The get-slim diet for a healthy heart and a younger you!

Want to lower your blood pressure, protect your heart and shed pounds? Try the so-called “DASH” diet, so effective that NYU cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, M.D., calls it “the gold standard of heart-smart and healthy eating plans!”

1 Live longer with herbs and spices!

Instead of salt, the DASH diet uses ultra-healthy fresh and dried herbs and spices to flavor food. Just adding chili peppers ups your odds of a long life almost 15%—and choosing garlic thwarts the growth of cancer cells! And try turmeric in a stir-fry: It’s loaded with an inflammation-easing antioxidant that helps prevent heart attacks and boosts the immune system, helping you stay healthier longer.

2 Slashing calories with fresh foods!

On the DASH diet, ultra-processed foods (such as chips, cookies, and muffins) are replaced with fresh fruits, veggies and minimally processed whole grains (such as oats and brown rice). That alone can cut your sodium intake 75% and your daily calories 58%, reveals a new BMJ study—without leaving you feeling hungry or deprived.

3 Checking blood pressure with extra-virgin olive oil!

The ultra-healthy fat is a mainstay of the DASH diet— for good reason: Greek research reveals that consuming two to three teaspoons daily helps lower blood pressure in just two months! Credit goes to olive oil’s high levels of polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that help your body’s cells stay healthy.

4 Spurring fat loss with dairy!

Eating a DASH staple—low-fat dairy—most days revs metabolism and triggers fat loss, shows University of Tennessee research. In addition to being chock-full of filling protein, scientists suspect dairy’s combo of calcium and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) helps burn fat!