Here is a review of THE DASH* DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS authored by Dr. Thomas .J. Moore, with Megan .C. Murphy MPH, and Mark Jenkins.
Dr. Thomas .J. Moore, is the creator and director of DASH for HEALTHTM program. A professor of Medicine and Endocrinology at Boston University School Of Medicine, he was the chairperson of the original study that developed the DASH* DIET. A former faculty member of Harvard Medical School, he has authored more than hundred scientific papers, and has studied the effects of foods and salt on blood pressure for over twenty years. He has also authored the book, THE DASH* DIET FOR HYPERTENSION.
Megan .C. Murphy MPH, is the program manager for DASH for HEALTHTM . She has a Master’s degree from Boston University School Of Public Health. She has co-authored the book, THE DASH* DIET FOR WEIGHTLOSS.
Mark Jenkins, is a professional writer and a paid consultant in the Harvard Medical School system. He has written for Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, and also co-authored THE DASH* DIET FOR HYPERTENSION and THE DASH* DIET FOR WEIGHTLOSS.
This book is divided into four parts. Part One is titled, A Diet Whose Time Has Come, has three chapters. The first chapter, Why This Book Is Different, explains the how is the DASH approach to weight loss distinct from others. It also answers some questions readers might have such as, the evidence for the success of the DASH diet, and how does it work. Chapter two, The Science Of Weight Loss, elucidates in very simple terms, the main reason behind weight gain. Consuming more calories than we burn eventually leads to an excess of available energy and that in turn leads to weight gain. Chapter three, The DASH Diet For Weight Loss: A Diet Whose Time Has Come, reiterates the importance of leading a healthy life, keeping in mind the obesity epidemic and the plethora of lifestyle diseases surrounding it. The DASH diet is the answer to reducing weight, eating healthy and living a longer life, free of disease.
Part two, titled Into Action has been divided into five sections with twenty three chapters. Section one, What You Eat has seven chapters. Chapter four, Your First Three Steps, demarcates the three main points of planning your very own eating plan. The first step is, with the help of a table provided in the book, calculate your calorie requirement for the day, keeping in mind, your age, height, weight and amount of physical activity in a day. The second step is to know the number of servings from each of the eight food groups as per the DASH system to be eaten. The third and the final step is, to be able to know what counts a serving size for each food group. The Food Groups : Going Hi-Lo-Slo, the fifth chapter makes the basics of the DASH DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS clear. First come vegetables. Being high in water, low in calories, and packed with nutrients and fibre, makes them an excellent choice for anyone wanting to lose weight or even otherwise. Fruits form an important part of our diet, due to the nutrition and fibre they provide. The only exceptions are fruit juice and dried fruit, which are too high in sugar to be a regular part of a healthy diet. Next, we come to grains. It is important to make better choices in this category as often it is here where we tend to eat the maximum of our calorie intake. Opting for whole wheat bread, pasta and other processed items such as bagels and muffins is not nearly enough. It is imperative to keep an eye on the serving size and maintain portion control. Reading labels too becomes important, to differentiate between what is actually healthy, and what is just a pretence of health under jargon and packaging. Dairy is next in line. Dairy products such as milk, yoghurt, and cheese can be not just filling snacks, but also a good source of the much needed mineral calcium. The trick is to go for the reduced fat variants. Animal protein constituting of meat, poultry, fish and eggs, are good sources of protein, and are a big part of meat eaters all around the world. The best way to incorporate these in your diet in a good way is to eat fish, skinless poultry, leaner cuts of beef and pork and more egg whites than yolks. Nuts, seeds and legumes from the next topic. Nuts and seeds though a bit high in calories are essential due to their important fatty acid content. And legumes, are a great source of complex carbohydrates, proteins, fibre and minerals such as magnesium and zinc. Sweets and the added fats in the diet are fats in the diet are addressed in the end. We must take steps to make sure that we keep the extra oil and dressings in our diet to a minimum, while consuming a conservative portion of nuts and seeds. Most desserts being too high in either sugar or fats or both, don’t make a very healthy addition to our daily diet. But what we can do is choose fruit over other types of sweets or keep their consumption to a minimum. Chapter six, Challenging Foods : Snacks, Drinks And Mixed Dishes, deals with food items which don’t fit into a particular food group, have a lot of ingredients in them, various snacks and eating out the healthier way. Snacking is an integral part of any healthy eating plan. It is not an excuse to eat, rather regular snacking on healthy items such as fruit, low fat cheese, unsalted popcorn, etc. ensures that the blood sugar levels remain stable and the chances of binging lessen considerably. There is a list provided of some healthy snacks to choose from, around hundred calories each. Drinking your calories is a very common mistake that a lot of people make while trying to lose weight. Sodas, sports drinks, fruit juices and beverages from coffee chains and such, are too high in calories and nutritionally don’t have much to offer. Even fruit juice which is supposedly healthy, is too high in sugar, has no fibre and until and unless you are training for a marathon, you can very well do without. It is better to opt for low fat milk in your tea and coffee, and opt for diet sodas instead. There are some very interesting ideas given, that you can explore when it comes various dishes, such as pasta, stews, meat dishes etc. Also when dining out, it is always a safe option, to stick to a larger serving of vegetables, while maintaining a smaller portion of meat, grains and side dishes. Salt is the topic of chapter seven. As all sensible physicians will tell you, irrespective of whether you have a problem of high blood pressure and/or hypertension, you are indeed better off with less salt consumption. Since almost all that we eat has sodium, watching sodium content of canned and packaged items and sparing the table salt are a good way to start. Chapter eight is The Importance Of Food Tracking. It is indeed a very effective, yet often disregarded way to keep tab on what and how much you are actually eating. The difference in how much we think we eat, and what we actually eat, will surprise most of us. Writing down with honesty what you eat throughout the day, in a timely manner is a great tool to have when it comes to losing weight. Is Meal Planning The Answer For You, chapter nine, hits the nail right on the head. Most often we cite reasons like, a hectic work schedule, kids, family and so on as to why we are unable to eat right. Planning your meals and snacks in advance has a lot of benefits. Firstly it saves time and money, less frequent visits to the grocery and impulsive buying and eating. Additionally, you control exactly what and how much you eat. Chapter ten, Vegetarians, This Diet Is For You Too, provides options on how vegetarians can follow the DASH* DIET FOR WEIGHTLOSS. Items like tofu, tempeh, seitan, and TVP(texturised vegetable protein), are a great source of plant based protein, that not just provide a suitable alternative to meat and fish but also add a variety to one’s diet. With sensible planning, a vegetarian diet can very well, provide one with all the requisite nutrients.
