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The DASH Diet has done it again. U.S. News & World Report has named the DASH Diet the "Best Overall Diet" of 2016 in an examination of 38 different diet plans. It also ranked #1 as the Best Diet For Healthy Eating but ranked #12 in terms of Best Weight Loss Diets.
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Learn More About the DASH Diet
The diet, developed by National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute, is designed to prevent and lower high blood pressure. Weight loss is the nice bonus.
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There is really no magic meal plan on the DASH Diet. It's a common sense approach to eating that grandma told you to do:
- 6-8 servings of grains a day
- 4-5 servings (each) of vegetables and fruit daily
- 2-3 servings of fat-free or low-fat dairy daily
- 6 ounces or fewer of lean meat, poultry and fish daily
- 4-5 servings of nuts, seeds and legumes weekly
- 5 or fewer servings of sweets weekly
- No more than 2300 milligrams of sodium daily with the ideal amount around 1500 milligrams
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Other Findings From U.S. News & World Report's 2016 Diet Rankings
U.S. News & World Report ranks a number of eating plans based on various factors: weight loss, commercial diets, easiest to follow. Here are the diets featured in "Best Of" lists:
- Best Weight Loss Diet - Weight Watchers topped the list followed by the HMR Program.
- Best Commercial Diet - Mayo Clinic Diet tied with Weight Watchers for number one.
- Best Diabetes Diet - interestingly, the Fertility Diet topped the list followed by the Biggest Loser Diet and DASH Diet tied for second.
- Best Diets for Healthy Eating - DASH Diet followed by the TLC Diet.
- Best Fast Weight Loss Diet - the Biggest Loser Diet tied with the HMR Program when it came to helping you drop pounds quickly.
- Best Heart Healthy Diet - the Ornish Diet took the list again. (Did you know Dr. Dean Ornish's father was our family dentist for years?)
- Best Plant-Based Diet - the Mediterranean Diet ranked number one followed by the Flexitarian Diet.
- Easiest Diet To Follow - there was a three-way tie for first when it came to easy diets to follow. The Fertility Diet, the MIND Diet and Weight Watchers all scored high marks for being easy to do.
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This sheer number of highly-ranked diets speaks to the concept of diets itself. Remember a "diet" is not a weight loss plan. By definition a "diet" is your regular consumption of food and beverages. Of course, it can mean you are following a certain approach to eating whether that be vegetarian, restricted calorie, Kosher or whatever. Somehow we got all screwed up in the process.
My advice? Find a meal plan that you can follow and stick with it while allowing for a few variances. The Mediterranean approach to eating really works for me. I like the abundance of fish and produce it promotes. The fact that you can have dark chocolate and wine doesn't hurt either.
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I have also found that eating a large lunch and smaller dinner, comprised of real food, play a huge role in weight maintenance.
The more important thing to remember? Staying sane and enjoying your meals are absolutely critical to a healthy approach to eating.
