If you live on the East Coast and are experiencing the frigid cold~ Watching your diet may be difficult!

We all want to be healthier in mind, body and spirit.

There are many diets out there,  but the healthiest ones are recommended by  doctors and studied for their efficacy.

Here are a few guidelines from the book: Williams Essential Nutrition and Diet Therapy written by Eleanor Schlenker and Sara Long Roth.
 

These are some guides to help you with prevention of hypertension
1. Weight Reduction
2.Adapt a diet that is high in fruits and veggies and low in sodium
3. Engage in physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week
4. Moderation- especially in the consumption of alcohol. Limit it to 1 oz or 30 ml of alcohol/day. The recommendation  is 2 drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.
Other  recommendations include the DASH diet Plan. ( Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
Grains and Grain products- 7-8 servings/day- a serving size is 1 ounce- examples, 1 slice of whole grain bread, 1/2 cup cooked whole wheat pasta.
Veggies– 4-5 servings/day 1 cup of raw, leafy veggies. !/2 cup of cooked veggies
Fruits– 4-5 servings 1 medium fruit, 1/4 cup dried fruit. 1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned
Low fat dairy- 2-3 servings 8 oz of skim milk, 1 cup yogurt ( low sugar). 1oz cheese
Meat, poultry, fish– less than 2 servings a day. 3 oz of cooked meat
Nuts, seeds, legumes– 1/2 cup nuts, 2 tablespoons seeds, 1/2 cup cooked legumes.
Fats and oils- 2-3 servings. 1 tsp low fat mayonnaise or salad dressing, 1 tsp soft margarine ( non-hydrogenated),
Sweets- 5 times a week- 1tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon jelly
What are some strategies that you may need to develop in order to follow a DASH Diet?

Change gradually

Read food labels to help you keep on your lifestyle change.

See how much fat, carbohydrates, sugars and protein are in your food.

Look closely at additives. And stay away from anything that is called partially hydrogenated and/or trans fats.

Begin to treat meat as part of the meal- not the main focus. You need to slowly increase your consumption of fruits, veggies and grains. Grains also have a lot of protein, so if you increase them, you can decrease the meat. And grains help you to feel full.

Remember that watching your weight is a long term commitment- begin to see that these changes are needed for a life time, not just another diet~

Moderation is the key to effective weight loss. Measure your portions. It is all about how much portion control~~

Taken in part from: Schlenker, E. and Roth, S. ( 2011) Williams Essentials of Nutrition and Diet Therapy.  St. Louis Mo. Elsevier Mosby.