With heart problems in her genes, Jeanette Guyton-Krishnan says she follows closely a diet to thwart high blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular troubles.

Here are examples of easy dishes you can fix that conform to her eating plan—the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, commonly known as DASH.

Jeanette credits DASH—and regular exercise—with bringing down her blood pressure to normal levels.

“In my family, we are physically active, we drink water and low-fat or fat-free milk, and we rarely keep sugary snacks in the house,” she says. “I'm also very aware of portion sizes and how many calories are in the portions we eat.”

Lows, highs

DASH was created by nutritionists after scientists at medical institutions found that diets low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat, and high in fruits, vegetables, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products helped reduce blood pressure. In fact, they found the reductions came fast—within 2 weeks, according to the project sponsored by the federal government’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

In addition to plenty of fruits and veggies, DASH, which is based on the federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, includes:

•  whole-grain products;

•  fish;

•  poultry;

•  nuts;

•  reduced lean red meat, sweets, added sugars, and sugar-containing beverages;

•  rich contents of potassium, magnesium, calcium, protein, and fiber, all believed by researchers to help reduce blood pressure.

DASH includes more fruits, vegetables and fiber than your typical diet, so rushing into the eating plan could cause gas, and other intestinal discomforts. Ease into diet, nutritions say, by following these tips.

From Chicken Salad to Zucchini Lasagna 

Along with lowering blood pressure, DASH also helps lower your cholesterol, which also can reduce your risk for getting heart disease, nutritionists say.

Basically, DASH calls for a certain number of daily servings from various food groups, based on a 2,000-calorie a day diet. The plan requires no special foods or hard-to-follow recipes.

For instance, here are some delicious and easy-to-fix dishes created with DASH in mind:

•  Day 1 – Chicken Salad

•  Day 2 – Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce, Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

•  Day 3 – New Potato Salad

•  Day 4 – Chicken and Spanish Rice

•  Day 5 – Tuna Salad, Turkey Meatloaf, Yogurt Salad Dressing

•  Day 6 – Spicy Baked Fish, Scallion Rice

•  Day 7 – Zucchini Lasagna

Nubella Tip: If you begin DASH, don’t stop taking your prescription medication for high blood pressure. Instead, follow the eating plan and talk with your doctor about your medication.

Check these out!

•  Nubella’s Recipe Database and Healthy Cooking Center—find plenty of delicious dishes that conform to DASH.

•  Nubella's Recipe Message Board—share your secrets and get tips.

•  Balanced Eating Blog—Nubella’s registered dietitian Theresa Stahl keeps you up to date with the latest healthy eating tips and recipes.

•  Multiple Lifestyle Changes Help Lower Blood Pressure

•  Are You Controlling Your Blood Pressure?

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