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Happy New Year’s resolution time! Are you looking to change up the way you eat? Well, you’re not without choices, that’s for sure.
With so many diet plans out there, each promising their own version of better health, weight loss, or both, it’s difficult to know which ones will actually help you reach your 2016 goals. Luckily, just in time for your resolution, U.S. News & World Report released their annual “Best Diets” rankings today.
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And the best diet overall is… the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), for the sixth year in a row. The diet, which was originally developed to help people lower their blood pressure, focuses on a combination of low-fat, low-sodium, and plant-based meals. And U.S. News isn’t the only one backing DASH; The plan has years of scientific research on its side as well.
The magazine named their No. 1 after identifying 38 popular diet plans and having a panel of nationally recognized nutrition and health experts rate each diet in seven categories: how easy it is to follow, its ability to produce short-term and long-term weight loss, its nutritional completeness, its safety, and its potential for preventing and managing diabetes and heart disease.
Once each had expert rated the diets on a scale of 5 (highest) to 1 (lowest), the magazine used the scores to create a ranked list for “Best Overall,” as well as a more focused list for various categories, like the “Best Heart-Healthy Diets,” “Best Plant-Based Diets,” and “Easiest Diets to Follow.”
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Although the No. 1 spot wasn’t a surprise this year, it’s not because the magazine didn’t look at new plans. The rankings added three fresh options to the mix: The MIND diet, Whole30, and the Fertility Diet.
The MIND diet, which is said to help keep your brain young, combines the DASH and Mediterranean diets with an emphasis on research-backed “brain-foods.” Unsurprisingly, this combo of two successful diets performed very well in the U.S. News ranking, landing the No. 2 slot on the list of Best Diets Overall.
However the very popular Whole30 diet, which requires adherents to cut all processed foods, legumes, grains, dairy, alcohol, and added sugar for 30 days, came in 38th place, aka dead last, in the “overall” category, following suit with other trendy diets that have come before it (like the Dukan Diet). Whole30 came in at No. 37 (of 38) when ranked for helping with weight loss, diabetes, or heart disease, and landed the No. 17 spot on the magazine’s “Best Diets for Fast Weight Loss” list.
Meanwhile, The Fertility Diet, which claims certain diet changes can help you get pregnant faster, was named the best diet for diabetes, mainly due to its ban on trans fats. (How’s that for a surprise?)
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“Our rankings put hard numbers on the belief that no one diet is ideal for everybody, but the best food plans overall are sustainable,” Angela Haupt, senior health editor at U.S. News, said in a press release. “Besides the rankings and data, each diet has a detailed profile that includes how it works, evidence that supports or refutes its claims and a nutritional snapshot—tools that, along with the advice of a physician or nutritionist, can help consumers invest in diets that suit their lifestyles and further their health and wellness goals.”
Before you jump on the latest diet bandwagon, check out the full list below, ranked from best to worst. Your waistline will thank you!
Best Diets Overall
1. DASH Diet
2. MIND Diet
2. TLC Diet (tie)
4. Weight Watchers
4. Mayo Clinic
4. Fertility
4. Mediterranean (tie)
8. Volumetrics (tie)
8. Flexitarian
10. Jenny Craig
11. Biggest Loser
11. Ornish (tie)
13. Vegetarian
13. Traditional Asian (tie)
15. Slim Fast
15. SparkPeople
15. Anti-Inflammatory (tie)
18. HMR
18. Flat Belly
18. Nutrisystem (tie)
21. Vegan
21. Engine 2
21. South Beach
21. Abs (tie)
25. Eco-Atkins
25. Zone
25. Glycemic-Index (tie)
28. Macrobiotic
28. Medifast (tie)
30. Supercharged Hormone
30. Acid Alkaline (tie)
32. Fast
32. Body Reset (tie)
34. Raw food
34. Atkins (tie)
36. Dukan
36. Paleo (tie)
38. Whole 30
Looking for a more targeted plan? Here are some highlights from U.S. News’ more specific lists:
For Weight Loss
1. Weight Watchers
2. Biggest Loser Diet
3. Biggest Loser Diet
3. Jenny Craig
3. Raw Food Diet (tie)
Easiest to Follow
1. Fertility Diet
2. MIND Diet
3. Weight Watchers
For Heart Health
1. Ornish Diet
2. TLC Diet
3. DASH Diet
Best Plant-Based Diets
1. Mediterranean Diet
2. Flexitarian Diet
3. Ornish Diet
For Fast Weight Loss
1. Biggest Loser Diet
1. HMR Program
3. Atkins
3. Weight Watchers (tie)
For Diabetes
1. Fertility Diet
2. Biggest Loser Diet
2. DASH Diet (tie)
For Healthy Eating
1. DASH Diet
2. TLC Diet
3. Mediterranean Diet
3. MIND Diet (tie)
Best Commercial Diets
1. Mayo Clinic Diet
1. Weight Watchers (tie)
3. Jenny Craig
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