4 Lessons to Lower Blood Pressure

Are you looking for ways to teach your clients, students, or employees about high blood pressure? We have a comprehensive PowerPoint program for you: Four Lessons to Lower Blood Pressure.

No matter who’s in the audience, they’re bound to learn something new from our lessons:

  1. Introduction to High Blood Pressure
  2. Make the DASH
  3. Cut the Salt
  4. Get Moving to Lower Blood Pressure

The lessons can be used individually, or you can host a series of virtual sessions.

Here are some talking points to promote your blood pressure education efforts and motivate people to take action:

  1. The silent killer: High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. That’s why it is important to get your blood pressure measured and do what it takes to get it under control.
  2. COVID-19 point #1: The CDC says that adults of any age who have high blood pressure might be at an increased risk for severe illness if they are infected by the coronavirus. That’s a good reason to make an effort to get your blood pressure under control.
  3. COVID-19 point #2: High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease. According to the CDC, heart disease puts you at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness. Just one more reason to take steps now to control your blood pressure.
  4. More than salt: While cutting sodium in your diet is very important, that’s not the only thing. The DASH eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean proteins, and legumes, nuts, and seeds.
  5. More than diet: Along with the DASH eating plan, regular exercise can help lower your blood pressure. And if you smoke, get help to quit.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

Make the Most of Biometric Screenings

It seems like lots of companies do biometric screenings for their employees these days. It’s a great way to give people a snapshot of their health. But knowing those numbers doesn’t help if they don’t understand what they mean. We have two handouts that can help – the Biometrics Screening Tool Handout Tearpad and the Printable Biometrics Form PDF.

On one side of these handouts, there’s space to record BMI, waist circumference, hemoglobin A1C, blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol (including total, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides). On the other side, there’s a glossary with easy-to-understand descriptions of each measurement.

Individual instructions or goals can be written in the space on the bottom left of side one. If you use the printable PDF form, you can add a logo or message before printing.

Here are 10 ideas for lessons and messages to use with the Biometrics Screening handouts:

  1. A biometric screening provides a snapshot of your health. These numbers tell where you’re doing well and areas that need attention.
  2. Manage these numbers by being more active, eating more lean protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, and eating less high fat, high sugar processed foods.
  3. If you’re missing any measurements, take the handout to your doctor and ask to have blood tests or other measurements done.
  4. Calculate your BMI using the formula on the handout, or search online for “BMI calculator” and plug in your height and weight. If your BMI falls in the overweight or obesity categories, losing even a relatively small amount of weight can improve your health.
  5. Waist circumference can tell you a lot, but many physicians don’t take this measurement. Use the instructions on this handout to measure your own waist circumference (or ask someone to help you). If it’s 40+ inches (for men) or 35+ inches (for for women), your risk of health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure increases.
  6. Hemoglobin A1C measures your blood glucose (or blood sugar) over the past few months. Normal is less than 5.7%; prediabetes is 5.7% to 6.4%; and diabetes is 6.5% or higher. The higher the number, the greater your risk of diabetes-related complications.
  7. Blood glucose (or blood sugar) is sometimes measured after you’ve fasted. Normal is less than 100; prediabetes is 100-125; and diabetes is 126 or higher. If you haven’t fasted, a blood glucose of 200 or more indicates diabetes.
  8. Blood pressure measurements are given as two numbers (top is systolic, bottom is diastolic). Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80. If your blood pressure is above normal, check the categories on the handout to see where you fall.
  9. Cholesterol isn’t just one number! Keep track of your “good” cholesterol (HDL) and “bad” cholesterol (LDL), as well as triglycerides, which are a type of fat found in the blood.
  10. When your biometrics are out of the normal range, your risk increases for diseases like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Knowing your numbers gives you something to track besides just a number on the scale.

Display our Measuring Your Biometrics poster or banner at health fairs and screenings. People can compare their biometric results to normal or optimal numbers based on recommendations from the American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Food News: Potassium and Your Health

Ask anyone to name a source of potassium and inevitably they’ll say “bananas.” Yet if you ask that same person why we need potassium, you might find less of a definitive answer.

In fact, few can answer that question.

