The results are in! The 2018 rankings of the best diets from U.S. News and World Reports are in and guess what?
The top picks all feature the same 4 things: fruits and vegetables, lean protein, heart healthy fats and whole grains.
Yup that’s right! The healthy eating tips you have heard time and time again are proven to work. No gimmicks, no expensive meals to buy – just basic nutrition education like you learn with a Registered Dietitian goes a LONG way.
The D.A.S.H. Diet has been ranked the #1 best overall diet for the 8th year in a row. This might be because D.A.S.H. is not a fad diet, it is a healthy lifestyle change.
D.A.S.H. stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and is research based. However, numerous studies have found that following the diet can not only help you reduce your blood pressure, but it can also help you lose weight, decrease your cholesterol, reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and lose weight.
D.A.S.H. Diet basics include:
- Avoid added salt. Too much salt can increase your blood pressure. Aim for about 1500mg of sodium per day, this means avoiding adding salt to foods as you will most likely get all of this sodium in processed and prepared foods already in your diet.
- Increase your vegetable intake! Be sure half of your plate is non-starchy vegetables at each meal. This will help control your weight, blood sugars, blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Lean Meats. Decrease your red meat intake (especially processed like hamburgers and sausage) and focus on lean meats, poultry (no skin) and fish at least 2x per week.
- Avoid trans fats. Be sure to read the product ingredients and avoid any products containing hydrogenated oils as these can be very harmful to your heart’s health
Are you interested in following a diet that promotes a healthy lifestyle with results that last a lifetime? Contact me today!
