DASH Diet Named The Best Diet Plan For 5th Consecutive Year

The well-balanced DASH Diet which focuses on a healthy mixture of whole grains and vegetables aimed on improving nutrition and heart health than losing weight was named the best overall diet for the fifth straight year by U.S. News & World Report.

What you eat affects your chances of developinghigh blood pressure (hypertension) and as per the research , high blood pressure can be prevented and/or lowered by following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan which includes eating less salt and sodium.

While a lot of diet plans have come and gone, DASH diet whose rules are received pretty intuitive: eat from the healthy food groups, avoid red meat and sweets, and cut back on salt,  received accolades as the best diet for people with diabetes and the best diet for healthy eating.

DASH diet plain provides you with a healthy eating pattern which acts as a key to deflating high blood pressure with an added benefit to your waistline.

These claims have been proved through the studies sponsored by the National Institutes ofHealth. In addition to being a low salt (or low sodium) plan, the DASH diet provides additional benefits to reduce blood pressure.

DASH diet is also endorsed by:

• The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (one of the National Institutes of Health, of the US Department of Health and Human Services)
• The American Heart Association (AHA)
• The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
• US guidelines for treatment of high blood pressure
• The 2011 AHA Treatment Guidelines for Women
• The Mayo Clinic.

The first study based on the DASH diet research showed that it could lower blood pressure as well as the first line blood pressure medications, even with a sodium intake of 3300 mg/day.  Since then, there have been many studies that have shown that the DASH diet reduces the risk of many diseases, including some kinds of cancer, stroke, heart disease, heart failure, kidney stones, and diabetes.

The DASH Eating Plan Include:

It has been proven to be an effective way to lose weight and become healthier at the same time.

The DASH eating plan is rich in fruits, vegetables,fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, wholegrains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, and nuts. It alsocontains less salt and sodium; sweets, added sugars,and sugar-containing beverages; fats; and red meatsthan the regular meal.

This diet plan is chalked in such way that it is healthy for your heart as it is lower in saturatedfat, transfat, and cholesterol and rich in nutrients that areassociated with lowering blood pressure—mainlypotassium, magnesium, and calcium, protein, andfiber.

All of these benefits led to the #1 diet ranking by US News & World Report in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Marla Heller, MS, RD,DASH diet expert has written the only books with plans based on the newest DASH diet research.

All are based on the science that promotes easily reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. Meals and snacks included in the book are balanced with bulky, filling foods (fruits and vegetables), along with foods that are protein-rich and/or contain heart healthy fats to quench hunger. They are also designed to avoid the blood sugar roller coaster that results in cravings.

Hence, by keeping blood sugar on an even keel, you reduce belly fat, reduce your risk of diabetes (or find it easier to manage), reduce triglycerides, improve HDL (good cholesterol), and reduce LDL (bad cholesterol).

Books on DASH Diet are

1. The DASH Diet Younger You
2. The DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution
3. The Everyday DASH Diet Cookbook
4. The DASH Diet Action Plan