Potassium is a mineral that’s not only found in bananas, but also citrus fruit, green leafy vegetables, yogurt, beans, whole grains, and sweet potatoes. Researchers suggest that it’s wise for people to increase the amount of potassium in their eating patterns, since potassium can help lower blood pressure, regardless of sodium intake.

Let’s take a closer look at some of that research…

Dr. Alicia McDonough, a professor of cell and neurobiology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC), evaluated the diets of several populations and found that higher potassium intakes were associated with lower blood pressure, no matter what the sodium intake was. Her review included a combination of interventional and molecular studies evaluating the effects of dietary potassium and sodium on high blood pressure in various populations. During this review, she found that the kidneys get rid of more salt and water when dietary potassium intake is high. McDonough likens high potassium intake to taking a diuretic or water pill.

Unfortunately, a typical American diet tends to be higher in processed foods, which in turn tend to be high in salt content and low in potassium. One of the most cost-effective strategies to reduce blood pressure is to cut back on salt. Improved consumer education regarding salt, changes in processed food, and reduced consumption of high sodium foods should be implemented to this effect.

Why?

Let’s explore some more data.

Finland and the UK were first to start salt reduction programs. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Europeans consume an average of 7-18 grams of salt per day, which is far above the suggested limit of 6 grams per day, which contains 2400 mg sodium. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggested that adults consume 4.7 grams of potassium daily to reduce blood pressure, reduce the impact of high sodium intake, and slash the risk of bone loss and kidney disease. Dr. McDonough notes that consuming just ¾ cups of dried beans daily can help individuals reach half of their potassium goal.

Here are more ways to obtain more potassium:

  • Eat an orange or banana daily.
  • Include green leafy vegetables daily. Think broccoli, spinach, or kale.
  • Snack on unsalted nuts.
  • Add an avocado to your salad or sandwich.
  • Choose dark orange fruits and vegetables like melon and sweet potatoes.
  • Enjoy kiwi, mango, or papaya regularly.

By Lisa Andrews, MED, RD, LD

Reference:

Alicia A. McDonough, Luciana C. Veiras, Claire A. Guevara, Donna L. Ralph, Cardiovascular benefits associated with higher dietary K vs. lower dietary Na evidence from population and mechanistic studies.  American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism. Apr 4, 2017, E348-E356

WHO Salt Facts http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs393/en/

Presentation Inspiration: Diabetes

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 9.3% of all Americans have diabetes. That’s over 29 million people!

Over the years, my team and I have devoted ourselves to creating materials that can help you help people manage diabetes in a healthful way, and today I want to draw your attention to one resource in particular.

The Gold Member PowerPoint Archive.

This archive features hundreds of compelling PowerPoint presentations that you can use anytime. Available solely to gold members of the Food and Health family, the presentation library addresses a wide range of topics, including…

  • Cooking
  • Diabetes
  • Fad Diets
  • Health
  • Heart
  • Holiday
  • Hot Topics
  • Kids
  • MyPlate
  • Nutrition
  • Vegetarian
  • Weight
  • Wellness

Today, because of those crazy statistics, I want to offer a sneak peek into one of our most popular diabetes presentations. If you like what you see, consider a membership today!

The following is from Diabetes 101, a presentation that covers the basics of life with diabetes…

This show is comprehensive, beginning by addressing the causes of and statistics about gestational diabetes, type 1 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes. It then covers common diabetes vocabulary words — everything from insulin to pancreas — before diving into the ABCs of diabetes management. The show ends with an exploration of meal planning with diabetes, and this exploration is as comprehensive as the rest of the presentation, addressing carbohydrate counting, protein servings, types of fat, and the importance of fiber.

Today we’re going to take an abbreviated look at the ABCs of diabetes management.

When it comes to successfully managing your diabetes and staying healthy, it’s important to remember your ABCs. In this case, A stands for A1C, B stands for blood pressure, and C stands for cholesterol levels. Let’s explore each one in more detail, shall we?

A1C is the “A” of diabetes management, and it’s a measure of the amount of glycated hemoglobin in the blood… So why on earth should this matter to you? Well, this number is a good indication of your blood glucose levels over the past few months.

When it comes to interpreting this measurement, you should know that the higher the number is, the greater your risk is of having some kind of diabetes-related complication. This could affect your heart, kidneys, or eyes!

The “B” of diabetes management is blood pressure. Do you know what your numbers are?

