Sarah Samaan

Article / Updated 03-19-2021

You can’t beat cooking and eating at home in terms of choosing the healthiest foods, but you may not always be able to get into the kitchen every day. Your schedule probably varies from day to day or month to month. You also probably travel every so often, whether it’s for business, to visit relatives, or simply to get away from it all. This article aims to help you make heart-healthy (or at least better) choices when cooking and dining at home isn’t an option. There may be times when you may not be able to meet every goal of the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet) when dining out. That’s okay. Just do your best and pick up where you left off at the next meal. You may also not have too much control over sodium at times, so keep this in mind, and reduce sodium at other meals and over the next day. Dining out with DASH, generally speaking The DASH diet focuses on adding more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds to your diet. So when dining out, keep those food groups at the front of your mind. Look for the vegetables on the menu and sneak in some milk or low-fat dairy foods when you can. DASH limits sodium, which is more difficult to control when dining out. Rather than worry too much about that, focus on what you can include with your choices. Consider these guidelines the next time you head out to eat: Rethink appetizers as possible entrees. Portions matter because the larger the portion, the higher the calorie content but also the higher the sodium content. Create a meal with an appetizer and add a side salad and baked potato. Look for vegetables. Be sure to add a side salad or a vegetable to your meal. To ensure you don’t go overboard with the salad dressing, ask for it on the side. Watch out for crouton overload, as they can add 50 to 100 calories to your salad. Choose the side vegetable for your side dish. Choosing the green side veggie (such as asparagus, green beans, or a vegetable medley) adds antioxidants. Limit fried food; choose broiled, grilled, or baked instead. Going out to breakfast? Order the veggie omelet and ask for it to be made with two eggs rather than three. Once taboo, egg yolks are a great source of choline (essential for healthy metabolism and brain health), so it’s fine to include them. Ask about changes to menu items. Often the cook or chef can skip the sauce, skip the salt, or lighten something up for you if you ask for it. Ask for sauces on the side. Rethink chicken. Chicken is known to be low in saturated fat, but restaurant chicken is often loaded with salt. Frozen chicken often has a salt solution added to it to retain moisture and extend its freezer life. Fresh beef or pork is often lower in sodium when dining out. Consider portion size. As we’ve said, the bigger the portion, the more sodium and fat. Choose 5-ounce steaks at the steakhouse, split an entree with someone, or eat half your meal and take half home. Skip the extra cheese. Though low-fat dairy is part of the DASH diet, chances are, the processed cheese used at most restaurants is full-fat and higher in sodium. Also, because most restaurant meals are generally higher in sodium, holding the cheese can help you reduce total sodium in that meal. Drink water with meals and monitor other beverages. Drinks high in sugar or alcohol can rack up calories and are not good for your blood pressure. If you enjoy them, limit alcoholic beverages to no more than one or two, and limit any sugary beverages to 8 ounces or less. Check out the nutrition information that chain and fast food restaurants offer on their websites. Restaurant food is usually higher in sodium, so the next time you think about using the salt shaker on your food at the table, shake it into your hand. Just a few shakes can yield a quarter teaspoon (or about 600 milligrams of sodium). Share and share alike When dining out, sharing appetizers, meals, side dishes, or desserts is a great way to enjoy foods that you love. It’s also a simple way to control your portion size. Considering the overly generous portions of food served up as entrees at restaurants these days, there’s usually plenty on the plate for two (and your wallet will thank you as well). Why worry about portions? Because bigger portions mean you get more of everything — good and bad. For the nutrients you want more of (like potassium, calcium, and vitamins A and C), be sure to have adequate portions from the food groups that provide them (fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and