Eating Your Way to a Healthy Blood Pressure
Most people diagnosed with high blood pressure have been told to cut down on sodium (salt). That's because eating too much sodium can make high blood pressure worse. In fact, people with the condition can significantly lower their blood pressure if they limit themselves to 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day. (The sodium content of foods is listed on their labels.)
But sodium is not the only part of your diet that affects blood pressure. It's also important to get enough calcium and other nutrients, and to cut down on saturated fats. That's why a group of national experts developed an ideal diet for lowering blood pressure. It's called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension or "DASH" diet. People who reduce their sodium intake and follow the DASH diet get better results than people who do just one or the other.
The DASH diet is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, but rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. If you'd like to learn to follow the DASH diet, call a health coach.
Health coaches are specially trained healthcare professionals, such as nurses, dietitians, and respiratory therapists. They can help you choose DASH-appropriate foods and the right serving sizes. Plus, they can tell you of other lifestyle changes that can help lower your blood pressure. In fact, they can even help you find solutions to problems you may have with blood pressure medications.
Health coaches are available by phone, anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at no charge to you. To talk to a health coach, call 1-877-LIFE-123. You can also get information online at LifeSteps Online from http://MyStandard at work or www.asdlifesteps.com from wherever you have Internet access.
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Personal health information provided to a LifeSteps health coach is protected by federal and state privacy laws and will not be disclosed to American Standard Companies except as authorized by law for administration of the company's group health plans.