The DASH Diet Mediterranean Solution: The Best Eating Plan to Control Your Weight and Improve Your Health for Life (A DASH Diet Book)

by Marla Heller

Nuts, olives, avocados, olive oil, sesame oil, and canola oil are all great sources of heart-healthy MUFA, and they are less susceptible to oxidation and rancidity than PUFA.

What Kinds of Fats Should You Definitely Avoid or Limit? Saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are the building blocks for making cholesterol in the body. (Even trendy coconut oil, so heavily promoted and propped up by industry-paid research, can cause increased cholesterol.) Trans fats have been identified as bad actors when it comes to heart disease. They are polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) that have been converted into a more saturated form and, unfortunately, have been found to act as if they were SFA. Up until a few years ago, they were in common use to make processed foods that needed to be crispy or crunchy. But now they have been removed from most foods. Unfortunately, in many cases, the foods were reformulated, trans fats having been replaced with saturated fats from palm oil or coconut oil. Those fats are just as bad. The easy way to avoid these fats is to reduce your intake of processed foods. When you make your own meals, you control what goes into it. Saturated fats also trigger inflammation by activating inflammatory cells.2 Inflammation, as we have discussed, is associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure as well as rheumatoid arthritis, suppressed immune function, and accelerated aging.

Omega-3 fatty acids:

Hot Chocolate (or Cocoa) It’s simple to make your own hot chocolate for a morning dairy infusion. In a mug, stir or whisk together 1 cup hot milk, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon sugar (or artificial sweetener if you choose) until well combined.

Color on your plate. The more color on your plate, the healthier the meal. The color comes from fruits and vegetables. In general, an easy way to avoid overeating is to have lots of bulky, filling (but not high in starch) vegetables with each meal.

Whole fruits will also give you a payoff and keep you full.

Veggies for Your Spaghetti I love spaghetti. One of my favorite tricks for cutting down on empty carbs from pasta while still enjoying all the flavor of my homemade spaghetti sauce is to serve it on vegetables instead of pasta for the base. If you can put tomato-based sauces on fish or chicken, why not on vegetables? Have the sauce on broccoli or green beans. Still want the look of pasta? Of course, spiralized zucchini or other squash “noodles” make it so easy to enjoy, while not overdoing what you eat.

Have 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks every day. Deprivation does not lead to lasting weight loss. If you are hungry, you should eat. Quench your hunger when it is easier to control. A better strategy is to eat planned meals and snacks on a regular basis throughout your day. But this is not grazing, which isn’t a great idea. How do you know when you have grazed enough? Most people don’t. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time so you aren’t caught off guard when you’re hungry and find yourself eating foods that aren’t that healthy.

Add lean, protein-rich foods to satisfy your hunger and keep you from being hungry again an hour later. Protein foods take longer to digest and be absorbed. The energy (and some glucose produced from the protein amino acids) from protein-rich foods will be entering your bloodstream about the time the...

Use dairy to help quench hunger. Milk is a mixed meal all by itself, since it naturally contains some carbs, a healthy dose of protein, and a little bit of fat. Pair it with something fiber-rich for balance. With milk, whole-grain cereal, and some f...

Add fresh fruits to satisfy your sweet tooth the healthy way. If you are craving a sweet snack or a sweet end to your meal, fruits are a great way to satisfy. If you have them on hand...

Nuts and seeds make fun snacks that love your heart. Surprisingly, nuts can help you lose weight. They are great sources of heart-healthy fats, pack in protein and fiber, and are rich in vitamins and minerals. ...

Watch your waistline shrink. A smaller waist is the outward sign of better metabolic health. By cutting down on blood sugar surges, you won’t force your body to plump up your abdominal fat cells with glucose that then gets turned into more fat. Avoid overtaxing your body with lots...

Feeding Your Family You can still make meals for your whole family. Just don’t add everything to your plate. Skip the bread. Replace potatoes and pasta with veggies. Make your salad bigger than the rest of the family’s. And they still get to eat the way they like. So easy!