low-fat dairy). As for sodium, the larger the portion, the higher the sodium content. For high-sodium foods, this can really be a big deal. Half the portion means half the sodium too. Healthy options at various types of restaurants Though sodium can be a major issue in a fine dining setting, you typically have plenty of choices to help you steer clear of high-sodium foods. In addition, you may have some bargaining power in the special request department, although it’s often okay to make requests at fast food restaurants too. Ethnic restaurants can also have some healthy options, as long as you know what you’re looking for. Sit-down restaurants Sit-down restaurants come in a few different flavors. At the lowest level are the casual chain restaurants. Next come the privately owned casual restaurants, followed by the more upscale restaurants (both chain and privately owned). In general, you have fewer choices at a chain restaurant than a privately owned establishment because most chains have set recipes and menus. Still, it doesn’t hurt to ask your server if the kitchen can hold the salt or put the sauce on the side. You can also request the nutrition information from chains or check their websites or apps. Many now post the calories, at least, on the menu boards. Following are our suggestions for finding the most DASH-friendly options when dining at sit-down restaurants: Always add a side salad, preferably mixed field greens or added vegetables and nuts (look for healthy toppings such as roasted beets, almonds, or walnuts). Choose the vegetable of the day for your side dish rather than fries or a potato, especially in steakhouses, where the potatoes are generally gigantic. (If you must have a steakhouse potato, just eat half.) You can also shake things up with a baked sweet potato once in a while. If you’re dining at a steakhouse, choose the smallest steak. Filet mignon is lowest in fat and is often offered as a 4- to 8-ounce portion. For the sake of calorie control, it’s best to skip dessert or to share dessert with a friend. “Better” choices: fruit crisp/cobblers, crème brûlée (milk and egg–based, often served with fresh berries), or sorbet. Fast food places Whether it’s from a drive-through or a fast sit-down place, fast food gets a bad rap. No, it shouldn’t be a daily (or even weekly) source of your food, but you can make informed choices when you get a fast food craving or if you’re traveling and need a quick bite. Because you get a choice of portions (small, medium, large, humongous), you’ll do best by sticking with the small or medium option (sometimes “medium” is the smallest choice). Value-type menus often have smaller-portion items, so they may be a safe bet too. Saturated fat and sodium are two nutrients of concern on fast food menus, so be sure to take a look at them and choose the lower-sodium options. That smaller-portion rule works here (smaller portions mean less saturated fat and less sodium). Take a look at the simple math in this table to see how you can reduce fat and sodium with smaller portion sizes at a typical chain steakhouse or a coffeehouse/bakery. Comparison of Various Portions of Similar Foods Entrée Calories Fat (g) Sodium (mg) 4-oz cheeseburger 430 20 870 Small hamburger 230 8 490 Honey mustard chicken sandwich, whole 700 28 1,320 Honey mustard chicken sandwich, 1/2 350 14 660 Chicken and wild rice soup, 12 oz 300 17 1,450 Chicken and wild rice soup, 8 oz 200 12 970 Other options that may surprise you are some typical café/bake-shop breakfast items, which we list in the following table. Though the bagel is lowest in fat, it’s still high in calories and sodium. The cheese in the egg sandwich adds about 450 milligrams of sodium (so if you just hold the cheese, you can reduce the sodium to 170 milligrams and the calories to around 550). As you can see from the numbers in the following table, the parfait is a DASH diet winner! Keep balance in mind as you make choices as well. While this table highlights fat and sodium, protein is important to satiety (helping you stay full longer and thus not take in more calories than you need through the day). Both the parfait and the egg sandwich offer you some protein as well. And, don’t forget about the calories, sugar, and fat in fancy sweetened coffeehouse drinks. Ask for the breakdown if they aren’t posted. Calories, Fat, and Sodium in Typical Quick-Stop Breakfast Food Food Item Calories Fat (g) Sodium (mg) Apple pastry 380 19 320 Cinnamon bagel 320 2 460 Egg and cheese breakfast sandwich 380 14 620 Strawberry granola