What is the best diet??

This is a question I get asked a lot! Normally I recommend to make healthy lifestyle changes that will stick rather than follow a diet. However, people still seem to want to know what one "diet" will make them healthier, thinner, live longer, feel better, and so on and so on. Recently, US News and World Reports set out to answer this question for you all. They ranked the most popular diets in the US on their effectiveness in the following areas: weight loss (both short term and long term), ease of following the plan, nutrition, safety, effectiveness of controlling diabetes and promoting heart health. And which diet came out on top? The DASH diet!

Now as far as diets go, the DASH diet is one I don't mind standing behind at all. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is a plan that has been proven to be healthier for your heart and to lower your risk for high blood pressure. It can also help lower your risk for cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes.

The theory behind the DASH diet is simple - nutrients like potassium, calcium, protein and fiber help fight off high blood pressure when eaten in conjunction with a low sodium intake. To get these key nutrients just emphasize foods we have alsways been told to eat - fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low fat dairy. Next cut back on salt and minimize your intake of sweets and red meat. The DASH diet is safe and adheres to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It can be easily incorpated in to your lifestyle and followed for the long haul as it does not cut out any food groups like so many fad diets do.

Here is a guide to choosing from each food group when following the DASH plan:






Grains:
- Choose 7-8 servings/day
- A serving is: 1 ounce high fiber cereal, 1/2 cup cooked brown rice or whole wheat pasta



Vegetables:
- Choose 4-5 servings/day
- A serving is: 1 cup raw leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup cooked vegetables


Fruits:
- Choose 4-5 servings/day
- A serving is: 1 medium peice of fruit, 1/4 cup dried fruit, 1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit


Low fat or fat free dairy
- Choose 2-3 servings/day
- A serving is: 8 ounces 1% milk, 1 cup low fat yogurt


Meat, poultry, fish
- Choose 2 or fewer servings a day
- A serving is: 3 oz cooked fish, poultry or lean meat


Nuts, seeds, beans
- Choose 1 a day
- A serving is 1/3 cup of nuts or beans (unsalted)


Fats and oils
- Choose 2 a day
- A serving is: 1 tsp vegetable oil


Sweets
- Limit to 5/week
- Watch portion sizes!

Here is a sample meal plan from the US News article:

Sample Menu

Here’s a day of typical meals on a 2,000-calorie DASH diet at a 2,300 mg. sodium level. Substitutions for a 1,500 mg. sodium level are in parentheses.

Breakfast

¾ cup bran flakes cereal (¾ cup shredded wheat cereal) with 1 medium banana and 1 cup low-fat milk
1 slice whole-wheat bread with 1 tsp. (unsalted) margarine
1 cup orange juice

Lunch

Sandwich—
2 slices whole-wheat bread
¾ cup (unsalted) chicken salad
1 tbsp. Dijon (regular) mustard
Salad—
½ cup fresh cucumber slices
½ cup tomato wedges
1 tbsp. sunflower seeds
1 tsp. low-calorie Italian dressing
½ cup fruit cocktail

Dinner

3 oz. beef, eye of the round, with 2 tbsp. fat-free beef gravy
1 cup green beans, sautéed with ½ tsp. canola oil
1 small baked potato topped with 1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream, 1 tbsp. grated, reduced-fat natural (low-sodium) cheddar cheese and 1 tbsp. chopped scallions
1 small whole-wheat roll with 1 tsp. (unsalted) soft margarine
1 small apple
1 cup low-fat milk

Snacks

1/3 cup almonds, unsalted
¼ cup raisins
½ cup fat-free, no-sugar-added fruit yogurt

There are lots of DASH diet friendly recipes on-line, so get googling!