Читать книгу DASH Diet For Dummies - Sarah Samaan - Страница 24

Does the word diet make you think of dreary, boring meals; deprivation with nothing to look forward to; and miserable nights spent alone avoiding social situations where food may appear? We promise that’s not the life you’ll be living when you adopt DASH. Although the word diet is often used in conjunction with DASH, we’re here to show you how DASH is different and how it can be part of a healthy, vibrant, and delicious way of eating and living.

One of the really wonderful things about DASH is that it gives you such broad leeway to make your own personal choices about the foods that you eat. Studies of DASH have incorporated the plan into menus all over the world, including the United States, Asia, Europe, South America, and the Middle East. The thing really works!

For many people, the number of servings of fruits and vegetables is an eye-opener. If you follow DASH, you’ll naturally start to peruse the produce aisles with more curiosity, and you’ll probably begin to take some chances, bringing home unfamiliar produce to try at home. You can think of it as a great adventure!

The DASH diet is lower in sodium than a typical Western diet, which may take some adjustment for you. Be patient with your taste buds as you cut back on the salt because it may take them several weeks to adapt. If you cut back slowly, it won’t seem like you’re giving something up, and you’ll probably find that you’re enjoying the natural flavors of foods so much more than ever before.

Sweets and other simple carbs may be a bit harder to renounce, but, just like salt, you’ll eventually realize that, first of all, many packaged sweets usually don’t taste as good as advertised, and second, you’ll actually feel better if you limit portions to just a small taste of something homemade and really good. Plus, as you cut back on sweets, you’ll crave them less often.

We share additional guidance on adopting a DASH way of life in Chapter 11, as well as a 14-day meal plan you can follow. For help setting up your kitchen for your new cooking adventures, see Chapter 13. Or for advice on following DASH when dining out or traveling, see Chapter 15.