yogurt parfait 310 12 100 Ethnic options Just about every ethnicity offers beautiful traditional foods that are both healthy and not-so-healthy (but tasty no doubt). Saving those not-so-healthy options for special occasions and holidays is your best bet. This table focuses on the good choices you can make at various ethnic restaurants. Keep in mind, though, that sodium levels will still be higher than in food you cook at home (this is especially true with Chinese and Thai food, which can have more than 2,000 milligrams of sodium per serving). Skip fried choices. Ordering more vegetables is still a good addition to your diet. Ask for sauces on the side or ask for no monosodium glutamate (MSG) so you can better control the sodium. Best Choices at Ethnic Restaurants Ethnicity Best Choices Mexican Beans and rice, one crunchy taco, veggie burritos, fish tacos, a cup of black bean soup, Mexican salad of mixed greens and vegetables, guacamole, fajitas (shrimp, chicken, or beef with onions and bell peppers), salsa Italian Marinara sauces, baked or grilled fish with a side of pasta, ravioli, salads, Italian wedding soup, half portion of pasta with tomato sauce, pasta tossed in olive oil with vegetables, veal piccata with lemon butter and wine sauce Chinese/Asian Sushi, steamed brown/white rice, mixed vegetable stir-fry (garlic sauce or Szechuan), tofu with vegetables, chicken with broccoli, mixed vegetables, or snow peas Middle Eastern Falafel, tabbouleh, hummus, pita, fattoush, kebab, Greek salad Indian Curried vegetables, tandoori chicken or fish, steamed rice, lentil soup, chicken tikka masala, chicken vindaloo Planning Ahead to Follow DASH on the Road Planning ahead is the best strategy to ensure DASH-friendly eating, particularly when you’re going to be traveling for any length of time. Vacations are often scheduled differently than your normal week, so when your environment changes, a little more planning can go a long way. A road trip may require different planning than going by air or boat, but it’s all doable. Packing some snack items for the road helps avoid poor choices at convenience stops, and saves money. Although you can’t bring water bottles through airport security, you can pack an apple and a bag of almonds and buy water before you board. Travel tips to help you stick to your goals When you leave home for another destination, your routine is likely to change. You can go with the flow and still stick with your overall diet and exercise goals. Try not to get trapped into the mindset of, “Well, I’m on vacation, so it’s a free-for-all!” Instead, meet yourself halfway and think about how good you’ll feel if you have some activity daily and eat well. You can still hold on to traditions and have that ice cream cone from that special ice cream parlor that you love, but you’ll balance it out with healthy food and some exercise through the week. Here’s a simple game plan to think about the next time you leave town: Pack a healthy snack to go. Pack at least one set of exercise clothes and lightweight athletic shoes. Plan some physical activity daily: walking, biking, kayaking, dancing. Think about your meal plan at the beginning of the day. Consider a larger lunch and a lighter dinner. You’ll save money and have more time during the day to work it off! Plan ahead if your hotel room has a kitchenette. If you pack a microwaveable egg cooker, you can make an egg sandwich in the morning on a whole-grain English muffin, or microwave a bowl of quick oats with fruit. Do a grocery run, if possible, to pick up breakfast items and healthy snacks like eggs, quick-cooking oatmeal, fruit, carrot sticks, yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese, whole-grain bread, nut butter, and nuts. Don’t skip breakfast because it’s a chance to get important DASH foods in, such as low-fat dairy and fruit. Simple portable snacks Often, when you’re away from home, you may not have access to the same amount of space or conveniences. If you have a small refrigerator available, pack it with grab-and-go snacks. If you have a small kitchen available, plan to use it for breakfast each day. While we generally recommend you don’t allow processed food to be a focus in your diet, some conveniences such as individually packaged nuts or snack bars can come in handy when traveling. Consider these healthy convenience foods for the road: Low-fat string cheese Fruit cups, unsweetened or packed in their own juice (peaches, mixed fruit, applesauce) Apples, bananas, pears (all are pretty hardy for travel bags compared to more delicate fruits) Almonds, walnuts, or mixed nuts Fruit and nut trail mix Fruit and nut snack bars (look for brands that are comprised of mostly fruit and nuts — not chocolate-coated or sugary chewy types) Yogurt cups (if you travel by car, a cooler is a great idea to have along) Raw carrots, celery, or pepper strips Whole-grain cereal (portion out snack bags to take along) Water bottles

