Читать книгу DASH Diet For Dummies - Sarah Samaan - Страница 49

DASH wasn’t designed as a weight-loss program, but it’s perfect for the job. Why, you ask? Because a DASH diet is not overly restrictive, is chock-full of green leafy vegetables and fruit, is high in fiber (so it fills you up), and includes health-promoting foods that are lower in calories.

By choosing to eat the DASH way, you’ll add plenty of low-fat dairy products such as Greek yogurt. (Greek yogurt is higher in hunger-squashing protein than regular yogurt, and it’s a great source of calcium to boot.) Be sure to check flavored yogurt labels for added sugar (some of the sugars in yogurt are from its natural lactose). We like to use plain yogurt and add our own fruit or crunchy toppings like granola, nuts, or seeds. Plain yogurt is great for cooking and baking as well. Nuts are another DASH-friendly treat that calm the hunger beast with heart-healthy fats (just be sure to measure your portions, because nuts are calorie-dense).

Need more evidence? Consider the results of a 2010 study from Duke University, which evaluated the effects of a calorie-cutting DASH diet plus exercise for overweight and obese men and women. The four-month program, designed with a weight-loss goal of one half to a full pound per week, was tested against the DASH diet without weight loss and against a typical American diet. At the end of the four months, those on the weight-loss plan were down more than 20 pounds on average. Compared to their baseline numbers, systolic blood pressure had dropped by about 16 points, and diastolic by 10. DASH dieters without weight loss, on the other hand, lowered systolic blood pressure a respectable but not as impressive 11 points, and diastolic 7.5 points. On top of all that, those who lost weight with DASH were at lower risk for diabetes, had better lipid profiles, and could exercise for longer.