it now we're gonna I understand the premise. I think everyone understands the premise, but this time, no, we're gonna watch I wonder when it comes out I don't know. I thought that stuff was like always on, it's like I know it does feel like that yeah, I don't know. So, yeah, that's what we got, yeah, so what are we going to talk about today, nick?
Speaker 1:today we're talking about the dash diet yeah, this was a selfish pick, because I think this is going to be incredibly helpful for a person who is thinking about having high blood pressure. They're sitting at home and they're like, oh man, they told me I have hypertension and I'm not in love with medications and, believe me, there is a room, there is a place for medications but they're thinking like, what can I do? And it's a hand-waving moment that happens in the doctor's office that says you should try the DASH diet and that's about it. Maybe you get a handout, maybe you're lucky enough where you have like a whole visit with someone and they talk to you about the DASH diet. I haven't seen it yet. So that's the point of this episode is to talk to you about the DASH diet.
Speaker 1:The following episode is grounded in high quality evidence from randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews and major clinical guidelines. The literature consistently supports the DASH diet as an effective, evidence-based approach for lowering blood pressure and improving cardiometabolic health, as recommended by the American Heart Association and other leading organizations. That sounded like a disclaimer, but I really wanted to include it in there. All right, nikki, can you tell us? It's an acronym? It's like SCUBA, it's like laser. Yeah, check it out if you didn't know, those were acronyms Wait an acronym?
Speaker 1:yes, it is good question, I don't know off the dome I knew scuba was. I forget what it is, though um, oh, there's like probably a bunch of people at home who are like it's this, it's this you guys are dumb. You guys are dumb all right, what is it? Uh, laser, uh vamping, vamping, looking up, looking up, there we go, okay. Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation really yeah that makes sense laser. It's one of the better ones.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah what is scuba again?
Speaker 1:self-contained underwater breathing apparatus oh yeah yeah, that one locked and loaded scuba's a good one. Yeah, let us know your favorite acronym. My favorite acronym is dash nikki. Can you tell us what, as in the dash diet, it is? Um, can you tell us what the dash diet stands for?
Speaker 2:yes, yes, it stands for the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
Speaker 1:Yep, it is an eating plan designed to help you lower your blood pressure and, frankly, improve your heart health. It really focuses on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy and really paying special, special attention to foods high in salt, otherwise called sodium, saturated fat, added sugars, which is something we've talked about previously, and red or processed meat. And we've got loads of references as one, two, three, four I mean I think there's 10 there supporting these claims. So why don't we go through and talk about the key features in a practical way of the DASH diet? Because something we know is that it works, but practically, what can we do? So let's go back and forth here. I'll start the fruits. What does the diet look like? Four to five servings per day. What does that look like? One medium apple, a half a cup of fresh fruit and a fourth of a cup of dried fruit. Four to five servings of fruit a day, nikki. What about those vegetables?
Speaker 2:So vegetables are similar. We're also wanting about four to five servings of fruit a day, nikki. What about those vegetables? So vegetables are similar. We're also wanting about four to five servings a day. Examples would be about one cup of raw leafy vegetables, so like a salad, perhaps Base of a salad, or a half a cup of cooked vegetables there we go, that's one serving which, like isn't a lot.
Speaker 1:Not a lot, nope. The next one will be whole grains. In this diet, we're thinking about six to eight servings per day, examples of this being one slice of whole grain bread and half a cup of cooked rice or pasta, cooked rice and raw rice. Most of the population probably already knew this. They are different, especially when you're cooking, so be careful to look at that when you're eating or preparing food. What's next, nikki?
Speaker 2:Next is either low fat or fat-free dairy to have two to three servings per day. So we're talking about one cup of milk or yogurt or about 1.5 ounces of cheese.
Speaker 1:Problematic for us because we love so much cheese.
Speaker 2:So much manchego.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. Next would be lean meats, poultry or fish. This includes up to six ounces per day, and the idea is to choose fish or skinless poultry more often than others. We'll dive right into the next one.