Blood pressure is a measure of the force your blood exerts against your artery walls. It’s recorded in two numbers, which are then stacked on top of each other. The top number is your systolic pressure. That’s the measure of the force on your artery walls when your heart beats. The bottom number is called diastolic pressure, and that’s the force on your artery walls between heartbeats.

Blood pressure is important for everyone, but it’s especially important if you have diabetes because having diabetes raises your risk of heart disease. The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes keep their blood pressure below 140/90 (source) but less is better of course!

Cholesterol is the third part of the ABCs of diabetes. Like blood pressure, your cholesterol levels are indicators of heart health. It’s wise to get your cholesterol checked at least once a year. When you get those levels checked, you’ll likely learn about your triglycerides, HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, and total cholesterol levels. Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail, shall we?

I’m afraid we’re going to end on a cliffhanger here. I had to eliminate a few slides with more details for each of the letters in this section in order to fit the parameters of a “sneak peek,” but there’s an idea of what you can get as a gold member of the Food and Health family! I hope you enjoyed it and that it will be useful to your clients.

Nutrition Posters for the Workplace

My team and I have created tons of posters over the years, and some of my very favorite ones teach lessons that are important to showcase in the workplace.

We have posters that are designed to bring “better numbers like blood pressure, cholesterol, and BMI” or to motivate in a fun way like the food art posters. There are also ones that teach great nutrition lessons and promote positive reinforcement and education.

Let’s take a tour through some of the best options, shall we?

Top Heart Posters:

Top BMI Poster:

Best Nutrition Lessons:

Favorite Motivational Posters:

And of course there is our entire collection of over 150 posters. Which ones will best brighten up your workspace?

And, as a special bonus because I love ya, here’s a free copy of the printable PDF handout that accompanies the Fabulous Fruits and Vegetables poster.

fruitsandvegetablesposter

It’s National High Blood Pressure Education Month!

It’s National High Blood Pressure Education Month!

Help educate your audience about hypertension with these free slides, which are excerpted from the top-selling presentation Blood Pressure 101, available now in the Nutrition Education Store.

BloodPressure101 Slide 1

This little preview will also include the speaker’s notes for each slide, so welcome to today’s show! At this presentation, we’ll discuss what blood pressure is and how to measure it. We’ll also cover the effects of hypertension and how you can lower your health risks.

Blood Pressure101 Slide 2

First let’s talk vocabulary. Blood pressure measures the way your blood presses against the walls of your arteries. To measure it, first a doctor will measure the pressure on your arteries during each heartbeat. Then that doctor will measure the pressure on your arteries between each heartbeat.

When you measure pressure on the arteries during each heartbeat, it’s called taking the systolic pressure. When you measure pressure on the arteries between each heartbeat, it’s called taking the diastolic pressure. As you age, your diastolic pressure generally decreases and you should pay more attention to systolic blood pressure. However, you should never ignore your diastolic blood pressure. In fact, when you’re young, that’s the number you really want to watch.

A doctor generally looks at both your systolic and diastolic numbers when determining whether or not you have high blood pressure. How the two factors interact is important, as is the level of each. High blood pressure is also called hypertension.

BloodPressure101 Slide 3

Now let’s take a look at how to interpret blood pressure results. Normal blood pressure is 119/79 or less. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 139/89, then you have prehypertension. If your blood pressure is 140/90 or more, then you have hypertension.

BloodPressure101 Slide 4

Ah! It’s time for a quiz. Now, If a person has a systolic reading of 118 and a diastolic reading of 78, what is that person’s blood pressure? The correct answer is 118/78.

Let’s move on to the next question. True or false? High blood pressure is also called hypertension. That answer is true!

The PowerPoint goes on to explore the health effects of high blood pressure, how to test blood pressure and interpret the results, and how to treat and even prevent hypertension. The presentation is peppered with quick quizzes to test knowledge and promote participant engagement too. If you like what you see, consider getting the whole show!

And of course, here are PDF copies of the slides we featured today. What will you do with yours?

BloodPressure101 Collection

And here are some more materials for High Blood Pressure Education Month!

Sodium Math: What We Learned

Sodium Math PosterHave you seen the Sodium Math poster yet? We released it shortly after the Dietary Guidelines for Americans debuted earlier this year. It’s a fantastic resource for displays, presentations, and even simple office decoration. With engaging questions and alluring graphics, this poster teaches valuable lessons about salt in a memorable way.

