Seafood is part of both the Mediterranean and DASH diets.
DASH diet vs. Mediterranean diet:
Story by skenny@insider.com (Serafina Kenny)
The similarities and differences between what experts
say are the healthiest ways to eat.
The diets are similar and focus on whole foods.
There are key differences in their approach to alcohol and potential effect on blood pressure. The Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet are considered among the
healthiest ways to eat by experts — so what’s the difference between the two?
The Mediterranean diet is based on the food that people traditionally ate in places around the southern European sea that gives it its name, including Greece, Italy, and Spain, and so prioritizes whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, olive oil, beans, nuts, and seafood. The amount of processed foods and added sugar in the diet is kept to a minimum, and it includes far less meat than is eaten on average in the US. It has been named the healthiest way to eat for six years in a row by the US World News and Report, with DASH coming joint second this year. A doctor who wrote a book on the Mediterranean diet shares his 3 favorite lunch recipes.
The Mediterranean diet is recognized as the gold standard for healthy eating.
Try pasta salad with tuna and beans or rye bread with guacamole or hummus.
Dr. Simon Poole, an expert in the diet shared three lunch ideas with Insider.
If you’re looking to eat more Mediterranean diet–
style meals but are stuck on what to have for lunch, Dr. Simon Poole has you covered.
Poole, an expert on the diet based in Cambridge, UK, told Insider that the Mediterranean diet is the gold standard for healthy eating. It centres around vegetables, legumes, seafood, and olive oil, while processed and fried foods, red meat, refined grains, sugar, and saturated fat should be limited.
Poole adopted the diet himself about 20 years ago and, as a family medical practitioner, began suggesting it to his patients too.
“They came back to me with better blood pressures, better cholesterol, better weight, and were really actually enjoying the diet and finding it much more sustainable than other diets that they’d been told to follow in the past,” he said.
There has been a “very considerable amount of really good, high quality scientific research to show that it reduces the risks of really so many chronic diseases, from heart disease and stroke through to many cancers and even Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
Dr. Poole shared three of his favorite lunches with Insider.
The DASH diet similarly focuses on fruits, vegetables, and legumes, as well as other whole foods such as whole grains, low-fat dairy products, nuts, and skinless fish and poultry. It also includes low amounts of processed foods and added sugars, but focuses on reducing salt and saturated fats. It was ranked top in a list of heart-healthy diets by the American Heart Association earlier this year.
Dr. Amit Khera, who has helped to formulate AHA diet guidelines and is a professor of medicine and the director of the preventive cardiology program at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, told the AHA in 2019 that the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet are more alike than they are different.
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The Mediterranean diet is less strict about alcohol
The biggest difference between what the Mediterranean and DASH diets allow you to consume is alcohol.
Typically, if you’re following the Mediterranean diet, you can drink a moderate amount of alcohol, usually wine, with meals — no more than one glass of wine a day for women or two for men, according to The Mayo Clinic said.
It’s important to note that the World Health Organization says that there is no safe amount of alcohol that does not affect health.
The DASH diet, however, is very low in alcohol. Dietitian Danielle Smith told Insider that she tells her clients who follow the DASH diet to only have one drink on one or two nights a week, because it is inflammatory and because it lowers inhibition, which can lead to unhealthy food choices.
The DASH diet is thought to be better at lowering blood pressure
The AHA ranked the DASH diet above the Mediterranean diet for heart health because the latter doesn’t focus on reducing the amount of salt in your diet, whereas the DASH diet does.
The DASH diet was formulated to prevent or reduce hypertension, or high blood pressure, through reducing the amount of salt and maximizing nutrients linked to lowering blood pressure.
Salt makes your body retain water.
Eating too much salt increases the amount of water in the blood, putting pressure on blood vessels and leading to higher blood pressure. Reducing your salt intake, for example through following the DASH diet, can lower blood — potentially within a few weeks — according to the charity Blood Pressure UK.
DASH diet vs. Mediterranean diet: The similarities and differences between what experts say are the healthiest ways to eat (msn.com)
Registered dietitian Danielle Smith told Insider what to avoid doing
when switching to the diet. © Danielle Smith/ Getty
The DASH diet is even healthier than the Mediterranean diet, experts say.
A dietitian shares 5 mistakes people make when starting it.
Story by skenny@insider.com (Serafina Kenny) •
The DASH diet is the healthiest way to eat, according to the American Heart Association.
The diet includes low amounts of salt and saturated fats, and focuses on whole foods.
Danielle Smith is a dietitian specializing in the DASH diet, which includes lots of fruit and vegetables.
The Mediterranean diet may have been voted the healthiest way to eat six times in a row, but what’s known as the DASH diet could be even better, according to experts.
The DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, aims to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It’s usually prescribed to people with hypertension, or high blood pressure, but can also be followed as a general healthy diet.
