Goals
Pick a diet by what you want to change
A diet that is great for losing weight may do little for your blood pressure. Start with the one thing you most want to change, then choose the approach that fits it.
To lose weight, eat a little less in a way you can keep up. For blood pressure, try DASH and cut salt. For cholesterol, swap saturated fat for olive oil, nuts and oily fish and eat more oats and beans. For blood sugar, work with your doctor, especially if you take medication.
Goals and approaches
Lose weight
Any diet that gets you into a steady calorie deficit will work. Pick the one that feels easiest. Aim for about 0.5-1 kg (1-2 lb) a week after the first couple of weeks. Protein at every meal and plenty of vegetables help with hunger. The weight loss hub covers pace, plateaus and keeping it off.
Lower blood pressure
DASH was designed for this. It means lots of fruit, vegetables, beans and low-fat dairy, and keeping sodium under 2,300 mg a day, or 1,500 mg for the lower-sodium version. Most salt comes from bread, cheese, processed meat, soups and takeaways rather than your salt shaker, so reading labels helps a lot.
Lower cholesterol
Cut back on saturated fat from butter, fatty meat, cheese, pastries and coconut oil. Use olive or rapeseed (canola) oil instead. Eat more soluble fibre from oats, barley, beans and lentils. A Mediterranean-style pattern does most of this for you. Some people need a statin as well, and diet and medicine work well together.
Manage blood sugar, with your doctor
If you have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, cutting refined carbs and sugary drinks usually helps, and low-carb and Mediterranean diets both have good evidence. Talk to your doctor or diabetes nurse first if you take insulin or tablets such as sulfonylureas, since eating fewer carbs can make your sugar drop too low. Keto and fasting are not safe for everyone on diabetes medicine.
Eat more plants
You don't have to go vegan. Start with two meat-free dinners a week, such as a lentil curry or bean chilli. If you do cut out all animal foods, plan for vitamin B12 with a supplement or fortified foods. See plant-based diets.
Simplify meals
Use the plate method from healthy eating basics: half vegetables, a quarter protein and a quarter whole grains or potatoes. Rotate five or six dinners you like. Some people find a fixed eating window, like noon to 8pm, cuts down on snacking decisions.
Before you start
A few things can change the right answer for you:
- You take medicine for diabetes, blood pressure or blood thinning.
- You are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18 or an older adult losing weight without trying.
- You have kidney disease, or a history of an eating disorder.
- You have food allergies or gut problems like IBS.
- Your budget, cooking time or family meals limit what you can change.
If any of these apply, a GP or registered dietitian can help. See do I need a dietitian?
Guides and terms
Weight loss
How fast is safe, what helps with hunger, and how to keep it off.
Read more →DASH diet
The eating plan built to bring blood pressure down.
Read more →Mediterranean diet
A heart-friendly pattern that is easy to live with.
Read more →Low-carb diets
How far to cut carbs, and what to eat instead.
Read more →Plant-based diets
Eating more plants without missing key nutrients.
Read more →Choose a diet
Seven steps to a shortlist that fits your life.
Read more →Glycemic index
How fast a food raises your blood sugar, and its limits.
Read more →Added sugar
Where it hides and how much is too much.
Read more →How long should you try a diet?
When to judge results, and when to switch.
Read more →What makes a diet sustainable?
The signs a plan will still work for you next year.
Read more →Common questions
What diet is best for high blood pressure?
DASH has the strongest evidence. It is rich in fruit, vegetables, beans and low-fat dairy, and limits sodium to 2,300 mg a day, or 1,500 mg for a bigger effect. Keep taking any prescribed medicine and let your doctor decide if the dose can change.
What foods lower cholesterol quickly?
Oats, barley, beans, lentils, nuts and foods with added plant sterols can all help, especially when they replace butter, fatty meat and cheese. Changes usually show in a blood test after a few weeks to a few months, and results vary from person to person.
Can I follow a low-carb diet if I have diabetes?
Many people with type 2 diabetes do, and it can lower blood sugar. But if you take insulin or tablets that can cause low blood sugar, your doses may need to change, so plan it with your doctor or diabetes team first.