Article / Updated 03-19-2021

One way to get dinner on the table without breaking a sweat is to make a one-dish meal. Every ingredient goes into one pan or oven dish. You can create your own one-dish meals—like this DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet) recipe for Caribbean Chicken in a foil pouch—with a little imagination and whatever ingredients you have on hand. How to make a foil pouch Using a foil pouch is a great way to cook a meal, whether you purchase foil bags or make aluminum-foil pouches yourself at home. Meats and poultry stay moist, and vegetables cook quickly using this method. This easy cooking technique is a great way to get the children involved because they can help assemble the pouches. Here’s how to create and cook a foil-pouch meal: Using either heavy-duty foil or double-layered standard foil, cut a 12- to 18-inch square of foil for each pouch. Basically, the pouches should be big enough to allow air space to surround the food. Spray the foil with cooking spray to keep food from sticking to it. Place meat on the center of the foil square, followed by high-moisture vegetables such as tomatoes and onions to keep the meat moist. Taking opposite ends, fold up each side so the edges meet at the top, then fold the top over two or three times until it almost meets the food, and finally fold in each open side until the pouch is well sealed. Always seal the foil by folding the ends together so no steam will escape. Place your pouches on a grill plate and cook them for 15 minutes or place them on a baking sheet and cook them in a 375-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Meat, generally, is cooked to a safe temperature after 20 to 25 minutes, seafood 8 to 10 minutes, and vegetables 5 to 8 minutes. Vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, take a longer time to cook, 20 to 30 minutes unless you cut them into smaller pieces. Caribbean Chicken Foil Pouches Preparation time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Yield: 2 servings Ingredients Two 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 1 cup diced pineapple, canned or fresh 1/2 small red onion, sliced 6 multicolored sweet bell peppers, sliced into rings 1/2 cup low-sodium barbecue sauce Directions Preheat a gas grill to high. Place two 12-x-18-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down, on a work station. Place one chicken breast half in the center of each piece of foil. In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple, onion, peppers, and barbecue sauce. Divide the mixture between the two pieces of chicken. Bring the opposite edges of the foil together. Double-fold the foil at the top. Crimp the edges of the pouch on the sides in a tight seal to allow the steam to cook the chicken and vegetables while preserving the juices. Place the pouches on the preheated grill, close the grill cover, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes. When done, open each pouch slightly to allow the steam to escape. Per serving: Calories 248 (From Fat 23); Fat 3g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 54mg; Sodium 185mg; Carbohydrate 37g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 19g. Choose small chicken breasts or use chicken tenders for a portion-controlled substitute. One serving is 2 or 3 chicken tenders. Double the foil if you don’t have heavy-duty foil to prevent any leakage. You can also bake the foil pouches for 18 to 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 425 degrees F. For a more accurate method of ensuring doneness, use an instant-read thermometer to register 165 degrees F. Foil pouches can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until it’s time to grill. They’re a hit for dinner, at a campout, or for a quick snack. Eating them out of the foil makes for easy cleanup! Top the chicken with basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella for an Italian flavor. Or add bell pepper and onion slices, black beans, and salsa for a Mexican flair. Or try snap peas, carrot strips, and succulent shrimp with sesame ginger dressing. Involve the whole family and get creative!

