Eating well can certainly improve our physical health, but what if it could improve our mental well-being as well? The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan has been tested, successfully by researchers since the late 1990s as a way to lower blood pressure. A recent study suggests that people who follow DASH may also have a lower risk for depression. DASH emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy and is low in meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and saturated fat making it an overall healthful way of eating for people with and without high blood pressure. Want to see if DASH is right for you? Get started with these key parts of the DASH eating plan. Increase your fruits and vegetables The DASH plan calls for 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, which is substantially more than the average American currently gets. Increasing your intake provides key nutrients thought to play a role in DASH’s success – potassium, magnesium and fiber. When buying fruits