Speaker 2:Nikki, tell us what's next nuts, seeds and our favorite legumes thank god, you had to say it not me um having about four to five servings per week, not per day per week um. So an example of a serving would be about one third cup of nuts, two tablespoons of seeds or a half a cup of cooked beans yeah, probably way less than I consume. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Nuts by the fistful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're high on the fat side.
Speaker 1:They are high on the fat side. Something to think about Next is fats and oils. The Dash Diet suggests two to three servings per day. We see this as an opportunity to include your extra virgin olive oil, if you will, as we've alluded to on several other episodes. And nikki, tell us about those sweet treats oh, I love a sweet treat.
Speaker 2:The dash diet suggests to limit sweet treats to five or fewer servings per week. Um, they have jelly or jam listed as a sweet treat I guess I mean who's.
Speaker 1:I mean, I love a lame excuse for a sweet treat.
Speaker 2:If you're asking me, the spoon sandwich is okay. Yeah, we do love a spoon sandwich, so there's an opportunity. That's true. Um the examples they listed were one tablespoon of sugar, jelly or jam.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so here's the real meat of the DASH diet.
Speaker 2:What's the meat? Tell us about the meat.
Speaker 1:It's it's the salt, it's the sodium. This is the big recommendation from the DASH diet, so let's talk about it a little. More Sodium Most people should probably aim for less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. That's not a recommendation, it's just a thought of what most people probably should think about doing. So for those with high blood pressure or who are at higher risk, you could think about less than 1,500 milligrams per day, and that's based in evidence. That is the recommendation from the DASH diet. This is based a lot in people counting calories using that mechanism, but to count sodium, I call it a sodium log.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and if you're using any kind of calorie counter there are a bunch of apps they also typically will include other like micronutrients and then like salt or sodium.
Speaker 1:Yep. So it's readily available on your nutrition facts the nutrition label on the back. So I think it's a reasonable thing. I don't think you need to. Well, maybe you don't need to count your sodium every single day for the rest of your life, but maybe it's a decent idea to figure out how much sodium is going into your body. Because take this what if, every day, you're intaking 4,000 milligrams of sodium and you have no idea?
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, and you went to the doctor and they're like, oh my god, you have hypertension. This is the lightest lift. I'm not the lightest lift, but it's something that is within your home, something that you put into your body every day and it's just become a part of you that you don't recognize that maybe it's a problem. Maybe it's something, an opportunity to improve for your health. Maybe you don't need that medicine because maybe you just take a look at what you're eating, you find that you're having four 5,000 milligrams of sodium. Hopefully it's not that high, oh my God. But maybe and then you reflect on that Maybe you make that change.
Speaker 1:Maybe you don't take as many ibuprofen, maybe you stop smoking, maybe you drink less alcohol, maybe you lose a couple pounds. All that together and maybe you make a lot of headway on managing your blood pressure. It's possible. It's right there for you. So just to review those numbers, we find that most people should aim for less than 2,300 milligrams per day for sodium, but people really thinking about the DASH diet maybe think about 1,500 milligrams per day or less, all right. So we said that in like broad swaths that the DASH diet is helpful for your heart and it's helpful for managing blood pressure. Nikki, let's get a little more granular when it comes to lowering blood pressure. What do those figures actually look like, based on the literature we have?
Speaker 2:The clinical trials have shown that the DASH diet can lower the systolic number so the number on the top by about five to six and the diastolic number so the number on the bottom by about three, and that those numbers were even greater in people with hypertension.
Speaker 1:Yeah, amazing stuff, truly, all with things at home that you can think about. Following the DASH diet has also been shown to improve cholesterol and weight. It can help lower LDL, or the complicated or bad cholesterol, and support healthy weight loss or bad cholesterol and support healthy weight loss and overall it gets you eating better. So the diet itself is high in fiber, high in nutrients and minerals that you need potassium, magnesium, calcium all of that being important for your metabolic health. So, honestly, dash diet, huge win. If there was a collab album between dash and mediterranean, it would be a huge win. The dead atterranean diet, which wouldn't be a good name, because no one wants to be dead atterranean definitely don't want to be dead atterranean the mash diet maybe you're onto something deluski mediterranean approaches to stop hypertension.
