The DASH diet won top honors by U.S. News & World Report once again, the third year that it has done so. It was praised for being "heart healthy" and "nutritionally sound" but apparently requires some labor and is not cheap to stick to.
DASH stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension." It is not a weight-loss program, but actually aims to lower high blood pressure. In the process, nutrients like potassium, calcium, protein and fiber are increased for greater health benefits.
The program is really simple in that you eat a lot of what's good, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy. Then you cut sweets and red meat and salt. It's very simple, which is a plus when trying to lose weight.
U.S. News & World Report praised DASH for its "nutritional completeness, safety, ability to prevent or control diabetes, and role in supporting heart health." So although it's not a famous or fancy diet, it gets the job done, and the accolades.
It doesn't hurt that the eating program promotes all the healthy-eating mantras that have been touted over the years, skipping the fad-like food-pyramid-skewing diet trends.
Benefits of the diet include lowering risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading killers of Americans. It also helps lower risk for diabetes.
Criteria for the selection included that the diet had to be easy to follow, safe, and of course effective. DASH fit the bill, and wins the distinction for a third year in a row.
