For the sixth year in a row the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet has been listed by US News & World Report as the Best Overall Diet. It was developed by the United States' National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a composite of various diet plans that either treat or prevent high blood pressure. DASH focuses on high amounts of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and fish, while also limiting fat, salt, and sugar.
The yearly list is especially important after holiday season feasting and snacking. One of the biggest New Year's resolutions people make is to slim down, whether it is through a healthy diet, regular exercise, or both.
US News and World Report has reviewed many diets to make its 2016 list, including DASH, Weight Watchers, Atkins, and Paleo. The process involved a group of health experts ranking 38 diet plans with one to five stars.
That panel included health experts in many different fields. They include diet/nutrition, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and food psychology.
Each diet profile included various types of information. The panel evaluated how the diet plan worked, whether it did what it claimed, and any risks to health.
DASH was named the Best Overall Diet with an overall score was 4.1 out of 5. It has become popular because it is easy to follow and includes menu plans that can be tweaked.
DASH focuses on healthy foods. It also reduces or removes items such as foods high in fat, sugar, or calories; and red meat.
MIND finished in second place. It combines the DASH and Mediterranean diets, with a focus on olives, nuts, and fish.
For dieters who want to see fast results there was the Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet. The fastest results were from the Biggest Loser plan and HMR Program. The former focuses on nutritious food and regular workouts, while the latter centers on weight loss through more fruits and veggies, and physical activity, according to News.
Regardless of which diet program people choose, it is important not to just focus on weight loss. Besides pounds shed, other important results include body fat, muscle mass, bone density, and water weight, according to WOTV4Women.