Everything You Need to Know About 2015’s Top-Ranked Diet
![Shutterstock](https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/salad.jpg)
Shutterstock
U.S. News and World Report just the announced best diet of 2015, and it’s not the Paleo Diet or the Raw Food Diet, or any of the other trendy diets you’ve probably read so much about this year. The winner is—drumroll, please—the DASH Diet.
The DASH Diet is no stranger to first place: This is its fifth year snagging the number one spot on the list. And even though the diet was originally developed to fight high blood pressure, and not necessarily as a weight-loss diet, it does help in the weight-loss department if you stick to the rules. But chances are, while you can probably recite, say, Paleo’s list of dos and don’ts, you have just about zero clue what the DASH Diet’s rules are, am I right? No worries: That’s what we’re here for.
The aim of the diet, according to U.S. News and World Report, is to get blood pressure levels under control. So, you guessed it: a lot of it has to do with ditching salt, red meat, and your favorite sugary treats. But the good news is, you don’t have to cut any food groups out completely, á la Paleo or Raw Food. So if you have a killer sweet tooth, not to fret: On the DASH Diet, if you’re sticking to 2,000 calories a day, you can still have up to five sweets or added sugars (like a serving of strawberry jelly, for instance) each week. Sugar withdrawal meltdown averted.
So, what are you eating on the DASH Diet, you ask? Well, the diet is plant-focused, so lots of veggies, fruit and whole grains, with some lean proteins and low-fat milk products, like yogurt and cheese, thrown in the mix. The amount of servings you consume depends on stuff like age and activity level (you can check out a full run-down of the guidelines here), but the general gist is to fill your plate with whole grains, fruits and veggies, some lean proteins, and to steer clear of salt, sugar and red meat. And there you have it, the best diet of the 2015. Doesn’t sound so bad, right?
If the DASH diet doesn’t sound like your jam, other diets that made in into the top 10 include the Flexitarian Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Weight Watchers Diet. You can check out the full list of top-rated diets here.
Like what you’re reading? Stay in touch with Be Well Philly—here’s how:
- Like Be Well Philly on Facebook
- Follow Be Well Philly on Twitter
- Follow Be Well Philly on Pinterest
- Get the Be Well Philly Newsletter