And the Winner for Top Rated Diet in U.S. is…

By Submitted, 02/1/18 8:04 PM

 

​A tie! DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and Mediterranean Diets tied for first place in the Best Diets Overall category according to the recently released U.S. News Best Diets Report. DASH and Mediterranean Diets tied in three categories: Heart-Healthy, Diabetes, and Healthy Eating. The Mediterranean Diet also claimed first place in two additional categories – Easiest to Follow and Plant Based.
​What makes these two the stand-out diets? According to the report, the best diets are easy to follow, nutritious, safe and effective for weight loss and preventing diabetes and heart disease.
​ Eat all you want and lose weight! Pounds will melt away overnight! These claims make dieting seem easy. However, following an eating plan or diet to lose weight is challenging. The 2018 Best Diets report now in its eighth year, ranks diets on a range of levels, from their heart healthiness to their likelihood to help you lose weight. To create the eighth annual rankings, U.S. News editors and reporters examined medical journals, government reports and other resources to create in-depth profiles for diets that qualified for consideration in the report.
​A panel of health experts, including nutritionists and specialists in diabetes, heart health, human behavior and weight loss, reviewed detailed assessments prepared by U.S. News of 40 diets. The experts rated each diet in seven categories, including short- and long-term weight loss, ease of compliance, safety and nutrition.
​The DASH Diet was developed to fight high blood pressure, not as an all-purpose diet plan. The U.S. News panel of experts gave it high marks for its nutritional completeness, safety, ability to prevent or control diabetes, and its role in supporting heart health. It’s widely considered a balanced dietary approach for anyone desiring to lose weight or improve overall health.
​Nutrients like potassium, calcium, protein and fiber are crucial to managing high blood pressure. With the DASH Diet, you don’t have to track each one. Just emphasize the foods you’ve always been told to eat (fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy), while limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy foods and tropical oils, and sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets. Cut back on salt to control sodium.
​ It’s generally accepted people in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea live longer and have lower rates of cancer and cardiovascular ailments than Americans. The not-so-surprising secret is an active lifestyle, weight control, and a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods.
​The Mediterranean Diet emphasizes fruits and vegetables, olive oil, fish, and other healthy foods. It’s a sensible healthy approach to eating that experts recommend for a balanced diet plan.
​What diet is best for you? Only you can make that decision. Be sure to include physical activity with your eating plan/diet for a healthy lifestyle. Health researchers recommend adults get a minimum of 150 minutes per week of cardiovascular activity such as walking, running, biking, swimming, or other exercise that increases heart rate.
​Check out this website for information on the report on best diets, https://health.usnews.com/best-diet.
For more information on eating healthy contact the Hempstead Co. Extension office at 870-777-5771.

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