The diet is low in salt, saturated or trans fats, added sugars, fatty meats, and alcohol, instead prioritizing vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless fish and poultry, nuts and legumes, and non-tropical vegetable oils according to the American Heart Association.
5 Mediterranean diet salad recipes that are filling and delicious, by a dietitian
The Mediterranean diet is widely considered one of the healthiest ways to eat.
A balanced salad contains protein, carbs, and fats as well as fruits and vegetables.
Dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine shared five Mediterranean-inspired salad recipes.
Whether or not you follow the Mediterranean diet, knowing a few healthy salad recipes can be super handy, especially in the warmer months.
The Mediterranean diet is widely considered to be one of the healthiest ways to eat, thanks to its links with heart health and a lower risk of various diseases including Parkinson’s and diabetes.
It focuses on vegetables, legumes, seafood, and olive oil, wine in moderation, and minimal amounts of processed and fried foods, red meat, refined grains, added sugars, and saturated fats.
When it comes to building a satiating salad, you need more than just a few lettuce leaves and chopped tomatoes. Dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine, – Bing video who aims to eat a Mediterranean-style diet, told Insider a balanced salad should contain the following components:
Carbohydrates
These are our body’s main source of fuel, Ludlam-Raine said. She recommended choosing higher fiber and wholegrain options where possible, such as quinoa, wholegrain rice, wholewheat pasta, or wholemeal pitta.
“I personally like the mixed grains in the microwavable bags for my salads,” she said.
Vegetables, salad, and fruit
Ludlam-Raine recommended aiming for two handfuls of produce, for example a handful of salad leaves, crudités, roasted vegetables, or pomegranate seeds.
“The greater variety of plant-based foods in your diet, the better your gut microbes will be, which means better physical and mental health,” she said.
Protein
“Whether it’s animal or plant-based, protein is digested slowly and helps to keep us fuller for longer,” Ludlam-Raine said.
Good sources in salads include chickpeas, feta cheese, mixed beans, hummus, chicken, edamame beans, and salmon, she said.
Good Fat
“Fats provide some of the essential fatty acids our body can’t make itself and help to absorb fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K,” Ludlam-Raine said.
To get a source in your salad, try adding a handful of olives, mixed seeds, flaked almonds, a dollop of pesto, or a drizzle of grapeseed or olive oil, she said.
Earlier this year, the AHA rated the DASH diet higher than the hugely popular Mediterranean diet for heart health, because, although similar, the Mediterranean diet does not address added salt and allows alcohol in moderation.
Insider spoke to Danielle Smith, a registered dietitian working with dietitian network Top Nutrition Coaching, about the biggest mistakes she sees people making when they start the DASH diet, and what to do instead.
Starting the diet without a plan
Going all in without a plan is the biggest mistake you can make when starting the DASH diet, Smith said. It’s best to gradually build to following the diet fully by incorporating some DASH diet recipes that sound appetizing into your weekly meals, rather than just throwing away all your high-sodium and processed foods with no plan.
It’s also important to be gracious with yourself when you slip up, which you will do because you’re human, she said.
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Believing the marketing on ‘heart healthy’ foods
Some products are marketed as “heart healthy” because they contain oats or are rich in whole grains, such as certain breakfast cereals or granola bars, Smith said. However, these products might not be very nutrient dense and can contain a lot of sugar. She said: “don’t be lured in by what is marketed to you, because it’s not always healthy.”
Instead, be sure to check that the product actually contains things that are nutritionally helpful, like fiber or protein, using the information on food labels. A dietitian previously explained to Insider how to read nutrition labels.
Drinking too much coffee
Coffee contains antioxidants which are thought to be anti-inflammatory, but Smith said you shouldn’t rely on it for energy throughout the day, especially if you add lots of creamer and sugar to your coffee.
She also said that drinking too much coffee isn’t good if you’re following the diet because you already have hypertension. Insider previously reported on a study that found people with very high blood pressure who drank two or more cups of coffee a day were twice as likely to die from heart problems. However, research suggests people with normal blood pressure can safely drink up to five cups a day without harming their heart, or affecting their cholesterol levels or heart rhythm, according to the UK charity British Heart Foundation.
Not making lifestyle changes alongside the diet
As well as changing your diet, Smith recommended finding ways to move your body throughout the day, because moving more is an easy way to lower blood pressure. This can be as simple as going for walks or standing for parts of the day if going to the gym feels daunting, she said.
She also said that “aiming for half your body weight in ounces of water a day is ideal” to stay hydrated.
Not listening to your body
If you don’t feel well after consuming a certain food, or you just don’t like something,
don’t force yourself to eat it and focus on other nutrient dense foods instead, Smith said.
The diet is supposed to be maintainable long term, so it has to work for you and your body — “listen to your body and see how it responds,” she said.
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