The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet, is a specially designed eating plan to help you lower your blood pressure, which is a major cause of hypertension and stroke. At its core, the DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat and cholesterol. While fish, poultry, and nuts are emphasized, red meat, sweets, and sugar-containing beverages are kept to a minimum. This makes for an eating plan low in saturated fat, cholesterol, total fat and sodium, and rich in protein, fiber and healthy nutrients (particularly magnesium, potassium and calcium).