The DASH-plus plan for beating high blood pressure: getting ready

Welcome to the program that can save your life by lowering your blood pressure safely, substantially and permanently — without drugs. And the best part? You can do it all by yourself!

This plan goes beyond the clinically proven DASH diet to incorporate physical activity, breathing exercises and stress reduction into one comprehensive program that should enable you to lower your blood pressure by at least 10 percent in as little as two weeks, if you implement the entire plan at once.

• However, we recommend that you take a more measured approach.
• Your first goal might be to lower your blood pressure quickly, but your real aim should be to keep it down for the rest of your life.
• By slowly and incrementally introducing the skills and practices of the plan, it's more likely that it will be the last health program you'll ever have to use.
• Here is a list of our suggestions to help you prepare for the plan:

• If you smoke, don't start the plan until you've quit.
• Use whatever works for you — cold turkey; the patch, lozenges, nasal spray or gum; medication; or support groups or talk therapy.
• If you're in the process of quitting, don't worry too much about your weight.
• Once you've successfully kicked the habit, you can focus your attention on weight loss.

• Let him know you are launching a serious effort to get your blood pressure into a healthy range.
• He'll want some baseline measurements and can advise you on any medications you're taking.
• Depending on your age and sex, you may want an electrocardiogram or an exercise stress test to check your heart health.
• Other tests to consider:  urinalysis; blood glucose; hematocrit, serum potassium, creatinine and calcium blood tests; a lipid profile to measure your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
• Together, these provide a good overview of your health, including kidney health and risk of diabetes.
• Ask your doctor if you can try to lower your blood pressure with lifestyle changes first, without medication.
• If you're already taking medication, he can track your progress and reduce your dosages if necessary.

• Just as a scale can help you keep tabs on your weight, regular blood pressure monitoring can help to remind you to exercise more or cut down on salt.

• Donate all the high-sodium, prepared and canned foods in your pantry to a food bank.
• Ditto for chips, cookies, cakes and other nutritionally empty, calorie-dense foods.
• Rid your freezer of the same, too.
• If the food's not in your house, it won't tempt you.

• Fill your list with lots of fruit and vegetables (pick up at least two of each that you've never tried before), and be sure that any bread, pasta or rice you buy are whole grain.
• Buy five spices that don't already live in your spice cabinet. How about Spanish paprika? Or turmeric, cumin, coriander, star anise or lemongrass?
• Get three different kinds of onions.
• Try a jar of minced garlic to make meal prep quicker.

• Add comfortable workout clothes and a notebook to keep track of your progress and remember the different components of the plan.

Now you're ready to take on the DASH-plus plan and perform a complete overhaul on your diet and active lifestyle. It's tough work, but the results are undeniable. Your body will love you for it!