Section two, How Much You Move, consists of three chapters. This section stresses, on the importance of being active in our daily lives. Being sedentary, coupled with excess food has led to several diseases that plague us today. By including some form of consistent exercise will keep our bodies in better condition and free from health issues. Chapter eleven, Walking Your Way To Weight Loss, tells you how walking can be a simple and safe solution for people who are overweight, prone to injuries, or may not have time to go to the gym. As with any other form of exercise regularity and consistency is what will get the results. Ramping Up Your Fitness Program, chapter twelve, is for people who want to do more than walking for exercise. Strength training is the main principle which will help reduce fat and build muscle. Choosing a program you like and starting gradually will ensure long term adherence. Increasing Lifestyle Exercise, chapter thirteen, is finding ways to be more active in our day to day life. Some very elementary ways to do that would be to take the stairs instead of the lift, walking or cycling, instead of driving, doing a few household chores, taking the dog out, parking further away from your destination etc. The main thing is to keep moving through the day and finding novel ways to do it.
Section three titled, Building Your Skillpower, has ten chapters. Chapter fourteen is, Creating Realistic Goals You Can Reach. It is important to know, where you stand and where you want to be, to be able to plan effectively. Setting up tangible and measurable goals is what will keep you going. Use Your Tools, chapter fifteen, encourages you to put into use all the tips and pointers you have at your disposal in this book. Chapter sixteen, Employ Visualization Techniques, gives you three techniques to mentally help you get through this. Doing these will help you maintain a positive outlook and be clear about your goal weight. Practice Conscious Eating, chapter seventeen, points out the importance of eating consciously. It means eating without any distractions of the computer, the television, or anything else. We must pay attention to whether we are truly hungry and focus on food while eating. Chapter eighteen, Ask For Support, focuses on enlisting the support of family, friends and colleagues to help you succeed in your efforts. Chapter nineteen, Conquer Emotional Eating, emphasises the importance of tackling the psychological reasons behind eating. We have to learn to distinguish when we eat out of hunger as opposed to eating when upset, sad, angry, boredom and other forms of stress. Dealing with cravings is the focus of chapter twenty, Stave Off Cravings. Here are given some key tricks to help you keep your cravings at bay. Chapter twenty one, Learn How To Go Grocery Shopping, tells you how to shop smart. Not going shopping when hungry, sticking to a list and avoiding free samples are some things that can be done to maintain the diet. Chapter twenty two, Make Your Kitchen Weight loss Friendly, is about making our kitchen a health friendly place by keeping nutritious items ready to eat, so as to avoid eating junk . Learn How To Dine Out And Still Maintain Weight-Loss Goals, chapter twenty three, helps you make better choices while eating out, and keep your weight loss on track.
Section four is Doing It For Life. It is about being persistent and unwavering in your efforts. The good habits pertaining to eating and exercising put in place need to be practised repeatedly, to ensure lifelong benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions regarding the DASH* DIET are answered in section five. Many important issues confronted by dieters are explained, such as the importance of sleep in weight loss, advantages of using a pedometer, increasing activity in your daily routine, shopping better at the grocery, maintaining your diet while on vacation, and dealing with saboteurs etc.
We come to part three, which has meal plans. It has two sections, one for meat eaters and another for vegetarians. Each section has meal plans for all the calorie brackets under the DASH* DIET. Part four, has recipes, that include, main dishes, soups and salads, all safe to be eaten while on the DASH* DIET.
The DASH* DIET for weight loss is based on scientific principles. A balanced program and sound nutritional planning forms the foundation of the DASH* DIET. Since it is designed by a doctor, so rest assured, it is safe to follow and does not promote any ridiculous dietary whims and fancies. There are only three points of concern here. First, is the inclusion of artificial sweeteners. I don’t advocate them personally, as they often lead to really bad sugar cravings. Second, weight gain and weight loss is not just simply about calories in and calories out. It is not that simple. So that part of calorie requirement estimation and calculation might be a bit off. And third, the Hi-Lo-Slo concept could be a bit confusing for some.
Finally, we come to the crucial question. Does THE DASH* DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS work? Yes. Is, it safe and healthy? Yes. Is it a viable weight loss solution? Yes. Hence, I give it 6 stars out of 10.
Feel free to leave your comments or drop me a line with your questions, suggestions and ideas.
Cheers!!!
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