Using DASH Plus for Long-Term Weight Loss and Weight Control

Dr. Mirkin says that although the DASH Diet was not designed specifically for weight
loss,(see "Anyone with blood pressure over 120/80 should be on the DASH Diet. Your doctor will help you decide whether you should also use medication.") most people take in much less calories when they change their old eating habits to this new way of eating.

The changes Dr. Mirkin made to the original DASH guidelines to create the DASH Plus
plan: whole grains instead of refined grain products, fewer saturated fats, plus
your exercise program will help you lose weight - an eating plan designed to make
you take in fewer calories than you burn will cause you to lose weight.

Here are some facts in Dr. Mirkin's own words:

No matter what authors of popular diets may tell you, the basic
equation for weight loss is CALORIES IN < CALORIES BURNED.
You can reduce your intake of calories,
increase the number you burn with more exercise,
or both.

The DASH Plus guidelines emphasize the importance of exercise because it's
virtually impossible to take off weight and keep it off for life just by
restricting food.

You need to eat a certain amount of varied foods to provide the nutrients
your body needs. If you eat less that that you develop deficiencies. your
body goes in starvation mode, working to conserve calories by slowing down
your metabolism. That's why drastic low-caloric diets are not healthful
and don't work.

With DASH Plus you never feel hungry and you get all the nutrients you need.
The more active you are, the more food you can eat and still lose weight.


Good Food by Dr. Gabe Mirkin and Diana Mirkin

Your Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure:what you need to know

Gabe Mirkin, M.D. explains why it is so important to monitor blood pressure reading by explaining what each reading means:

You have two blood pressures: the systolic that measures blood pressure when your heart contracts, and the much lower diastolic reading that measures the pressure when your heart relaxes. When your heart contracts, it pushes a huge amount of blood forward to your arteries. Your arteries are supposed to act like balloons and expand to accept the blood and prevent your blood pressure from rising too high. Having plaques in your arteries stiffens them and prevents them from expanding when your heart contracts, causing your blood pressure to rise higher than normal. The stiffer your arteries, the higher your blood pressure rises. Intense pressure on artery walls can cause damage that provides places for even more plaque to accumulate. It's a vicious circle: high blood pressure continues to cause plaque buildup, which narrows the arteries and increases blood pressure even more.

The Framingham study has shown that the systolic (heart contraction) blood pressure is far more important than the diastolic (relaxation) blood pressure in estimating your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Diastolic blood pressure is a weaker predictor of your susceptibility for a heart attack. Your risk is increased further if you have high blood cholesterol, sugar or insulin levels; an enlarged heart; or if you are overweight. Over time, high blood pressure can cause serious damage to your cardiovascular system, kidneys and other organs.

Anyone with blood pressure over 120/80 should be on the DASH Diet. Your doctor will help you decide whether you should also use medication.

WB Kannel.Historic perspectives on the relative contributions of diastolic and systolic blood pressure elevation to cardiovascular risk profile.American Heart Journal, 1999, Vol 138, Iss 3, Part 2, Suppl. S, pp S205-S210.

Checked 8/8/06