During this one- to two-week jump-start plan, you are going to avoid carbs: That means fruits, starchy veggies, and grains are out. But just for one to two weeks. This is a short-term quick fix to maximize your results. And this part is absolutely optional.

Protein-rich foods Lean meats, fish, poultry Fermented (preferably) reduced-fat dairy foods: cheese, yogurt Eggs Beans and peas: These are great protein options for vegetarians. Although they do contain a fair amount of starch, they are also fiber-rich, which slows down how quickly your body digests and absorbs them, so there is little concern for them causing you to have a glucose crash from the starch.

Nonstarchy veggies This includes almost all vegetables, except, for example, potatoes, yams or sweet potatoes, beets, and parsnips. Sweet corn is a grain, even though we tend to think of it as a vegetable. We are skipping grains during the jump-start.

Heart-healthy fats Olive, peanut, and canola oils Nuts and seeds (also good protein sources), including pea...

How Many Servings? I like to provide serving size guidance in terms of appetite size: smaller, moderate, or larger.

figure out how much to eat based on what is satisfying for you. Without worrying about calories, you still can lose weight.

The (Optional) Jump-Start Program for Med-DASH Daily Servings Nonstarchy vegetables ½ cup cooked, 1 cup raw, 4–6 ounces juice Smaller Appetite: Unlimited, minimum of 5 Moderate Appetite: Unlimited, minimum of 5 Larger Appetite: Unlimited, minimum of 5 Dairy 1–2 ounces milk in coffee, 4–6 ounces yogurt, 1 ounce cheese Smaller Appetite: 2 Moderate Appetite: 2–3 Larger Appetite: 2–4 Nuts, beans, seeds ¼ cup nuts, seeds, nut butter, ½ cup beans Smaller Appetite: 1 Moderate Appetite: 1–2 Larger Appetite: 1–2 Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs Smaller Appetite: 5–6 ounces, cooked Moderate Appetite: 6–8 ounces, cooked Larger Appetite: 8–11 ounces, cooked Fats Smaller Appetite: 1–2 Moderate Appetite: 2–3 Larger Appetite: 2–4 Table 5. Detailed serving size descriptions are shown on the tracking form on here.

• To fill your plate with colorful vegetables and balance them with lean meats, fish, and poultry or other protein-rich foods such as beans. • To add dairy to your day by choosing milk, cheese, or yogurt. • That your hunger is easy to manage without the blood sugar highs and lows.

• You will have calmed the inflammation caused by your body’s response to your previous intake of excess calories, especially sugars and starches. • You won’t overproduce triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, or the fat-storage hormone insulin. • You will lose weight and feel great!

What does a typical day on the jump-start plan look like? Breakfast • Something protein-rich: 1 or 2 eggs, and/or 1 to 2 ounces sliced lean meat, or ½ cup beans or lentils • Something bulky/filling and rich in vitamin C: Preferably vegetables (or vegetable juice) • A little milk in your coffee or tea, if desired (sugar is not recommended during the jump-start) Midmorning snack • Nuts, 4 to 6 fluid ounces yogurt, or 1 ounce cheese, and raw veggies Lunch • Roll-ups: a lettuce wrap, 1 slice (1 ounce) reduced-fat cheese, 2 to 3 ounces lean meat/fish/poultry or beans • Extra veggies: salads and other raw veggies • Water with fruit slices (although don’t eat the fruit in the jump-start program) • Light yogurt Afternoon or before-dinner snack • Same as morning snacks, plus additional options, such as raw veggies dipped in ¼ cup guacamole, salsa, or hummus Dinner • Salad with mixed greens and raw veggies, optional nuts/seeds • 3 to 5 ounces cooked lean meat, fish, or poultry, or main-dish beans • 1 or more cups cooked nonstarchy veggies • Water with fruit slices (don’t eat the fruit during the jump-start)