Article / Updated 03-19-2021

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive. This article shares ten simple tips to get you eating the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet) way without depleting your bank account. Plan meals and snacks for the week Decide which recipes to make based on your pantry and freezer staples. Then prepare your grocery list by checking for store specials and coupons and making a list of all of the items you intend to purchase. Use your grocery store loyalty cards for extra rewards. Also, eat before you shop to keep from buying foods that aren’t on your list. Include canned and frozen fruits and vegetables Canned vegetables are often higher in sodium, but they’re economical and convenient. Rinsing them can lower total sodium content, or you can choose reduced-sodium varieties. Canned fruit is just as nutritious as fresh. Frozen fruits and vegetables are also convenient and budget-friendly. Avoid frozen packages with sauces, and read labels for added saturated fat and sodium. Avoid fruit that is canned in syrup; opt for fruit canned in its own juice instead. Purchase in bulk Buy in bulk, especially when stores are having promotions. Foods such as meat, pasta, rice, and canned goods are easy to stockpile because they last a long time in the freezer or pantry. If they’re on sale, buy as much as you can afford and store them until the next big sale. Buy a side of beef or a family pack at the grocery store or meat market. When you get home, split it into two or four servings and freeze in resealable freezer bags. This way you’ll have better quality meat that will last you a long time. You can also purchase whole-grain breads that are on sale and freeze some for later use. They’ll keep for up to three months in the freezer. Consider shopping at discount stores as well. Some stores offer deep discounts, and many have their own store brands. Most of the time you get an equal-quality product for so much less. Select in-season produce and store it properly Not only is in-season produce more readily available, but it also has a better flavor and is more budget-friendly. Buy some fruit that still needs time to ripen if you don’t plan to use it right away. Be sure to store fruits and vegetables properly to avoid waste. Items such as grapes, berries, and cherries should be stored in the refrigerator, and washed when ready to eat. If you have the space in your freezer, buy extra in-season produce and freeze some so you can have it on hand in the off-season months. Berries, for example, are super easy to freeze. Just rinse, let dry, then place into zippered freezer bags (these come in handy for a frozen sweet treat or for yogurt smoothies). Buy store brands Buying store brand items can save you quite a bit of cash without sacrificing important nutrients. When you compare different brands of canned vegetables or cottage cheese, for example, odds are the store brand is more economical for the same good quality. Skip convenience foods Convenience foods (think precut fruits and vegetables, sliced fresh chicken breast, premade kebabs) can really add up at the cash register. Some can also be very high in sodium (think frozen dinners and meals-in-a-box). Preparing items yourself inevitably saves money and is usually healthier. Sometimes the time savings is worth it, but you’re paying more for more prep. Buy food from local farmers The best-quality produce comes from your local farmers because the food doesn’t have to travel very far to get to your table. Find out about CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) in your area, buy into a farmer’s crop for the season, or hit up a nearby farmers’ market. Grow your own vegetables and herbs Whether in a plot in your backyard, a pot on your patio, or in a community garden, you can grow fresh, flavorful, and inexpensive produce for your meals. Fresh herbs, tomatoes, spinach, salad greens, onions, and peppers are the easiest for the novice gardener to grow. You can even grow herbs in a pot on the kitchen counter. Cook at home Eating out can be expensive. Save money by cooking meals at home. Prepare bigger batches of some food items (such as grain dishes or vegetable soups) and freeze some for later use in individual containers. Also, try incorporating leftovers into your meals. Cook a meal (or ingredients such as lentils or roasted vegetables) once and use it in a variety of ways for a few days. Go meatless once a week Buying meat, poultry, and fish for every day of the week adds up. Try eating more plant-based protein (beans, peas, and lentils) with vegetables, as well as eggs and peanut butter. These low-cost items have a long shelf life and are available year-round. Because DASH includes small portions of lean meats overall, you can stretch a 4-ounce portion of lean beef, pork, or poultry to create servings for four people.

