DASH Diet Book Report

Introduction

I wrote the following book report about The DASH diet Mediterranean solution: The best eating plan to control your weight and improve your health for life written by registered dietician Marla Heller. First, I will explain why I chose this book based on the cursory information I could glean from what was included on the cover of the book. Next, I will discuss two topics from the book that caught my interest, the role fat plays in the diet and TOPIC 2, and the impact they made on me as a reader. In the following section, I will use outside research to critique the assertions made by Heller. Finally, I will detail how this information will affect me in both my personal and private lives. 

Part I

I chose The DASH diet Mediterranean solution: The best eating plan to control your weight and improve your health for life by Marla Heller because of my interest in the DASH diet. In recent years many reports have praised the Mediterranean diet as being among the healthiest, particularly in terms of heart health. In fact, on the cover of the book is a seal indicating that the DASH diet was rated the United States and World Reports top rated diet. From the cover of this book, it would appear the information contained inside has been thoroughly researched and proven to be worthwhile information. 

I was also attracted to the image on the cover of the book. It is not often that a diet book has a photograph with cheese, wine, and oil on the cover. While each of these items certainly reminds me of Mediterranean cuisine, it is hard to believe that their inclusion in any sort of diet is so essential that they would appear on the front cover. Naturally, I needed to learn more about how these this indulgence could fit into a healthy diet. 

Heller appears to be a trustworthy source on this topic. She is a Registered Dietician which requires completion of a master’s program and an extensive internship process which makes her an authority on healthful nutrition. Additionally, Heller has written several other books on the topic of the DASH diet including The DASH Diet Younger You, The Everyday DASH Diet Cookbook, The DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution, and The DASH Diet Action Plan. Due to Heller’s apparent expertise on the topic, I felt I could trust the information she was providing to me. 

Part II

I was particularly interested in learning how the macronutrient fat played into the DASH diet. In many diets, fat is demonized, and Heller (2018) is aware of this. She writes, “After U.S. dietary guidelines were changed in the mid-1980s, people were advised to dramatically cut down on fats” (p.78). Since then, however, she points out that obesity rates in America have drastically increased with more Americans on the go and opting for fast food. Heller makes an effort here to explain how fat can be healthy by offering satiety as a result of its higher calorie count and the absorption of important vitamins and minerals. She explains that some fats like olive oil, fish oils, flaxseed, and monounsaturated fats are healthier than others. This information made a significant impact on me because I was not aware that some fats are better than others, I thought it was important to avoid fat as much as possible. 

Another piece of information that interested me was the DASH diets inclusion of dairy. While the USDA recommends a daily dairy intake, I was under the impression that that notion was a result of tradition and trying to keep dairy farming lucrative, learning this was not the case was impactful for me. Heller explains that dairy is essential in the DASH diet in order to get the full range of blood pressure benefits. She does not go into technical detail regarding how dairy helps blood pressure, but she does warn against full-fat dairy. She explains that the increased levels of saturated fat in dairy can lead to diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer. She also suggests that fermented dairy, like yogurt, is a healthful way to consume dairy because it is easy to digest. This information also made an impact on me because it made me look at the types of dairy I consume and question whether or not they are helpful to my body or harming it. Generally, I assumed all dairy was harmful to my body. 

Part III 

A large study was recently published regarding the long-term effects of the DASH diet on cardiovascular disease. In this study, a population-based sample of 23,655 individuals living in the UK was evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire (Jones, Forouhi, Khaw, Wareham, & Monsivais, 2018). Using the information from the questionnaires and a follow up with the participants in the study at an average of 12.4 years that searched for the incidence of a cardiovascular-related event or mortality the researcher found that the DASH diet was effective overall. From the results of the study correspond with the information Heller suggests in her book. 

Part IV 

I believe I will use the information found in this book and article in both my personal and professional life. Learning that a diet can be more of a lifestyle choice (like simply forgoing fast food) that puts all food groups in balance, rather than limiting or eliminating them, has made a great impact on the way I see my own diet. I am no longer afraid to have cheese or use olive oil on my salads. I understand now that these foods are essential to my health and without them, my body would suffer. I believe the knowledge gleaned from this book will help greatly in my professional practice.

References

Heller, M. (2018). The DASH diet Mediterranean solution. Grand Central Publishing.

Jones, N. R., Forouhi, N. G., Khaw, K. T., Wareham, N. J., & Monsivais, P. (2018). Accordance to the dietary approaches to stop hypertension diet pattern and cardiovascular disease in a British, population-based cohort. European Journal of Epidemiology, 33(2), 235-244.