Of course, putting it together was no mean feat.

Today I want to walk through the process of creating this poster — I figured it would be useful for your own designs and displays. There were even 3 top lessons that we learned as we put the poster together! Plus, sodium is one of those food elements that most people don’t know enough about.

You see, once the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was officially released, I just knew that we had to create some kind of visual guide to dealing with sodium. But what? And how?

There’s always a lot of confusion about where sodium comes from in our daily diets. People hear the word “sodium” and they automatically equate that with “salt shaker.” However, the salt shaker is only responsible for a tiny amount of the sodium that most people consume each day. Most of the sodium (about 75%) comes from what is present in restaurant meals and packaged meals from the grocery store.

The Sodium Math poster is an engaging visual that shows how much sodium we are actually consuming versus how much is the maximum for good health.

SALTIt’s a bit of a shock to see the big pile of sodium that we eat each day and to see the teaspoons of sodium that each food contains! To balance that shock, the poster also showcases many fresh foods that are low in sodium. The poster clearly illustrates the lesson that a little work to eat 1,000 mg less sodium per day can make a big change in blood pressure.

This infogram poster was fun to work on and we learned a lot. Here are the top 3 lessons we learned in the making of this poster…

Lesson #1: True Sodium Content

One of the biggest shocks to us in the research was about how much sodium is in fast food. Turkey sandwiches sound healthy, but a turkey deli sandwich has 2,810 mg of sodium. That’s almost a 2 day supply!

Lesson #2: Planned Overs

After reading this poster, we devoted more effort to making “planned overs.” (That’s when we cook extra food for dinner and eat it for lunch the next day). Cooking your own meals at home can make a huge difference in your health, especially when it comes to sodium.

Behind the Scenes: Sodium ContentLesson #3: Small Shifts Are Important

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015 recommend that just a small shift to lower sodium intake by 1,000 mg per day can make a positive impact on lowering blood pressure. This lesson was new to us and it seems relatively easy to implement. Plus, everyone loves an easy math lesson! We chose math because we wanted a way to explain sodium, salt, sodium intake, recommended sodium intake and changes needed, along with engaging food photos that can illustrate the whole lesson quickly.

So there you have it! A little peek behind the curtain and 3 lessons we learned while creating the Sodium Math poster.

As a special bonus, here’s a copy of one of our top printable sodium handouts! Reduce Salt has lots of tips and tricks for lowering the sodium in your diet. Get your free copy today!

Sodium Reduction Handout

And there are lots of other amazing sodium resources in the Nutrition Education Store! Here are a few fan favorites…

Heart Attack Prevention: Are Statins or Eating Habits More Important?

Medication or Diet?If elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were the only source of cholesterol deposited in the artery wall, then high doses of potent statins should be reversing (rather than reducing) the build-up of atherosclerotic plaques, largely eliminating deaths from coronary heart disease (CAD). Sadly, the number one cause of death in Americans taking statins to lower their elevated LDL-C to prevent heart attacks is still heart attacks?

Yes, statin drugs are very effective for reducing high LDL-C levels, and they do slow the progression of cholesterol-filled plaques. However, they rarely reverse the build-up of cholesterol in the artery wall. More importantly, statin drugs alone do not come close to eliminating the risk of heart attacks and most strokes despite impressive reductions in LDL-C levels. Research now shows that other lipoproteins besides LDL particles can and do carry cholesterol from the blood into the artery wall, promoting the growth of cholesterol-filled plaques and CAD. These lipoproteins are neither LDL-C or high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), but rather consist of the cholesterol-rich remnants of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins produced by the liver (VLDL) and the small intestine (chylomicrons)(1). Both genetic factors and dietary factors influence the amount of these triglyceride-rich lipoproteins produced and also the amount of cholesterol-rich remnant particles derived from each of them in the blood. Fat and cholesterol-rich meals can dramatically increase the production of chylomicrons and lead to greater amounts of cholesterol-rich chlyomicron remnants in the blood for several hours after each fat-rich meal (2).