Article / Updated 03-19-2021

Many people are accustomed to having a sweet treat sometime during the day, and often it’s a dessert at the end of a meal. A meal plan that offers more variety will make it easier to include the key DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) nutrients. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet) allows two to five servings of fats and sweets, depending on a person’s calorie requirements. Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of the DASH diet because of the nutritional contributions. Saving your fruit serving (or some form of it) for your treat may provide you the motivation to stick with your plan. Eating with the seasons provides the best and most flavorful choices. Find out what’s in season where you live, and opt for those fruits and vegetables. You’ll get variety throughout the year as what’s in seasons changes. The recipes in this article use a minimum amount of sweeteners and an interesting use of fruit. Wine-Poached Pears Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 2 cups dry red wine (such as Cabernet, Pinot Noir, or Merlot) 5 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup orange juice 1 to 2 tablespoons orange zest 1 cinnamon stick 2 whole cloves 4 firm, ripe pears, free of blemishes, peeled, stems intact Vanilla Greek yogurt (optional) Toasted almond slices (optional) Fresh mint (optional) Directions In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes until the pears are tender and uniform in color. Transfer the pears to a dish and allow them to cool. Remove the cinnamon and cloves from the liquid and continue to simmer the liquid until it’s thickened and reduced by half, about 15 to 20 more minutes. When ready to serve, either warm or at room temperature, drizzle the pears with a few tablespoons of the warm syrup. Garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt, almond slices, and fresh mint, if desired. Per serving: Calories 278 (From Fat 2); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 7mg; Carbohydrate 50g (Dietary Fiber 6g); Protein 1g. Bosc pears are ideal because they keep their shape when cooked. Use ripe pears — the harder ones won’t soften up even with cooking. Pears are ripe when they yield to pressure but are still firm. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom with the wine mixture for an extra warm, elegant finish. Any leftover pears are great chopped in a crisp salad with blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and vinaigrette made with the sauce blended with extra-virgin olive oil. Strawberries with Peppered Balsamic Drizzle Prep time: 1 hour 5 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 2 cups fresh strawberries, washed and cut in half 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon brown sugar Pinch freshly and finely ground black pepper 4 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt Fresh mint, for garnish Directions In a bowl, combine the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and pepper. Gently stir to be sure the berries are coated. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour; then refrigerate until ready to serve. Divide the strawberries evenly into 4 bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint, and serve. Per serving: Calories 65 (From Fat 2); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 15mg; Carbohydrate 0g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 3g. The recipe will require less sugar if you use more expensive vinegar. Aged Italian balsamic is a great choice. You can also use store-bought balsamic glaze. Try flavored balsamic vinegars like lemon or chocolate! You can substitute ice cream in place of the yogurt. If you’re in a really decadent mood, serve the strawberries and ice cream over grilled pound cake or angel food cake. You can also use the strawberries as a topping for waffles or a filling for crêpes. Of course, these would-be special treats, outside of your normal DASH routine. Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding with Toppings Prep Time: 5 minutes plus 4 hours for refrigerating Yield: 10 servings Ingredients 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt 2 cups reduced-fat 2 percent milk 1/2 cup chia seeds 1-1/2 tablespoons maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch salt Directions In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until blended. Cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, whisk again if needed, to smooth out any clumps that may have formed. Spoon into dessert cups and top with your favorite toppings (see the Tip below). Per serving: Calories 92 (From Fat 32); Fat 4g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 4mg; Sodium 49mg; Carbohydrate 10g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 5g. Use whatever toppings you love most. Some ideas include fresh or thawed berries, fresh or thawed peaches mixed with peach preserves and pinch of cardamom, sliced bananas and strawberries with chocolate syrup, low-sugar canned pie filling, a dollop of pumpkin pie filling, or caramel sauce with toasted walnuts. Leftover pudding can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It will last about 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Chia seeds are an easy way to get omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for heart health. A single 1-ounce serving of chia seeds contains 5 grams of omega-3s. When the chia seeds get wet, they turn into a kind of gel — this is soluble fiber, also good for a healthy digestive system. If you’re craving chocolate, add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the original recipe and increase the maple syrup to 3 to 5 tablespoons. Mango Banana Soft Serve Prep time: 10 minutes plus 4 hours Yield: 6 servings Ingredients 1 large ripe banana One 16-ounce package frozen mango chunks 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar 1-1/2 tablespoons lime juice 1-1/2 tablespoons canned light coconut milk Mint leaves, for garnish Directions Peel the banana, cut it in half, place in a resealable freezer bag, and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours. In a large bowl, combine the mango and sugar and let stand for 5 minutes. (If you prefer a little more tang, skip the sugar.) Place the mango, banana, lime juice, and coconut milk in a high-speed blender and pulse for 3 to 4 minutes using the tamper to scrape down the sides until the mixture is thick and smooth. Spoon the soft serve into bowls, and serve immediately for a softer consistency or freeze until ready to serve. Garnish with mint leaves if desired. Per serving: Calories 85 (From Fat 8); Fat 1g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 3mg; Carbohydrate 21g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 1g. Already cut-up frozen fruit is the best trick for making a frozen treat. If you’ve got fresh fruit, freeze it on a large baking sheet; then make your own resealable bags after it has frozen. If you decide to freeze all or a portion of the recipe, pour it into an airtight container. When ready to serve, defrost at room temperature for about 10 minutes or in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to make it easier to scoop. You can store this soft serve in the freezer up to 2 weeks. Substitute pineapple for the mango or any combination of fruit that you enjoy. Add sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut for a taste of the tropics. Don’t have unsweetened coconut milk? Add the same amount of Greek yogurt or skip it all together.

