The DASH Diet for Weight Loss: Lose Weight and Keep It Off--the Healthy Way--with America's Most Respected Diet

by Thomas J. Moore, Megan C. Murphy MPH, Mark Jenkins

Noted physician Thomas J. Moore, M.D., presents the ultimate guide to the revolutionary DASH diet.

Based on nearly twenty years of scientific research by doctors at Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Duke, and more, the DASH diet has been proven to lead to sustainable weight loss—and to prevent and reduce high blood pressure; lower “bad” cholesterol; and reduce the risk of stroke, kidney disease, heart attack, and even colon cancer. Originally designed as a diet for reducing high blood pressure, the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) will help you lose and keep weight off with the perfect meal plan to meet your dietary and caloric needs.

Rated the #1 diet by U.S. News & World Report in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, the DASH diet includes no gimmicky foods—instead, those on the diet eat low-salt meals including whole grains; eggs, fish, and chicken; nuts, fruits, and vegetables; lower-fat dairy products; and even desserts.

The book’s practical 28-day menu planner provides an easy-to-use roadmap on how to get started, with tasty recipes for a variety of dishes. (Try the Cobb salad, shrimp Scampi, or apples in caramel sauce.) The book also features stories from people who have lost weight on the DASH diet—and kept it off for years.

Tired of ineffective fad diets? The DASH Diet for Weight Loss can show you how to shed pounds and feel healthier by following a tried-and-true research-based approach. Features included extensive, easy-to-follow meal plans (for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike) as well as practical tools and advice that will help

* Calculate and meet calorie targets and learn what counts as a serving
* Add exercise to ramp up your fitness
* Keep a food log and plan a menu
* Adapt your favorite recipes for a healthier lifestyle
* Maintain your weight loss over time

Endorsed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the American Heart Association (AHA), this natural and affordable program is designed for long-lasting results. Start today to begin your lifetime of health.

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START THE DASH DIET THE EASY WAY WITH ONE OF OUR SIMPLE, SUBSTANTIAL MEAL

1,600 CALORIES
6 grain, 4 fruit, 4 vegetable, 2 dairy, 1½ meat, ¼ nuts/seeds/legumes,
1 added fat, ½ sweets

BREAKFAST (340 CALORIES)
1 Low-Fat Blueberry Muffin (see recipe), 2 grain (200 calories)
½ cup raspberries, 1 fruit (30 calories)
1 cup low-fat milk, 1 dairy (110 calories)

MORNING SNACK (160 CALORIES)
1 cup sliced mango, 2 fruit (110 calories)
¾ ounce (1 small slice) low-fat cheddar cheese, ½ dairy (50 calories)

LUNCH (325 CALORIES)
1 Cobb Salad (see recipe), 4 vegetable, ½ dairy, ½ meat, 1 added fat (225 calories)
1 small chocolate chip granola bar, 1 grain (100 calories)

AFTERNOON SNACK (160 CALORIES)
“Ants on a log”:
4 celery sticks (5 inches each), 1 vegetable (5 calories)
1 tablespoon peanut butter, ½ nuts/seeds/legumes (100 calories)
2 tablespoons raisins, ½ fruit (55 calories)

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

416 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2012

About the author

Thomas J. Moore is professor of medicine and endocrinology at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Moore has studied the blood pressure effects of foods and salt intake for more than two decades, and has written numerous scientific papers and books, including both The DASH Diet for Hypertension and The DASH Diet for Weight Loss. Dr. Moore lives near Boston; he enjoys biking, tennis, and golf.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

To summarize. Eat your vegetables, put down the chips and get outside.

[Cosette · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so poorly written I'm concerned. "Diet sodas may be better for your waistline than regular soda, but it still hits you in the wallet." Poorly constructed arguments like this are scattered throughout the text without any reference to any proven studies to back up ridiculous claims that seem to make sense. Cray-cray.