Dr. Borge Nordestgaard’s recent study followed nearly 12,000 people with established CAD in Denmark and found that each 1 mmol (38.7 mg/dl) increase in non-fasting remnant cholesterol caused 2.8 times greater risk of a CAD event that was independent of HDL-C levels. The increased causal risk of CAD from elevated cholesterol remnant particles appeared much stronger than for changes in either LDL-C or HDL-C levels (3). Most doctors (MDs) now check only fasting blood lipids and focus largely on LDL-C and HDL-C to assess their patient’s future CAD risk. This was based on the simplistic notion that it was only the LDL-C particles delivering cholesterol to the artery wall, making it the “bad” cholesterol, while the HDL-C particles were removing the cholesterol from the artery wall and bringing it back to the liver, making their cholesterol content “good”. Of course, we now know HDL-C particles can actually become proinflammatory and proatherogenic “bad” HDL particles, perhaps partly in response to biochemical changes in the HDL particles triggered in part by chylomicrons and other remnant cholesterol particles in the blood.

Chylomicrons and their cholesterol-rich remnants remain in the blood for several hours after each fat-rich meal and likely play a major role in promoting inflammation (by increasing IL-6 & CRP), thrombosis (by activating clotting factor VII), and atherosclerosis (by delivering more cholesterol-rich remnant particles to the artery wall). The fact that damage to the endothelium (inside “skin” of the artery wall) as evidenced by reduced flow mediated dilation (FMD) occurs to a much greater extent after a single fat-rich meal than after a meal high in carbohydrate points to the fact that pathological changes must be occurring in the artery wall in response to fat and cholesterol-rich particles coming from the intestines (4). Indeed, this reduced FMD is likely the main reason why many people with angina tend to experience far more chest pain after a large, fat-rich meal than they do after a meal high in carbohydrate-rich plant foods. The only legitimate debate is not whether LDL-C or other cholesterol-rich remnant particles promote atherosclerosis and increase the risk of CAD, but rather which is more atherogenic. Clearly both LDL-C and other remnant lipoprotein particles deliver cholesterol to the artery wall and promote foam cell formation and atherosclerosis. Unlike LDL-C particles (which must first be oxidized), remnant cholesterol particles are readily taken up by scavenger receptors of macrophages in the cell wall to form foam cells (5,6). Increasing evidence suggests that damage to the artery wall from cholesterol-rich remnant particles appears to be at least as important as either fasting LDL-C or HDL-C levels for predicting future CAD events.

It should be noted that diets high in refined carbohydrates (particularly large amounts of refined sugars) combined with inactivity can contribute to a marked increase in the liver’s production of VLDL particles because the liver converts some of the excess carbohydrate (especially fructose) into triglyceride. This leads to more triglyceride-rich VLDL particles being released into the blood, which then degrade into cholesterol-rich remnant particles and eventually also LDL particles. This is particularly true in people who are genetically prone to develop insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes and who experience significant increases in fasting triglyceride levels as visceral fat stores accumulate.

Bottom Line: Reducing LDL-C levels with statin drugs alone is insufficient for stopping and reversing CAD and preventing most heart attacks and strokes. A diet low in fat, salt, cholesterol, and refined carbohydrates coupled with increased activity and loss of excess weight may also be necessary to stop and reverse CAD in part by reducing remnant cholesterol levels in the blood.

By James J. Kenney, PhD, FACN

Sources:

  1. Mark Nordestgradd BG, Freiberg JJ. Clinical relevance of nonfasting and postprandial hypertriglyceride and remnant cholesterol. Curr Vasc Pharm. 2011;9:281-6
  2. Mark Cesar TB, et al. High cholesterol intake modifies chylomicron metabolism in normolipidemic young men. J Nutr 2006;136:971-6
  3. Mark Varbo A, et al. Remnant cholesterol as a causal risk factor for ischemic heart disease. J Am Col Cardiol. 2013;61:427-36
  4. Mark Tomaino RM, Decker EA. High-fat meals and endothelial function. Nutr Rev. 1998;56:182-5
  5. Mark Zilversmit DB. A proposal linking atherogenesis to the interaction of endothelial lipoprotein and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Circ Res.1973;33:633-8
  6. Mark Nakajima K, Nakano T, Tnaka A. The oxidative modification hypotheis of atherosclerosis: the comparison of atherogenic effects of oxidized LDL and remnant lipoproteins in plasma. Clin Chim Acta. 2006;367:534-42

Looking for fun ways to improve your clients’ understanding of cholesterol and its health risks? Check out this free handout: Cholesterol Puzzle.

