Chronic conditions
What Is the DASH Diet, and Can It Really Lower Blood Pressure?
How the DASH eating plan lowers blood pressure, what a typical day of meals looks like and how to start without overhauling your kitchen.
What DASH looks like on a plate
A typical day on DASH (about 2,000 calories) includes:
- Vegetables: 4 to 5 servings (a serving is a cup of leafy greens or half a cup cooked)
- Fruit: 4 to 5 servings
- Whole grains: 6 to 8 servings, such as oats, brown rice and whole-wheat bread
- Low-fat dairy: 2 to 3 servings
- Lean protein: up to 6 ounces of poultry, fish or lean meat
- Nuts, seeds and beans: 4 to 5 servings a week
- Fats and sweets: small amounts
The salt connection
Most salt comes from packaged, restaurant and processed food rather than the salt shaker. Aim for less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day, and around 1,500 mg if you can for extra benefit.
- Cook at home more often and taste before salting.
- Compare labels and choose lower-sodium breads, soups and sauces.
- Flavor with herbs, citrus, garlic and spices.
- Go easy on deli meats, frozen meals and fast food.
How to start without overwhelm
- Add one extra serving of vegetables at lunch and dinner.
- Swap one snack for fruit or unsalted nuts.
- Choose whole grains for one meal a day.
- Check sodium on three foods you eat often.
- Track your blood pressure at home and see the change.
Small, steady swaps add up. Most people see lower readings within two to four weeks.
How we can help
We help you set a blood pressure goal, track home readings (try our blood pressure checker), and adjust medicines if needed. Our chronic care management includes regular check-ins, so you are never figuring it out alone.
Questions people ask
How fast does the DASH diet lower blood pressure?
Studies showed meaningful drops within two weeks.
Can I stop my blood pressure medicine if I follow DASH?
Some people can reduce or stop medicine, but only with your clinician’s guidance and home readings to confirm.
Is DASH safe if I have kidney disease?
DASH is high in potassium and phosphorus, which may need limiting with advanced kidney disease. Ask us first.
Talk it through with Lydia
Want to lower your blood pressure with food first? We will help you make it stick. See a board-certified nurse practitioner virtually anywhere in Virginia, in our Woodbridge office, or straight to your front door in much of Northern Virginia.
Visits start at $85, and every membership comes with a 30-day trial.
Prefer to ask first? Text us at (571) 402-2102 or message us on WhatsApp.