Article / Updated 03-19-2021

Hypertension can be serious when not treated properly, but for most people it’s a very manageable condition. The best way to manage hypertension is by setting long-term goals rather than focusing on nonexistent quick fixes. In this article, we share the 10 best lifestyle changes you can make to create optimal health and lower your blood pressure. Controlling hypertension doesn’t happen overnight, but you can turn the corner by following our tips. Before you implement any major changes to your diet or exercise regimen, talk to your doctor first to make sure what you’re planning is medically safe. Then check in with your doctor regularly to keep her abreast of your progress and challenges to ensure the best management of your hypertension. Lose weight and keep it off Weight loss is often the number-one treatment for hypertension, and even a small drop in pounds helps. Being overweight strains your body and your heart, and losing weight will usually help to improve your blood pressure. After you’ve lost the weight, the key is to keep it off. A healthy diet, like the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, is not a one-and-done situation. To maintain that weight loss you worked so hard to achieve, you must maintain the lifestyle changes that got you there: eating the right amounts of the right foods (lean meats, vegetables, fruits, dairy, grains, less salt, and smaller portions of treats) and exercising 20 to 30 minutes per day. You’ll be rewarded with the energy and vitality you crave. Sticking to lifestyle changes often means continuously setting new goals to avoid a setback. A great tool to help you set diet and exercise goals—and stick to them—is Calorie Counter Journal For Dummies, by coauthors Rosanne and Meri Raffetto (Wiley). Develop an exercise routine Along with eating right, regular exercise keeps your weight under control, improves your cardiovascular health, and reduces your stress level, all of which help you curb hypertension in the long run. Regular is the magic word here. Scheduling a 20- to 30-minute walk five days a week is a great way to begin moving regularly. Do whatever you can at first, and then add minutes each week. After you’re up to 30 to 45 minutes of walking, gradually increase your pace until you can walk a mile in 15 to 20 minutes. Weight-bearing exercise is important too, especially as you age because muscle and bone loss occur at a more rapid rate. Adding workouts with weights or resistance bands two or three times a week to your aerobic activity is a great plan. Some forms of yoga can help, too. Stick to DASH Although one of the goals of DASH eating is to reduce sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol in the diet, DASH is more about what to add to your diet than what you should limit. Fruits and vegetables, for instance, are very important sources of potassium and magnesium (which help lower blood pressure), antioxidants (such as vitamins C and A), and fiber (which helps keep cholesterol in check). DASH also encourages you to include more monounsaturated fats and low-fat dairy products. Following the DASH dietary guidelines has been proven to lower hypertension. Enjoy the recipes in Part 4, which all incorporate aspects of the DASH plan, and check out Part 3 for even more information on what to eat and how to navigate restaurants and get-togethers so you can stay true to your DASH eating plan for the long haul. Eat less salt A high-salt diet has been shown to raise blood pressure in some people, so reducing your intake of high-sodium foods and the amount of salt you use in cooking is a good idea (daily goal: 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams). Because more than three-fourths of the salt in most people's diets comes from prepared foods, the first step is to read food labels and reduce your consumption of highly processed packaged foods. Eating out less often (and eating smaller portions) will also help, because restaurant foods tend to be highly salted. By cutting back in stages, you’ll find that your cravings will gradually subside. Ingredient lists and product labels usually refer to salt in terms of sodium, a building block of salt, but may also include other forms of sodium such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is typically found in Asian foods and some processed products. Also, be aware that salt commonly hides in restaurant foods. Add good fats to your diet Hypertension is a risk factor for heart disease; so is high blood cholesterol. Consuming heart-healthy fats may help improve the balance of good and bad cholesterol in your blood stream. On the other hand, saturated fats from red meat and tropical oils may make it worse. Vegetable oils such as olive, canola, avocado, and peanut oils are your best bet because they’re high in heart-smart monounsaturated fat. Other vegetable oils are higher in polyunsaturated fat, which isn’t harmful but seems to have a neutral effect. Adding nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, and