Cholesterol Puzzle Handout

And, as you well know, there are tons of other heart health education materials available in the Nutrition Education Store. Pay special attention to the posters, which have been flying off the shelves lately!

LDL Cholesterol Poster

Premium Heart Health Education Kit

Heart Health Brochure: Lower Your Heart Attack Risk

Blood Pressure Poster

How to Help Your Clients Follow the DASH Diet

In a review of 32 of the most popular diets of 2013, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet came out on top.

Is this a surprise? Not really. After all, this is the fourth year in a row that the expert panel at U.S. News and World Report has ranked the DASH diet as the best overall diet. On its heels are the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet, the Mayo Clinic Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, and Weight Watchers. The DASH diet’s focus on limiting sodium rather than cutting out a wide range of foods, along with its positive impact on health, have combined to earn it the number one spot in the rankings.

What positive impact on health?

Well, according to the National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute,”Following the DASH eating plan and eating less sodium (salt) can lower high blood pressure or your risk for the condition. Results from the DASH research showed that following a DASH plan containing 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day lowered blood pressure. Following a DASH plan containing 1,500 mg of sodium lowered blood pressure even more (systolic blood pressure was lowered by about 7 to 12 mmHg).” The U.S. News and World Report’s panel further asserts that the DASH diet has “also been shown to increase ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and decrease ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, a fatty substance that in excess has been linked to heart disease.”

In other words, the DASH diet is good for your heart, especially when it comes to your blood pressure.

So, how can you go about helping your clients adopt the DASH diet?

There are a few ways you could go. One is with DASH posters like the Make the DASH poster or an About Your Blood Pressure poster. You could also offer handouts to clarify the key points of the DASH diet — both the Make the DASH brochure and the Blood Pressure 101 handout have been both popular and effective. For more intensive work, there are presentations like 4 Lessons to Lower Blood Pressure and DASH Diet Basics. Of course there are always resource bundles that combine everything you need in a single package. Top-selling DASH bundles include the Blood Pressure 101 Educational Materials Bundle and the 6 Lessons of Heart Health.

For More Information:

Now is a great time to show Paleo Versus DASH:

Paleo Versus DASH Diet

 

Presentation Idea: DASH to a Healthy Heart

Did you know the DASH diet won first place in a recent USA Today Diet Survey? Stay tuned for a post coming up about the contest and the DASH Diet.

Trying to teach the basics of the DASH diet and promote heart health? Do this great activity, which is perfect for a class session or a break during a heart health presentation.

Assemble a display of elements of the DASH diet. This should include pictures, models, or empty containers of healthful foods. Add some exercise equipment (to represent the importance of physical activity), and a scale or tape measure (to represent weight management). Arrange these items into your display before participants arrive.

Once everyone has made it to the classroom, discuss the display:

  • What is included?
  • What is absent?
  • Why?

Ask participants to brainstorm the link between all these items. After the discussion, reveal that these are all key elements of the DASH diet, which was developed to help fight high blood pressure.

DASH to Better Blood PressurePass out copies of the Make the DASH for Heart Health (available in the store). Have students read through it. Discuss its main points as a group, then have participants list the steps they are going to take in order to reduce their high blood pressure (or their high blood pressure risk, if they currently don’t have high blood pressure) on the back of the page. These can remain private or be shared with the class, depending on your group’s comfort level.

No handout? No problem! Have students extrapolate from the display and discussion to create a guide to the DASH diet in their notes.

If you need decorations for your classroom or office, have the participants make and illustrate their own handouts, then turn them in to you. You can make the DASH handout design into a contest and display the winners, or just photocopy the best ones for distribution to the rest of the class.

If you have access to computers or smartphones, participants could also do further research on the DASH diet with those, incorporating what they find into their handouts.

This presentation idea is an excerpt from the educational program, The 12 Lessons of Diabetes. This program follows the same format as the other fantastic 12 Lessons packages and is chock-full of insight from a wide variety of health and nutrition professionals. If you are interested in Diet and Heart Disease, see the 6 Lessons of Heart Health Program

View all DASH Diet Education Materials here.