Dash Diet hasn’t gained much popularity among the other buzzing weight loss diets such as the Keto diet or Military diet, but it has never disappointed those who have followed it thoroughly. Though not many blogs talk about this diet, therefore, in this article, I will try to cover as much as I can about the DASH diet for weight loss.
According to the annual diet rankings of U.S. News & World Report, the DASH diet has been named the “Best Diet Overall” for eight consecutive years. Apart from that, this diet is highly recommended by the American Heart Association, which followed the DASH diet plan to create its 2010 dietary guidelines.
Therefore, if you are planning on losing weight through a specialized diet plan, I would definitely recommend the DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution.
Let’s find out more about it.
The Ultimate DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution
The Dash Diet helps in weight loss by reprogramming your daily eating habits. The Dash Diet Weight Loss Solution helps you make yourself bulky low-calorie meals which are more filling and satisfying. Most of the foods you’ll find in the DASH diet are rich in protein.
Let me explain it better…
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and the name suggests that it’s not among those fad diets you have been following all around. Initially, the DASH diet was designed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to improve the health of people having high blood pressure or hypertension. According to a study, people who followed the DASH diet have lower blood pressure and LDL levels than those who took the conventional American diet with a lot of vegetables and fruits.
Furthermore, the diet wasn’t specifically designed to serve weight loss as a primary goal but according to the DASH study, people who followed DASH diet were able to lose more weight in the time span of 8-24 weeks than those who relied upon other low-calorie diets. Since then, people started having great faith in the DASH diet weight loss solution which is extremely healthy and highly effective as well.
Dash Diet Plan For Weight Loss
The core secret of the DASH diet plan is low calorie and high-protein vegetables being the centrepiece of your diet with the add-in fruits, dairy, nuts, beans, and more. With all these healthy foods, the DASH diet plan for weight loss doesn’t only help you shed off those extra pounds but also help you set the foundation of healthy eating and overall well-being for a lifetime.
The Improved & Refined DASH Diet Plan
Before we start, I want you to know that the original DASH diet plan contains a lot of grains and starchy foods. But, I will discuss the improved DASH diet plan here which has been customized to serve the weight loss purpose and is quite easy-to-follow at the same time.
Even Marla Heller (DASH Diet Expert) has only mentioned the newest DASH diet research in her books. All diet plans or DASH diet menu that I will discuss here will be based on science and has been developed to maintain a healthy weight. The meals and snacks in the DASH diet have been balanced with bulky and high-satiety foods (Commonly Fruits & Veggies) plus protein-rich foods containing healthy fat, which will be helpful in keeping you full for a long time.
How does Dash Diet help In Weight Loss?
There are many factors associated with the DASH diet plan which makes it one of the most effective diet plans for losing weight. Here they are:
Rich in Nutrients
In order to perform all functions efficiently, your body needs enough of nutrients. Eating a balanced diet full of nutrients is very helpful in leaning down. The DASH diet is filled with many essential nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. Thus, this diet helps you burn fat faster.
High-Satiety Diet
The DASH diet weight loss solution consists of foods that are highly satisfying and keeps you satiated for a long time. These foods keep you away from unwanted urges towards unhealthy, sugary, and fast food.
Maintains Cholesterol Levels
DASH diet plan makes it quite easy to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol (HDL) and raise the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) leading to better functioning of your digestive system and metabolism.
Helps in Maintaining Sugar Levels
The meal plans included in the DASH diet are meant to keep your diabetes under control. It helps you cut out the sugar cravings and does not let them rise further.
Rich in Protein
Scientists suggest that a protein-rich diet is very good for weight loss. It helps you in shedding extra pounds while maintaining more muscles. It also avoids slowing down your metabolism. This diet makes sure that the weight you lose is sustainable.
Dash Diet Weight Loss Menu
In this section, I have taken two DASH diet menus from the book “The DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution”. This menu will have 28 days DASH meal plan to help you set up the foods in a variety of ways to form your own customized Dash Diet.
DASH Diet comes with a variety of foods for you to choose from and it will never let you stay hungry. So, let’s check out what’s there in your DASH diet weight loss menu:
| Type of food | Number of servings for 1600 – 3100 Calorie diets | Servings on a 2000 Calorie diet |
| Whole Grains
Note: You should include at least 3 whole grain foods each day |
6 – 12 servings | 7 – 8 servings |
| Raw vegetables | 4 – 6 servings | 4 – 5 servings |
| Fresh Fruits | 4 – 6 servings | 4 – 5 servings |
| Low fat dairy foods | 2 – 4 servings | 2 – 3 servings |
| Fish, eggs, or lean meats | 1.5 – 2.5 servings | 2 or less servings |
| Nuts, seeds, and legumes | 3 – 6 per week servings | 4 – 5 per week servings |
| Fats | 2 – 4 servings | limited |
The DASH Diet plan is rich in fruits, veggie, and low-fat dairy with a lot of whole grains, lean meats, fish, nuts, beans, and poultry. This diet is high in fibre and low or moderate in fan. It has been created taking the US guidelines for sodium, vitamins, and minerals content into consideration. This diet plan has been designed to cut off the unhealthy food from your food and lose weight effectively.
