So whats on the agenda this week? Well I am currently in Medical Nutrition Therapy so we go through various diseases and conditions and learning how to work with these patients. So this week we worked on Hypertension. This means you have chronically high blood pressure. So my teacher wants us to experience the diets that we will be prescribing (gotta walk in their shoes right?)- So this week I am going on the DASH diet.
So when we think of high blood pressure normally people think that this person eats a lot of salt. Well that can be true in some cases but actually limiting salt only helps some people (actually only 40% of the population is sodium sensitive). Blood pressure is affected by so many things.
Did you know that 120/80 is pre-hypertensive?? It boggles by mind to think that this is the Norm. We want to be lower than this. When I was taking blood pressure of individuals participating in Healthy Ohio I was very surprised by the people who I would have never expected to have high blood pressure. These normal people would sit next to me and I would literally take their blood pressure twice because I didn't believe the numbers I was getting. I loved when people would get snobby with me because I would tell them their blood pressure and it would be really high and they would argue with me that I was wrong. I would laugh.. like hello?? Do you realize I have done this about 200 times through this clinic. So face the facts people and get your BP under control.
DASH Diet:
Blood pressure can be reduced by eating foods that are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat. They want you to emphasize fruits, vegetables, and fat free/low fat milk products. This also includes whole grain products, fish, chicken, and nuts. Reducing consumptions in red meat, sweets, added sugars, and sugar-containing beverages.
They also want you to select foods rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as well as protein and fiber.
Lifestyle modifications- Regular physical activity and moderation of alcohol consumption.
Does anyone see a trend going on?? When you eat these crappy foods your body stores it as fat. Some of this fat is being stored in your arteries. So the thicker you arteries, the harder it is for you blood to get through= high blood pressure.
If this does scare you I don't know what will...
Sooo I am gonna do this through the week- be looking for my next post. Ill talk about what I ate and how everything went. Also I will be going on other diets as the quarter goes on- even one where I have to survive on 2$ a day- Yikes!!!
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