Hypertension Blog

You can estimate the daily caloric intake your patient needs for normal body functioning and weight control by multiplying his ideal body weight by 10. Thus, a patient whose ideal body weight is 180 pounds should have a daily caloric intake of 1,800 calories.Although some weight-reduction diets severely limit the total daily caloric intake to as little as 800 calories or less, low-calorie diets usually range from 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day. A diet that’s lower than 1,000 calories per day may cause muscle loss instead of fat loss. The body also compensates for large reductions in caloric intake by decreasing the metabolic rate.

After you’ve estimated your patient’s total daily caloric intake, you can develop his nutrition plan. Talk with him about his goals for weight reduction or control and make sure they’re realistic. Develop these goals with the patient to improve his compliance. Also, teach the family members who are responsible for meal preparation or who will support your patient in his efforts.

Recommended Foods

To control or reduce his weight, your patient may need to change his eating habits. His diet should include appropriate portions of low-fat foods. He should also avoid high-fat snacks and reduce his total daily caloric intake.

The American Heart Association Healthy Heart diet identifies foods to avoid and foods to include to achieve weight control or reduction.

Hypertensive Patients Should Avoid These Foods:

• animal products-large portions of meat (beef, lamb, pork, or veal), liver or organ meats, bacon, sausage, and luncheon meats
• dairy products-egg yolks, whole milk, ice cream, cheese, and butter
• oil products-beef lard, salad dressings, cream sauces, and gravies
• simple carbohydrates-sweets, candy, sugar, cake, cookies, and jellies.
• Hypertensive patients should include daily allowances of the following:
• protein-4 to 6 ounces of fish, skinless poultry, or lean red meat with all visible fat removed
• grains and starches-a minimum of four servings of whole-grain, high-fiber cereals, breads, potatoes, rice, or starchy vegetables
• vegetables-a minimum of two servings of deep green or orange vegetables
• fruit and juice-a minimum of two servings, one of which is citrus
• dairy-a minimum of two servings of skim or low-fat milk, skim cheese, nonfat yogurt, or ice milk.