Page 208

[Genna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the book can be fairly boring. I don't think that is a surprise. The diet itself is well researched and used scientifically sound trials. Trying to do this diet during the holiday season has not worked out so well but I fully intend to jump back on it once the holidays are done clogging my arteries.

[Dawn Livingston · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very much like another I read called The DASH Diet Action Plan: Proven to Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Without Medication.

This book is not really a skim it and move on book. If you're going to take it seriously this is the kind of book you own, not just borrow it from the library. It involves meal planning and recipes. It's also pretty comprehensive.

DASH stands for Dietary Approachers to Stop Hypertension. A lot of research went into making the DASH diet and details are in the preface. The DASH diet was also recommended by my doctor so I take it more seriously than all the other diets out there including the Keto diet.

It gives good advice, though not necessarily easy to follow and it has menu plans that are not easy to follow because some of the items are items I won't eat. At least they give me some idea of what to eat and when. I can't/won't eat all the items but I can eat some of them. My problem is that I don't like fruit so I'll have to substitute pears, mandarin oranges or apples which may not be what they feel is the most healthy.

It's not a bad book just one I don't think I can follow. Or maybe I'm just not committed enough.

[Holly Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good explanation of this program of eating.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent diet book. Mostly recipes, as the diet is pretty easy to outline.

[Marty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really a bad book but... not for me. I ddi get a few good recipe ideas- I love when i see something new for making meals.

[Caro Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The motto of the diet is similar to Pritikin: eat a high volume of food, eat lower calories, and eat slowly. It's a pretty sensible diet that requires counting servings/exchanges rather than calories and recommends exercise. Not new information, but nothing crazy, either.

The book has the standard BMI chart and explains the problems with obesity. It also has a chart of how many calories you should be eating based on height and activity level. Based on the calorie chart, another chart says how many servings/exchanges you should eat of veggies, fruit, protein, fat, dairy, and sweets. The nice thing is that the servings seem to match typical guidance, so the serving information would be on most boxes of lower calorie frozen dinners.

There are also sections on exercise (do some and then see if you can do more), setting realistic goals, dealing with emotional eating, and setting yourself up for success, some Q&As, and keeping a food journal. About a third of the book is meal plans and recipes -- useful for some, but a waste of space for me.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book. It advocates a healthy diet that will allow you to lose weight and improve your health. I had recently read the Cinch diet book, which is pretty much the same diet. I have to say I preferred the Cinch book. The author seemed to cite more studies to back up her claims, and I prefer her recipes. Either book encourages the reader to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.

[Joshua · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Dash Diet is a good plan for changing your lifestyle and regimenting your diet. The book, however, explains it so simply, it almost seemed like I was being talked to like a child. Instead of whole milk, drink nonfat. No crap. This would be a good read for someone with absolutely no idea of what is healthy and what is not.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful in understanding how DASH works and why in plain English. This physician knows that if you are going to explain research then use examples that make common sense. My doctor recommended DASH as a permanent lifestyle change, and this book has been wonderful for helping me to make changes.

[Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm paging through this one and it just looks too complicated. I should read the whole thing but I'm a little turned off by how complicated its seems. I was looking for something with more healthy recipes and a little easier to follow. Nope, not for me.

[Lisa Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the part on sodium and it has now made me look at sodium counts on packaged foods to try to stay within 5% sodium per serving. Not much info in here for weight loss. The recipes look average and the book needs updated. I hear the Dash book on hypertension is better.

[Chanah · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this is a no as I need to go gluten free. I would't be able to follow this plan. It is highly acclaimed though so my take should no prevent anyone else from checking it out.

[Brandy Bones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good sensible diet and research nice to understand but not written or organized in accessible format.

[Lori Stussie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems like a very logical plan for those of us needing written directions beyond STOP putting food in your mouth.

[Martha Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eat less junk and exercise more. Same as available free on government site. I am working on using the principles.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew a lot about DASH previously, but some of the recipes and some new info was nice.