Log in

Quick Tips for Helping Clients Beat Hypertension

As dietitians, we’ve been taught the important role a low sodium diet has on hypertension. With salt-free products in the market like Mrs. Dash® seasoning blends and marinades, we help educate our clients about going low sodium and sodium free in their cooking. But is your audience getting the entire story of eating to prevent and combat high blood pressure?

Reducing one’s sodium intake is only one dietary tool for treating hypertension. Increasing the amount of potassium in one’s diet can be an unsung hero. Since potassium helps counteract the effect of sodium on our blood vessels, teaching clients how to eat a meal plan rich in potassium-containing foods is just as important as teaching them how to eat less sodium.

Adding more potassium to your client’s weekly meal plan can be a cinch. It’s simply a matter of focusing on choices like potatoes, yogurt, canned white beans, cooked tomatoes (ie: sauce, puree and paste), edamame, lima beans, bananas, cooked spinach, peaches, milk and orange juice— all a perfect match for building a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruit and legumes.

Before recommending an increase in potassium, note that individuals with decreased kidney function, those on certain medications (ie: NSAIDs, ACE inhibitors, heparin, cyclosporine, beta-blockers and the antibiotic trimethoprim) and the elderly should consult their physician before making any drastic changes to the amount of potassium they consume on a daily basis.

To help in the fight against high blood pressure, the Hypertension Evidence-Based Nutrition Practice Guidelines from the American Dietetic Association’s Evidence Analysis Library recommends the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Eating Plan (DASH) as the preferred dietary meal plan. It just so happens that the DASH Eating Plan is also great for teaching clients how to eat less sodium and more potassium. Are you using it in your practice?

The DASH Eating Plan guidelines not only help individuals meet food group goals, they’ve also been shown to reduce blood pressure after 14 days in individuals with moderately high blood pressure . In comparison to the USDA Food Guide for individuals following a 2,000 calorie meal plan, a DASH Eating Plan contributes :
 

• 21% total calories from protein (vs.18%)
• 57% total calories from carbohydrates (vs. 55%)
• 22% total calories from fat (vs. 29%)
     5% from saturated fat (vs. 7.8%)
   10% from monounsaturated fat (vs. 11%)
     5.5% from polyunsaturated fat (vs. 9%)
• 30 grams of fiber (vs. 31g)
• 2,329 milligrams of sodium (vs. 1,779 mg). Although, a 1,500 milligram sodium meal plan can be implemented with DASH.
• 4,706 milligrams of potassium (vs. 4,044 mg)

For an individual eating a 2,000 calorie meal plan, their DASH Eating Plan would include :
 

Being diagnosed with hypertension can feel overwhelming for most. The days of haphazard meal preparation pretty much goes out the window immediately. By understanding the best dietary intervention tool at our disposal (ie: DASH Eating Plan), dietitians are better equipped to help clients take the much needed first step toward successfully treating, and reducing one’s risk for, hypertension.
 

Source: www.dashdiet.org
Source: Table 2, USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005
Source: Table 1 and Appendix A,USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005
 

Author: Carrie Taylor, RD, LDN is the registered dietitian for Big Y Foods, Inc in Springfield, MA and head of the Living Well Eating Smart program. For more about Living Well Eating Smart, visit www.bigy.com/lwes.

BACK TO ARTICLES >