Speaker 1:Stop, I don't know, we'll see. We'll work on the branding um. All right, so let's do. In this next segment, we're going to talk about sample meals and tips for success. Nikki, let's go back and forth, these are. So we're going to do simple one-line tips, rattle them off for success on the DASH diet.
Speaker 2:Okay, the first one is to choose. Fresh or frozen is always an option. Fruits and veggies.
Speaker 1:We also encourage with the DASH diet to use herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor food.
Speaker 2:Next reading the labels to check for the sodium content.
Speaker 1:Herbs and spices are delicious. There's no substitute for a good parsley.
Speaker 2:You're obsessed with parsley. I don't know why.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, so much hate on parsley.
Speaker 2:You're obsessed with dried parsley.
Speaker 1:What is your? This is like this. Hate is just unwarranted. First it started with oregano, then it went to the parsley. Which italian seasoning am I allowed to use? Basil?
Speaker 2:that's because you put oregano on my spaghetti meatballs and it was almost an immediate divorce that literally I can't believe I didn't pack my bags and leave One time. Never again.
Speaker 1:A force of habit. Herbs and spices are great, so you can use plenty of options to flavor your food instead of just salt. You should read food labels for the sodium content Actually see what sodium is going in your body. When you're thinking about grain products, select a whole grain product and look for something that says 100% whole grain on the label. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products. That's a step in the right direction, and we have talked ad nauseum about these. Limit processed and fast foods. Oftentimes, very, very often they often have high sodium and unhealthy fats. So those are just a couple simple, quick tips. But what we want to do for you now because this was done by popular demand from our followers on threads is some sample meal ideas. Nikki, can you tell us a little bit more about sample meal ideas for breakfast in the DASH diet?
Speaker 2:For breakfast we could do some oatmeal with fresh berries and a sprinkle of chopped nuts or some low-fat yogurt with fruit, maybe a banana, maybe some berries and some whole grain toast.
Speaker 1:Great breakfast, yeah, I love that idea. For lunch, we're thinking turkey and vegetable sandwich with whole grain bread, perhaps a side of carrot sticks no, it doesn't sound sexy and maybe an apple Not sexy, but healthy. You can have sexy and healthy though. Think about a mixed green salad with chickpeas, big chickpea family, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and a vinaigrette dressing. You can make your own dressing at home. I would encourage you to go listen to the Mediterranean diet, because I'm going save nikki from a diatribe here about extra virgin olive oil my personal vendetta about store-bought salad dressing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I've had a lot of people reach out to me about this and like really yeah, you've struck fear into many people and they might not good. No, I know, yeah, we've had like like old patients of mine, really, yeah, old patients of mine who we've connected with and who now we just commune as friends online, like terrified of, and they're like you're in their head. Rent free.
Speaker 2:Good, I should be Sounds like a horror movie.
Speaker 1:My parents. They tell me all the tips that they get from you and I'm like that's all the stuff she says. And they're like, yeah, we were at the store and we turned over the label and we saw it came from one place and we were like, yep, we're going to get that olive oil.
Speaker 2:Are they making their own dressing with their single origin extra virgin olive oil now?
Speaker 1:We'll have to ask them. We'll have to ask them.
Speaker 2:But you are in people's heads. Wishbone is like they're gonna come after you it's not that this is the idea.
Speaker 1:Wishbone's gonna come after you, though. Is that that's a? Is that a brand of?
Speaker 2:of salad dressing. Salad dressing maybe? I don't know.
Speaker 1:I don't ever buy salad dressing you wouldn't know, because you're just against it, big anti-salad dressing gal. So, yeah, that could be a really great lunch. It could be sexy. If you want it to be, nikki, tell us. Tell us, please. Dash Diet Dinners what do you got?
Speaker 2:Well, this is probably my favorite dinner Grilled salmon, brown rice and steamed broccoli. Yeah, yeah I do prefer a brussel over broccoli, though, but you know, for the sake of the the example yeah, that's good.