You can download larger versions of this form at dashdiet.org/forms

Day 1 Breakfast • 1 or 2 eggs, scrambled • 1 ounce sliced cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish • 4 to 6 fluid ounces vegetable juice • Coffee or tea with a little milk, if needed; or water Midmorning snack • 1 ounce light cheese • 8 baby carrots • Coffee, tea, or water Lunch • 4 ounces tuna on a mixed salad with Vinaigrette* • Sliced cucumbers • Tomato • Water with sliced lemon Afternoon or before-dinner snack • 4 ounces light yogurt (Greek or regular) • Dinner • Pollo alla Griglio* • 1 cup broccoli • Water with lemon slices Day 2 Breakfast • 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs • 8 fresh cherry tomatoes, or 4 to 6 fluid ounces vegetable juice Midmorning snack • Cucumber slices • 1 ounce light cheese Lunch • 1 or 2 roll-ups: 1 slice light cheese, 2 ounces sliced turkey breast, and 1 slice tomato rolled up in 1 lettuce leaf • ½ cup Italian Coleslaw* • Additional raw veggies, if desired • Water with orange slices Afternoon or before-dinner snack • Small handful of nuts • Baby carrots Dinner • 3 ounces roast beef • Sautéed carrots and onions: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 sliced medium onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add 2 cups sliced carrots and sauté until desired softness, reducing the heat under the pan as needed to avoid burning. Add 1 thin pat of butter at the end. Serve on top of roast beef for additional flavor. • Mixed salad with Italian Dressing* • Water with sliced lemon Day 3 Breakfast • 2 to 3 ounces lox (smok...

The Med-DASH Eating Plan Food Group: Fruits Servings: 3–5 Food Group: Vegetables Servings: 4–5 Food Group: Dairy Servings: 2–3 Food Group: Lean, protein-rich foods: Meats and poultry Eggs Beans Servings: 5–9 ounces per day of meat or meat equivalents; Up to 7 eggs per week; ½ cup beans = 1 serving Food Group: Fats (omega-3 rich) Servings: 2 or more 3-ounce portions per week Food Group: Nuts and seeds Servings: 5 or more 1 ounce servings per week Food Group: Fats and oils Servings: 6–10 1 teaspoon servings of added fats Food Group: Grains Servings: 4–6 Food Group: Added sugar Servings: 0–3 Food Group: Alcohol (4 ounces wine = 1 fruit) Servings: 0–2 Table 6. Typical servings of Med-DASH plans from 1,600 to 2,400 calories.

Daily Servings for the Med-DASH Plan Vegetables, nonstarchy Smaller Appetite: Unlimited, but at least 4 Moderate Appetite: Unlimited, but at least 5 Larger Appetite: Unlimited, but at least 5 Vegetables, high starch or sugar: potatoes, beets, sweet potatoes Smaller Appetite: 1–2 or less per week Moderate Appetite: 2–3 or less per week Larger Appetite: 2–3 or less per week Fruits Smaller Appetite: 3–5 Moderate Appetite: 4–5 Larger Appetite: 4–5 Dairy Smaller Appetite: 2–3 Moderate Appetite: 2–3 Larger Appetite: 2–3 Nuts, seeds Smaller Appetite: 1 Moderate Appetite: 1–2 Larger Appetite: 1–2 Protein-rich foods: Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, limit red meat to 2 or fewer times per week; include fish at least 2 times per week, ½ cup beans or other meat substitutes = about 3 ounces meat Smaller Appetite: 5–6 ounces Moderate Appetite: 6–8 ounces Larger Appetite: 8–11 ounces Fats Smaller Appetite: 2–3 Moderate Appetite: 3–4 Larger Appetite: 3–4 Whole grains Smaller Appetite: 2–3 Moderate Appetite: 2–3 Larger Appetite: 2–4 Wine (4 ounces = 1 fruit serving) Smaller Appetite: 0–1 Moderate Appetite: 0–2 Larger Appetite: 0–2 Chocolate (about 1 cubic inch or ½ ounce) Smaller Appetite: If desired, 3–4 times per week Moderate Appetite: If desired, 3–4 times per week Larger Appetite: If desired, 3–4 times per week Refined grains, sugary foods Smaller Appetite: Rarely, 2–3 times per week Moderate Appetite: Rarely, 2–3 times per week Larger Appetite: Rarely, 2–3 times per week Table 7. Deta...