Are You Following One of the Top-Rated Diets?
When US News and World Report ranked popular diets from a high of #1 to #30 this month, they had experts assessing nutritional benefits, not just weight-loss benefits. As far as focusing on “popular,” there were several I had never heard of, but perhaps you have.
No list can be relevant to everyone. Readers have different nutritional needs, and they may deal personal beliefs (such as vegetarianism) that affect their food choices, in addition to many people dealing with food allergies and/or sensitivities. Financial constraints can also play a role in the type of dietary lifestyle one follows.
The top diet selected by the team for US News and World Report is one Latitudes.org has frequently focused on: The Mediterranean Diet. The article says, “There isn’t a single Mediterranean diet. Greeks eat differently than Italians, and Turks eat differently from the French and Spanish. There’s even a Costa Rican version of the Mediterranean diet. But they share many of the same principles. Working with the Harvard School of Public Health and the World Health Organization, Oldways, a nonprofit food think tank in Boston, developed a consumer-friendly Mediterranean diet pyramid that offers guidelines on how to fill your plate – and maybe wineglass – the Mediterranean way.
“Because the Mediterranean diet focuses on nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and healthy fats, it leaves little room for the saturated fat, added sugars and sodium that inundate the standard American diet. As a result, people who eat a Mediterranean-style diet have longer life spans, report a higher quality of life and are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.”
Diet #2 is the DASH Diet. The report tells us: The DASH diet is similar to the Mediterranean dietary pattern but gives more concrete recommendations on actual amounts and limits of types of foods consumed.
You’ll fill up on vegetables, fruits and whole grains on the DASH diet. You can also enjoy moderate amounts of fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans and nuts. Foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats and full-fat dairy products, are strictly limited or, better yet, avoided altogether.
Read the full report here.
