Diet today is not associated with deprivation and rapid weight-loss anymore. It is centered in attaining a healthy eating pattern, with the proper exercise as a means to a strong, lean body to not only survive, but to thrive in life.
The US News & World Report released their annual ranking of the best diets of 2016, and for the 6th time in a row, the Dash diet reigns as number one.
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) focuses on a meal plan that help decrease or prevent high blood pressure, a diet everyone should religiously stand by.
It is said to be the most ideal eating plans for Americans since 2010, as stated by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Angela Haupt, the senior health and wellness editor at US News & World Report says "The DASH diet is really a safe plan for everyone. There's nothing exciting about it and that's what make it a good plan. It's not some fad diet making outlandish claims that you can't rely on."
The DASH diet is can decrease systolic blood pressure by as many as 7 to 12 points for people with hypertension. The main way it does this is by limiting sodium intake in the body.
Sticking to fresh produce and lean proteins, like poultry and fish is what the DASH diet is all about and avoiding pre-packaged foods that contain high doses of salt.
The diet also includes a big chunk of whole grains, low-fat dairy product and legumes.
This is a 2,000-calorie DASH diet:
- No more than 2,300 mg of salt working down to no more than 1,500 mg
- Grains around 6 - 8 servings
- Fruits and Vegetables around 4 - 5 serving each
- Low fat dairy around 2 -3 servings
- Lean meat, fish or poultry around 6 or less servings
- Nuts, legumes and seeds around 4 -5 servings per week
- Fats and oils around 2 - 3 servings
- Alcoholic drinks around no more than 1-2 servings (12ounces of beer or 5 ounces of wine)
- Sweets around 5 or less servings per week
Haupt adds, "Definitely avoid steaks, hamburgers or pulled pork. It's very sensible and emphasizes eating exactly the same foods you've always been told to eat."
The Dash diet comes with a handful of added benefits beyond hypertension, mainly, weight-loss. But if you really want to loose those excess pounds, you will likely have to add exercise in your daily routine.
In the first year of the Dash Diet, researchers assigned 144 overweight adult to on of three diets: The Dash Diet, DASH diet with exercises and a control diet where the volunteers maintained their typical eating habit. In a 1-month span, those on the DASH diet with exercise lost an average of 19 pounds. The other two groups lost little-to-no weight at all.
DASH can be difficult to adopt at first, which is why it is ok to ease into the diet. Another disadvantage to the diet is that it takes time to prepare the fresh food for meals.
Haupt says, "Maybe if you're really crunched for time and you're not into cooking, at all, then maybe this diet isn't the right diet for you."
Dash diet is considered to be the very best by the US News & World Report and U.S. Department of Agriculture, but this is not the only diet available for those who look to eat healthier, lose weight, or lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