monounsaturated oils to your diet is a good idea, but keep in mind that good fats have just as many calories as the bad stuff. Try walnuts or plain roasted sunflower seeds in salads or mixed into vegetable dishes or in stir-fries. Nuts can also be a nutritious snack as long as you don’t overindulge (about 15 to 20 nuts is sufficient). Avoid drinking alcohol excessively Although one glass of red wine or other alcoholic beverage a day may be beneficial to your blood circulation and heart health, overindulging is not. If you’re male, drinking more than two drinks a day can lead to heart damage, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides. For women, the threshold is more than one drink daily; this level can also increase the risk for breast cancer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define heavy drinking as consuming 15 or more drinks per week for men and 8 or more drinks per week for women. One drink is equivalent to a 5-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce beer, or 1-1/2 ounces of 80-proof liquor. So keep your alcohol intake moderate for heart health — and if you don’t drink alcohol, there’s no need to start. Make other heart-healthy lifestyle choices instead, such as adding more grapes and colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet, and exercising regularly. Don’t use tobacco products Smoking causes coronary heart disease, contributes to stroke, and increases the risk of peripheral vascular disease (obstruction of the large arteries in the arms and legs, resulting in pain and possible tissue death which may lead to amputation). Chewing tobacco isn’t much better because it raises blood pressure, harms the arteries, and increases the risk of a wide variety of cancers. Tobacco is also a factor in dementia. Basically, there’s nothing good about it. If you use tobacco products, talk to your doctor. Although quitting isn’t easy, there are products and programs that can help. Stress less Stress has both direct and indirect effects on blood pressure. Work, family, health, and your personal life may affect your overall stress level, causing poor-quality sleep and unhealthy food choices, both of which can contribute to hypertension. Finding ways to manage stress helps you cope more effectively with day-to-day life and simply makes you feel better. You can reduce stress in a number of ways. One of the best strategies is to engage in regular exercise. For starters, put on your sneakers and take a walk. Yoga is another excellent stress reducer, and many people find that a meditation practice helps to calm the mind and body. Even simple breathing exercises can help reduce stress. Try taking long, slow breaths: Inhale to a count of four; then exhale to a count of eight. Enlist your family and friends Having the support of family and friends can keep you on track with your lifestyle changes, turning eating well and exercising regularly into a shared and social experience. Let your family know that by choosing a healthy way of life, you have made a commitment to your well-being, both now and into the future. Emphasize that you need their help and positive support. If they decide to get onboard, that’s fantastic; if not, don’t let that discourage you. It may help to ask a friend to meet you for a walk or at the gym so you can maintain a regular exercise program. But don’t make your plans subject to anyone else’s obligations. Do it for yourself, and you’ll find that it gets easier over time. If your workout buddy can’t make it one day, don’t use his absence as an excuse to slack off. You owe it to yourself to stick with your program, no matter who else comes along for the ride. After you get going, you’ll feel great! Follow your doctor’s orders If you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, be sure to follow your doctor’s advice and keep regular appointments, including an annual physical exam. Take any prescribed medications as directed and keep track of your own blood pressure. If you have any concerns about the medication or treatment your doctor recommends, ask questions. Blood pressure medication is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Thanks to the variety of medications available, your doctor can almost always find an option, or a combination, that works for you.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-09-2021

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet focuses on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, healthy fats, and lean protein. It’s high in some nutrients (potassium, calcium magnesium, and fiber), and low in others (saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium). The DASH diet has been scientifically proven to reduce hypertension (high blood pressure) without any adverse side effects (in fact, with some side benefits!). Of course, to reduce hypertension for the long haul and maximize your health impact, you need to adopt nutritional foods and make several small lifestyle changes.