DEAR DR. DONOHUE: You’ve written about the DASH diet in the past. The directions for it are quite general. Can you provide an itemized list of what is good and what is bad to eat? It makes things simpler for me. — F.L.

ANSWER: The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) doesn’t involve a detailed listing of good and bad foods. It’s a general approach that identifies the food groups that are best for lowering blood pressure. You get to pick foods from those groups that appeal to you. That’s one of the beauties of the diet: It permits many choices.

Grains are one of the major groups in the diet. Grains include products made from wheat, barley, rye, oats and other such cereal grains, even grains that aren’t familiar to our diet. Every day, people should eat seven to eight servings of grain foods. A serving is a slice of bread, 1 ounce of cereal, or half a cup of cooked rice (brown), pasta or cereal. People should also eat four or five servings of vegetables a day, with a serving being 1 cup leafy vegetables, half a cup cooked vegetables or 6 ounces of vegetable juice. The next group is three to four servings of fruit, with a serving being equal to a medium-size fruit, a quarter-cup of dried fruit or 6 ounces of fruit juice. Two to three low-fat dairy products are allowed, with 8 ounces of skim milk, 1 cup low-fat yogurt or 1 1/2 ounces of low-fat cheese constituting a serving. Two meat servings a day are permitted, with 3 ounces being a serving of cooked meat, poultry or fish. Fats and oils are the final group. Two or three servings meet the requirement, with 1 teaspoon of margarine, 2 tablespoons of low-fat mayonnaise or 2 tablespoons of light salad dressing each being a serving. In addition, 1 1/2 ounces of nuts are allowed four times a week.

In addition, you must keep sodium down to 1,500 mg a day. Sodium is listed on all nutrition labels.

The booklet on high blood pressure speaks of the many other issues involved in controlling this widespread disorder. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 104, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have gotten my weight to a point where I am happy with it. I still have fat bulging at my sides. I think these are called love handles. I don’t love them. I am positive that losing any more weight isn’t going to rid me of them.

What do you think of liposuction? Is it risky? — A.S.

ANSWER: Liposuction removes fat from fat deposits beneath the skin. It doesn’t remove deep deposits of fat, the fat that surrounds organs in the abdomen, the fat that creates most metabolic troubles. It’s the deep fat that’s associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Your dieting should have taken care of that fat.

Liposuction surgery is cosmetic surgery, so you’d better check with your insurance if you need it to cover the procedure.

All surgical procedures, including liposuction, carry a risk. Complications from it, however, are not frequent.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I suffer from premature auricular contractions. I have seen a couple of doctors about it, but none seems to consider them worth discussing. I was told I didn’t need to do anything. I wasn’t given any medicines. Does this deserve more attention? — L.C.

ANSWER: Premature auricular contractions are also called premature atrial contractions. The atria are the upper two heart chambers.

These are extra beats sandwiched between two normal beats. If they aren’t numerous and if they are not causing any symptoms, they can be safely ignored. They are not an indication of serious heart problems, and they don’t indicate future troubles.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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