The two diets that I am comparing is the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet because these two diets are ranked the top 2 “Best Diets overall.” I am interested in the effectiveness of the two diets and how difficult it is to maintain these diets. The DASH diet, which is ranked number one in the categories of Best Diets Overall, Best Diabetes Diets, Best Diets for Healthy Eating, and Best Heart-Healthy Diets, aims to prevent and lower high blood pressure by revolving around a diet consisting of fruits and vegetables and lean meat. To add on, exercising regularly will result in losing weight as well, although it is not required to exercise when following the Dash diet. The Mediterranean Diet, which is ranked number two in Best Diets Overall, …show more content…
Food that the DASH diet recommends to not consume are red meat and any food that is has too much sugar or salt content because red meat is linked to certain types of cancer while sugar and salt contribute to high blood pressure and diabetes. Following the DASH diet will have benefits to the health, especially for the heart because the DASH diet fights to lower and prevent high blood pressure. “The only nutrient of potential concern is carbohydrate, which makes up 55% of total calories in the DASH diet compared to 48-51% of the typical American diet” (Tyson et al., 2012). However, there are various forms of the DASH diet and one can follow the diet with low carbohydrates in order to prevent blood pressure from rising and contributing to other health issues. Overall, the long term effects of the DASH diet will control blood pressure and …show more content…
The main reason why the DASH diet would be difficult for myself to follow is due to pricing and specific food items such as low-fat or fat-free dairy products. When purchasing food, I would have to constantly look for items that are low in fat or has no fat at all in order to meet the requirements that the DASH diet emphasize. Foods that are low in fat or is fat free also cost more money compared to canned food or processed food that are high in fats. In addition to that, I often eat in restaurants. Following the DASH diet in a restaurant is extremely difficult because food in restaurant are often high in fats, which will make me turn to the salad menu and not able to enjoy other type of foods. On the other hand, the Mediterranean diet would be easier for me to follow because the restriction on food is not as extreme as the DASH diet. I would only need to stay away from red and processed meat and food with high sugar or salt content, which I find more achievable compared to having to look for food that emphasizes low-fat or fat-free. The pricing of this diet is flexible because it would depend on how much calories I would like to consume. Eating out in a restaurant would not be too difficult because I can eat half of the meal and save the other half for another meal. Eating high amounts of fruits and