3 Day Sample DASH Diet Plan For Weight Loss
Day 1 menu
Breakfast
- 1 whole-wheat bagel with 2 tablespoons peanut butter – no sodium (buy on Amazon)
- 1 cup low fat milk
- Small orange or fruit of your choice
Lunch
- Spinach or kale salad
- Wheat crackers – Buy On Amazon
- 1 cup low fat milk
Dinner
- Half bowl of cod fish (steamed)
- 1/2 cup brown rice cooked with green vegetables
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Handful of berries
- Herbal iced tea
Snack (anytime)
- 1 cup low fat yogurt
- Vanilla Wafers
| Day 1 nutritional analysis | |||
| Calories: | 2,015 | Cholesterol: | 70 mg |
| Total fat: | 70 g | Sodium: | 1,607 mg |
| Saturated fat: | 10 g | Total carbohydrate: | 267 g |
| Trans fat: | 0 g | Dietary fiber: | 39 g |
| Monounsaturated fat: | 25 g | Total sugars: | 109 g |
| Potassium: | 3,274 mg | Protein: | 90 g |
| Calcium: | 1,298 mg | Magnesium: | 394 mg |
| Day 1 DASH servings | |
| Grains and grain products: | 7 |
| Vegetables: | 5 |
| Fruits: | 5 |
| Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free): | 3 |
| Meats, poultry and fish: | 3 |
| Nuts, seeds and dry beans: | 2 |
| Fats and oils: | 3 |
| Sweets: | 1 |
Day 2 menu
Breakfast
- A bowl of fresh fruits topped with yogurt and walnuts
- 1 bran muffin
- One teaspoon trans-free margarine
- 1 cup fat-free milk
- Herbal tea
Lunch
- Chicken Curry
- 1/2 cup, or about 8, raw baby carrots
- 1 cup fat-free milk
Dinner
- 1 cup whole-wheat spaghetti (No Sodium)
- 2 cups green salad
- Small whole wheat roll
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
Snack (anytime)
- Trail mix made with 1/4 cup raisins,1 ounce, or about 22, unsalted mini twist pretzels and 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
| Day 2 nutritional analysis | |||
| Calories: | 2,165 | Cholesterol: | 101 mg |
| Total fat: | 72 g | Sodium: | 1,855 mg |
| Saturated fat: | 11 g | Total carbohydrate: | 311 g |
| Trans fat: | 0 g | Dietary fiber: | 36 g |
| Monounsaturated fat: | 14 g | Total sugars: | 125 g |
| Potassium: | 4,026 mg | Protein: | 95 g |
| Calcium: | 1,363 mg | Magnesium: | 507 mg |
| Day 2 DASH servings | |
| Grains and grain products: | 7 |
| Vegetables: | 5 |
| Fruits: | 5 |
| Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free): | 3 |
| Meats, poultry and fish: | 3 |
| Nuts, seeds and dry beans: | 2 |
| Fats and oils: | 3 |
| Sweets: | 0 |
Day 3 menu
Breakfast
- 1 cup oatmeal topped with cinnamon
- A slice whole-wheat toast
- 1 teaspoon trans-free margarine
- A banana or fruit of your choice
- 1 cup low fat milk
Lunch
- Tuna salad
- 8 Melba toast crackers
- 1 cup low-fat milk
Dinner
- Beef and vegetable kebab
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1/3 cup pecans
- 1 cup pineapple
- Cran-raspberry drink (no added sugar)
Snack (anytime)
- 1 cup light yogurt
- 1 medium peach
To maintain a low sodium diet, do not add salt at all.
| Day 3 nutritional analysis | |||
| Calories: | 1,868 | Cholesterol: | 114 mg |
| Total fat: | 45 g | Sodium: | 1,332 mg |
| Saturated fat: | 7 g | Total carbohydrate: | 277 g |
| Monounsaturated fat: | 19 g | Dietary fiber: | 29 g |
| Potassium: | 4,170 mg | Total sugars: | 125 g |
| Calcium: | 1,083 mg | Protein: | 103 g |
| Magnesium: | 423 mg | ||
| Day 3 DASH servings | |
| Grains and grain products: | 6 |
| Vegetables: | 5 |
| Fruits: | 5 |
| Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free): | 3 |
| Meats, poultry and fish: | 6 |
| Nuts, seeds and dry beans: | 1 |
| Fats and oils: | 3 |
| Sweets: | 0 |
Nutritional Analysis & Serving Credits Goes To: Mayo Clinic
Benefits of DASH Diet
- You get nutrients from plenty of whole grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruits.
- Alcohol is allowed in moderation (Though, I don’t encourage you to drink)
- A balanced diet containing all types of foods.
- No weight loss supplements required
- Best for people with hypertension
Drawbacks of DASH Diet
- Need to keep track of servings closely
- Takes time to prepare meals
- No salt food and spoil the taste of your tongue
Overall, DASH Diet Plan is a great diet if you are looking forward to lose weight. You can try it now and see the impact for yourself.