REVEALED: Best diet to help you achieve WEIGHT LOSS and PEAK HEALTH

FORGET the fads, experts declare this diet the best overall for weight loss and high fitness levels.

 

The best diets for every occasion have been revealed

 

It’s the time of year when people are exercising and eating healthy, trying to compensate for a Christmas indulgence. 

But if new research is to be believed, there’s one diet people should follow in order to shed the most pounds and stay healthy.

The DASH plan has won the title of best overall diet for the sixth year in a row by US News in their annual awards.

The creators of the diet describe it as "a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps creates a heart-healthy eating style for life."

DASH, short for dietary approaches to stop hypertension, was created by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in order to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, manage diabetes and help with weight loss.

The institute came up with the diet on the basis nutrients like potassium, calcium, protein and fibre are essential for lowering high blood pressure.

Unlike many current diet trends DASH isn’t faddy and the rules are pretty simple. 

 

The DASH and TLC diets rate very high in the research

 

Dieters are advised to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean protein.

People are also expected to cut out salt, fat-laden foods and those high in calories.

The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet (TLC) diet - which claims to lower bad cholesterol by eight to 10 per cent in six weeks - came in a close second.

This diet focuses on cutting out foods high in fats, particularly the saturated variety and consuming more fibrous foods.

Coming in at third was the MIND diet aiming to prevent Alzheimers with brain healthy food, such as nuts, berries, fish, olive oil, poultry and vegetables. The diet is a combination of Mediterranean and DASH.

On the MIND diet, dieters are even permitted a small daily glass of wine.

The research threw up some surprising results, and the lesser known Fertility Diet was awarded top place for beating diabetes.

The Whole30 diet, a 30-day eating programme that forbids legumes, grains, dairy, alcohol, added sugar and process foods came in bottom, because of its restrictive and short term nature.

US News evaluated 38 of the most popular diets and identified the best, the complete list is below:

 

The DASH diet is said to help reduce blood pressure

 

Best overall:

1. DASH diet (4.1/5)

2. MIND diet (4/5)

3. TLC diet (4/5)

4. Fertility diet (3.9/5)

5. Mayo Clinic Diet (3.9/5)

6. Mediterranean Diet (3.9/5)

7. Weight Watchers Diet (3.9/5)

8. The Flexiterian Diet (3.8/5)

9. Volumetrics Diet (3.8/5)

10. Jenny Craig Diet (3.7/5)

The best weight loss diets:

1. Weight Watchers 

2. HMR Program

3. Biggest Loser Diet

Best commercial diet plans:

1. Mayo Clinic Diet

2. Weight Watchers Diet

3. Jenny Craig Diet

  

Mediterranean foods feature highly in the MIND diet

 

Best diabetes diet:

1. The Fertility Diet 

2. Biggest Loser Diet

3. DASH Diet

Best diets for healthy eating:

1. DASH Diet

2. TLC DIet

3. Mind Diet

Best fast-weight loss:

1. HMR Program

2. Biggest Loser Diet 

3. Weight Watchers Diet

Best heart-healthy diets:

1. Ornish Diet

2. TLC Diet

3. DASH Diet

Best plant-based diets:

1. Mediterranean Diet

2. Flexitarian Diet

3. Ornish Diet

Easiest diets to follow:

1. Weight Watchers Diet

2. The Fertility Diet

3. MIND Diet