Diet for hypertension: the effects of salt, fat and carbohydrates, an example menu

The diet for hypertension should be constant, since increased blood pressure is a chronic pathology that cannot be completely cured, you can only maintain well-being and stop symptoms. It is also necessary to normalize your diet to reduce excess body weight, since an increase in pressure is often found against the background of obesity.

General principles of nutrition

The diet is based on the following rules.

• Minimum salt. It is important to reduce the amount of salt used in the diet to 14 g per day. This is due to the fact that sodium chloride retains water, which leads to the appearance of edema, an increase in the volume of circulating blood and, as a result, an increase in pressure. Therefore, such patients are often prescribed a salt-free diet.
• Fat restriction. Hypocholesterol diet, the essence of which is to limit animal fats and foods that negatively affect lipid metabolism, is indicated for all patients with hypertension and atherosclerosis.
• Carbohydrate reduction. Being overweight puts a strain on the heart, which already suffers from hypertension. To reduce the likelihood of serious complications from the cardiovascular system, it is necessary to put in order weight. For this purpose, a low-carb Atkins diet or protein is recommended.
• Emphasis on vegetables. Most of the daily diet for hypertension and overweight should be complex carbohydrates - cereals and fresh vegetables. They contain a lot of insoluble fiber, which helps to remove cholesterol, improves the function of the digestive system and saturates for a long time.
• Minerals. Magnesium and potassium are extremely important elements in arterial hypertension. They protect the heart and blood vessels from the negative effects of the disease. Most of them are found in apricots, dried apricots, carrots, fish and seaweed.
• Mode. In order not to overload the gastrointestinal tract and not provoke strong fluctuations in blood glucose, which can also lead to an increase in pressure, it is necessary to eat often, in fractional portions, at least five times a day.
• Caffeine. Coffee, strong tea, puer, energy can cause tachycardia and a hypertensive crisis, therefore, it is contraindicated with a constant increase in pressure.

Allowed Products

It is important that the food is complete and varied. Assigned diet number 10. Its basis is lean, vegetarian dishes, but for good health you can not forget about protein foods. With hypertension and heart disease, you can eat the following dishes.

• First meal. Vegetable soups, low-fat dairy and cream soups, cabbage soup, okroshka on low-fat kefir.
• Meat and fish. Lean beef, veal, chicken, turkey, river fish, seafood.
• Second courses. Buckwheat, oatmeal cereals, millet, brown and wild rice, lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans, pasta, but only from durum wheat.
• Milk products. Natural yogurts (free of additives or with fresh fruits, homemade jam), cottage cheese with a low percentage of fat, milk, kefir, cheese.
• Fruits. All without limits. In diabetes - citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit), apples.
• Vegetables. Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, carrots, beets, fresh herbs, onions, garlic.
• Dessert. Marshmallows, candy, jam and honey in limited quantities.
• The drinks. Herbal infusions, rosehip broth, stewed fruit and dried fruit, jelly, berry fruit drinks, freshly squeezed juices, mineral water, weak green tea.

Prohibited Products

The diet for hypertension and high cholesterol limits mainly fatty, fried foods, fast food, smoked meats. The following foods should not be consumed.

• The drinks. Coffee, cocoa, strong tea, alcohol, sweet soda, sodium chloride mineral water.
• Smoked meats. Pickled products, pickles, dried and dried fish.
• Meat. Fried pork, lamb, duck, offal.
• Mushrooms. Any kind.
• Confectionery. Cakes, pastries, chocolate, sweets, ice cream, mousses.

Dash

DASH diet (DASH) was developed by American nutritionists on the principle of the eastern diet. It implies a decrease in the diet of meat, fish, eggs, milk. Instead, you need to eat fruits, vegetables, cereals and legumes.

Four to five meals should be planned per day at regular intervals. In this case, the latter should be two to three hours before bedtime, low-calorie, mostly protein - cottage cheese, kefir. As fasting days once a week / month, a kefir diet that cleanses the body can be used.

Sample menu

For different degrees of hypertension (I, II, III), a virtually identical menu is recommended. Just with a milder course of the disease, you can consume more salt. The diet should be planned in advance, consist of familiar, affordable products. You can focus on the following example.

• Breakfast. Oatmeal on water with the addition of dried fruits or scrambled eggs with herbs, tea.
• Lunch. Apple or pear, rosehip broth.
• Dinner. Vegetable soup with meatballs, pasta or cabbage soup, rice with steam patties.
• High tea. Fruit salad or tea with dry biscuits, marshmallows.
• Dinner. Mashed potatoes with beef stew or buckwheat with steam fish.
• Second dinner. Kefir or yogurt.

The diet is able in the early stages of the disease to stabilize blood pressure figures even without the use of special medications. With the progression of pathology, the right diet will help to avoid complications.

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