Now that we are almost a week into 2015, there is no doubt that gyms are crowded and most people are making sure to ditch the sweets and stick to their new year diet. When changing eating habits, many might feel overwhelmed with the countless different diets that are trending. However, the annual list of best diets has been announced, and 2015 will be the year of the DASH diet.
Well, actually it's the diet of the year for the fifth consecutive year in row. U.S. News & World Report crowned the DASH diet as the best overall diet for health and wellness in its annual list of best diets.
The DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, focuses on consuming lots of vegetables and fruits, as well as whole grains and low-fat dairy. The diet also focuses on reducing salt intake. Salt is known to raise blood pressure, which can lead to stokes or heart attacks. It also is linked to kidney disease and dementia. Processed salt has recently been linked to autoimmune diseases.
"Our experts, who rate these diets for us, say it will end up being very good for your waistline, in addition to your high blood pressure, because it is such a common-sense, balanced diet," says Angela Haupt, senior health and wellness editor at U.S. News & World Report.
The runner-up for best diet for overall health and wellness was given to the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet, which focuses on lowering cholesterol. The Mediterranean diet, Weight Watchers and Mayo Clinic Diet all tied for third place.
The rankings of best diets were based on reviews from a panel of experts in diet, nutrition, weight loss, heart health and diabetes and food psychology. The experts looked at 41 diet plans, ranking 35 in total for the annual U.S. News & World Report list. Reviewing sample menus and medical studies published on the diets, the experts ranked the diets based on how easy they are to adhere to, their nutritional value and short and long-term weight loss. Safety, heart disease and diabetes prevention were also part of the criteria.
What may shock some was that the Paleo Diet, a popular diet among those who weight lift that focuses on meat, fish and vegetables, did not rank well. It tied with the Dukan Diet for last place.
"The Paleo Diet never does well in our rankings," says Haupt, citing that because the diet consists of restrictive eating plans, it can be hard for many to follow.
Weight Watchers was once again named the best weight loss diet, followed by the Healthy Management Resources meal-replacement plan, and Jenny Craig. These diets feature prepared meals that are portioned to help dieters drop unwanted weight.
The best diets for the heart healthy included the Ornish Diet, which focuses on consuming fruits, veggies and grains, as well as the TLC and DASH diets.
2015 will certainly be the year of the DASH diet. Along with winning the best overall and placing in the heart healthy category, DASH also won best diet for healthy eating and diabetes.
[Photo Credit: Alan Cleaver/Flickr]
