Changing Your Bad Dieting Habits

For the working adult, it only takes a single trip to the family practice doctor to find out you have a problem with obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, diabetes, or another manageable health condition. You know it is time to eat better.

It is important to eat better. You need to follow the exact diet specifications that your doctor recommends for making meals healthier. You also need to keep up with the prescription for regular exercise.  Just as important, follow the specifications for prescribed medications and maintaining follow up appointments.

What are some general things that people can do to make a diet better? Let us say you have just been diagnosed with high blood pressure. General advice is to eat less sodium in your diet. Salt is everywhere! You must limit intake of canned foods and most frozen foods because they contain lots of sodium for prolonging their shelf life. Stop eating French fries and popcorn when you go out. Stop adding salt to food during cooking or eating or both.

Plan weekly menus to avoid foods with added salt. A good example is your trip to the deli. You can buy fresh versions of many meats and cheeses with low sodium content. These will be products without salts or other preservatives.  These foods, such as, fresh vegetables, are generally meant to be consumed in a few days.

Although your doctor requires you to change your diet, think of these diet changes in a positive way. These changes are better for you, and you probably should have done them a long time ago!

DASH for High Blood Pressure

Nurse's Notes

If you have high blood pressure than the DASH diet is for you.  Studies by the National Institutes of Health show that you can help lower your blood pressure by following the DASH Diet.  DASH stands for Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension (High Blood Pressure).  The DASH diet is low in saturated fats, but rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods.

DASH Dietary Plan               

 Food Groups                                Servings per day

Grains and grain products                    7 to 8
Vegetables                                            4 to 5
Fruits                                                    4 to 5
Low-fat/ fat free dairy products            2 to 3
Meats, poultry and fish                       up to 2
Nuts, seeds, legumes            4 to 5 per week

Hypertension, 6 Changes You Should Make Now!

Nurse's Notes

The medical term for high blood pressure is hypertension. Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the first- and third-leading causes of death among Americans. High blood pressure also can result in other conditions, such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness.

A blood pressure level of 140/90 mmHg or higher is considered high. About two-thirds of people over age 65 have high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg, then you have pre-hypertension. This means that you don’t have high blood pressure now but are likely to develop it in the future unless you adopt healthy lifestyle changes.

If you have hypertension or pre-hypertension adopting the following six-lifestyle changes will help you to manage your blood pressure and reduce your risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

✓          Maintain a healthy weight

• Check with your health care provider to see if you need to lose weight.

• If you do, lose weight slowly using a healthy eating plan and engaging in physical activity.

✓          Be physically active

• Engage in physical activity for a total of 30 minutes on most days of the week.

• Combine everyday chores with moderate-level sporting activities, such as walking, to achieve your physical activity goals.

✓          Follow a healthy eating plan

• Set up a healthy eating plan with foods low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy foods.

• Write down everything that you eat and drink in a food diary. Note areas that are successful or need improvement.

• If you are trying to lose weight, choose an eating plan that is lower in calories.

✓          Reduce sodium in your diet

• Choose foods that are low in salt and other forms of sodium.

• Use spices, garlic, and onions to add flavor to your meals without adding more sodium.

✓          Drink alcohol only in moderation

• In addition to raising blood pressure, too much alcohol can add unneeded calories to your diet.

• If you drink alcoholic beverages, have only a moderate amount—one drink a day for women, two drinks a day for men.

✓          Take prescribed drugs as directed

• If you need drugs to help lower your blood pressure, you still must follow the lifestyle changes mentioned above.

• Use notes and other reminders to help you remember to take your drugs. Ask your family to help you with reminder phone calls and messages.