Speaker 1:I do love a brussel. I love a brussel and a broccoli. Um, we don't do this a lot, but you could try stir-fried tofu with mixed vegetables and quinoa quinoa should eat more quinoa.
Speaker 2:We should eat more quinoa.
Speaker 1:We should eat more quinoa. That could go into the rotation. Yeah, yeah, I agree. And the thing that people always wonder about are snacks. Like what the heck can you grab when you're on the go? You need a little, something, something. What can you do with snacks? I'll start us off. We've got three ideas for you here. A sliced bell pepper with hummus. The hummus is great, you can't go wrong. It's the vehicle. If you get a lot of chips or those crackers and you're eating those, you might rack up a couple calories, you might rack up a lot of sodium, but the bell pepper I mean.
Speaker 2:Bell pepper. It's basically negative calories.
Speaker 1:It's basically negative. You're going to burn more calories working through that food and chewing it than you will by eating it. So try a bell pepper with some hummus. Now. What's another snack that we can have?
Speaker 2:another favorite a low-fat string cheese and an orange you do love a string cheese. I love string cheese you love a string cheese. Yeah, also love a sumo orange in the winter. Oh, big only good part about the dead of winter totally sumo oranges.
Speaker 1:I know, I remember, I don't care I don't care that they're 250 each my scavenge to go get sumo oranges to make you happy on like a, a day where it's dark out at 4 pm. There's nothing like it. And the last one I'll say is unsalted almonds or walnuts. I'll say it again Unsalted almonds or walnuts. I know it tastes better, I do. I know it does, but your heart doesn't. Sometimes you have to fly close to the sun.
Speaker 2:I get it. Unsalted cashews aren't that bad.
Speaker 1:What do you mean? The unsalted?
Speaker 2:cashews aren't that bad. What do you mean? The unsalted cashews aren't that bad.
Speaker 1:Like taste-wise or health-wise.
Speaker 2:Taste-wise, oh no, like we've had them a lot. Nona gives us like vats of unsalted cashews sometimes. She does, she does.
Speaker 1:But still I'm like they're good. They're good, but like by the fistful and I'm just like, oh my God, I keep eating them. So in reasonable quantities, like this would be a good one. Like measure out what an actual serving Like weigh out yeah.
Speaker 1:I remember I weighed out the cashews for your lunch and you were like this is all I get, all right. So in a fun, lively episode about the DASH diet, we hope you give a serious thought about it, especially if you're thinking like what can I do to work on my hypertension? That isn't medicine and truly making a gradual change. Planning meals ahead can help incorporate the DASH diet and make it a part of, like your overall healthier lifestyle. So if you really want more advice, you should go to your own doctor. We're happy that you came to listen today and hopefully you'll learn something for yourself, a loved one or a neighbor with hypertension.
Speaker 1:And if you're looking for more information about hypertension from our podcast, you can check out episode four, explaining what hypertension is, episode five, the lifestyle changes to treat hypertension, episode 14, common hypertension medications explained. And episode 33, how to take your blood pressure well at home, but, most importantly, stay healthy. My friends, until next time. I'm Ed Dolesky, I'm Nicole Rufo. Thank you and goodbye.
Speaker 2:Bye.
Speaker 1:This information may provide a brief overview of diagnosis, treatment and goodbye Bye. This information may provide a brief overview of diagnosis, treatment and medications. It's not exhaustive and is a tool to help you understand potential options about your health. It doesn't cover all details about conditions, treatments or medications for a specific person. This is not medical advice or an attempt to substitute medical advice. You should contact a healthcare provider for personalized guidance based on your unique circumstances. We explicitly disclaim any liability relating to the information given or its use. This content doesn't endorse any treatments or medications for a specific patient. Always talk to your healthcare provider for complete information tailored to you. In short, I'm not your doctor, I am not your nurse, and make sure you go get your own checkup with your own personal doctor. I am not your nurse and make sure you go get your own checkup with your own personal doctor.
