ow's your blood pressure?

If it's any higher than 119/79 millimeters of mercury (mmHg), then you'd better take note: A blood pressure reading between 120 and 139 mmHg of systolic pressure (the top number) or between 80 and 90 mmHg of diastolic pressure (the bottom number) means you're at very high risk for developing hypertension.

High blood pressure affects about 50 million Americans — that's 1 out of 4 people. It increases the risk of stroke, congestive heart failure, heart disease, impaired vision, and kidney damage. Hypertension is one of the leading contributors to heart disease and is responsible for an estimated one million heart attacks and half a million strokes each year. Unfortunately, this "silent killer" has no symptoms so people often don't know they have hypertension until they have a stroke or a heart attack.

Hypertension is a serious issue and I'm concerned that the health community and consumers have been so busy squabbling over carbohydrates and fats that we've completely forgotten about salt. The Institute of Medicine has just issued new guidelines for sodium intake and the new Upper Level is 2,300 milligrams per day, 100 milligrams less than the previous recommendation. Almost everyone exceeds these recommendations, with men averaging between 3,100 and 4,700 milligrams per day and women averaging between 2,300 and 3,100 milligrams per day. Women's averages are lower because they eat less food than men, not because they're more vigilant about avoiding salt. We're also seeing evidence of high blood pressure in children and adolescents for the first time. At least 30% of the population is considered salt sensitive, meaning that eating too much salt raises their blood pressure significantly. Even if you're not salt sensitive, a diet high in sodium may be an indication that you're consuming too many processed foods and not enough whole, fresh foods.

Of course, being overweight contributes to high blood pressure and losing excess weight can help to lower blood pressure, but what if the foods you eat to lose weight could cause health problems? It's shocking to me that cardiologists/authors Dr. Arthur Agatston and the late Dr. Robert Atkins can recommend diets loaded with sodium on top of fat and saturated fat. Analyzing random daily meal plans from both the South Beach Diet and the Atkins Diet, I found that the sodium added up to about 3,300 milligrams on South Beach and 4,100 milligrams on Atkins. I decided to look a little further at the sodium content of the "health foods" that are now being promoted for low-carb weight-loss plans. I was surprised by some of my findings:

   A certain brand of frozen low-carb meals contains between 1160 and 1320 milligrams of sodium each;
   A special low-carb pasta sauce (i.e. Alfredo) has 390-540 milligrams per 4-cup serving (what can you put this stuff on anyway?);
   A low-carb brand of salad dressings contains about 350 milligrams for 2 tablespoons;
   The same brand of marinades packs 500 milligrams of sodium into each tablespoon;
   A certain fast food restaurant with low-carb offerings has a burger with 1,270 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of fat, and 16 grams of saturated fat;
   That same restaurant also offers a low-carb breakfast bowl with 2,050 milligrams of sodium, 900 calories, 73 grams of fat, and 33 grams of saturated fat; and
   I think my research is finished now!

Why do we need special foods to help us lose weight anyway? Is it so we can give ourselves permission to eat a burger without the bun and still think we're doing something good for ourselves? Let's step back and look at the big picture. To promote health, we need to eat healthy foods, not more processed foods that replace sugar with artificial sweeteners and flour with processed fiber powder. If people want a "diet plan" that improves blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight then they can have one. It's called the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). The DASH plan was researched and designed by the National Institute of Health to help lower high blood pressure. It works, but your burger will be more like ground turkey breast on a whole-grain bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and low-sodium ketchup than a double bacon cheeseburger without the bun.

Here are the DASH general eating guidelines:

Food Group	Daily Servings*	Serving Size Examples
Whole Grains	7 - 8	1 slice whole wheat or multigrain bread, 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, pasta or oatmeal, 1 oz. (28g) wholegrain dry cereal
Vegetables	4 - 5	1 cup raw leafy greens, 1/2 cup whole, chopped, or cooked vegetables, 6 oz. vegetable juice
Fruits	4 - 5	1 medium whole fruit, 1/2 cup cut, cooked, or canned fruit, 6 oz. fruit juice, 1/4 cup dried fruit
Lowfat and Nonfat dairy products	2 - 3	(8 oz.) nonfat milk, 1 cup low fat yogurt, 1-1/2 oz. low fat cheese
Fish, poultry and meats	2 or less	3 oz. cooked fish, skinless chicken or turkey breast, lean beef sirloin, round, flank or filet
Nuts, seeds and dry beans	4- 5 per week	1/3 cup or 1-1/2 oz. plain nuts, 1/2 cup cooked dry lentil, kidney, soy or other beans 2 tablespoons peanut butter or seeds
Fats and oils	2 - 3	1 teaspoon olive or canola oil, butter or soft margarine, 1 tablespoon salad dressing or low fat mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons low fat salad dressing
Sweets	5 per week	1 tablespoon sugar, syrup, jam, 1/2 oz. jelly beans or hard candy, 8 oz. lemonade, fruit punch, sorbet or ices

*Most combinations of these servings add up to about 2,000 calories.

The DASH Diet works because it includes foods low in sodium and high in the minerals that help control blood pressure: calcium, magnesium, and potassium. For further blood pressure reduction, work your way down from 2,400 to 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. Combine it with regular exercise for weight loss and cardiovascular health as well as meditation to reduce stress. If you smoke, you need to quit in order to lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

This eating plan is intended to be a lifestyle, not a diet. It is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, moderate in protein, low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber. The guidelines I have given you are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, but depending on your calorie needs, you can adjust the grain, vegetable, fruit, and fat servings up for more calories, or down for fewer calories. Make sure your meals are balanced with whole grains, protein, and vegetables or fruit so you don't get hungry and your blood sugar stays steady throughout the day. Even if hypertension is not an issue for you, keep in mind that this eating plan is not just for lowering blood pressure, it's also just plain healthy.