DASH Diet, Weight Watchers Top Lists for Best Diets for 2012
DASH Diet, Weight Watchers, Biggest Loser diet, others top rankings of U.S. News & World Report’s “best diets in 2012;” diet coach Judy Weitzman says you can’t go wrong by cutting back on sugar, salt, fat
When it comes to losing weight, who isn’t looking for something quick and easy to help shed the pounds?
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We’ve all tried a lot of diets out there in our own personal battles of the bulge, and U.S. News & World Report now says the DASH Diet ranks as the best overall diet for 2012. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is relatively easy to follow, nutritious, safe, and effective for weight loss and against diabetes and heart disease. It’s great for controlling diabetes and for bettering your heart health. The popular Mediterranean Diet ranked #4, while Weight Watchers ranked #5 for this category. The Jenny Craig Diet and Biggest Loser Diet also made the list.
Judy Weitzman, also known as “Diet Coach Judy” and author of How to Eat When Life Gets in the Way, says not overeating and following certain base guidelines in any diet is a surefire way to lose weight.
“The DASH diet ranks best overall in U.S. News’ Best Diets 2012 with Weight Watchers coming in second. Both eating plans are well-balanced and healthy diets to follow. The DASH diet is focused on lowering hypertension and by lowering the caloric intake you can also lose weight,” Judy says. “The winning diets of 2012 are all based on eating more fruits and vegetables, high fiber and lower salt and sugar. So what else is new? It is a wonderful way to eat and I highly recommend it. They have done a nice job of packaging healthy eating. We could all cut back on the fat, sugar and salt in our menus. Dr David Kessler talks about it throughout his book, The End of Overeating. Eating small portions of lean protein, using non-fat dairy products and high fiber grains will definitely lower anyone’s blood pressure.”
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'Diet Coach' Judy Weitzman
Judy also suggests cutting your calories by 500 a day to see quick results, drink more water, and to watch your sugar and salt intake.
“If you want to lose weight, the DASH diet is a very well-balanced menu plan. In order to lose weight, you have to eat less. A pound equals 3,500 calories. If you want to lose weight, you should decrease your daily intake by 500 calories per day to lose one pound per week,” she said. ”Eating fresh foods versus processed foods helps enormously when it comes to lowering your salt and sugar intake. By increasing your fiber and eating lean protein, you will feel full after eating. Another important aspect of any meal plan is to drink lots of water. It is good for you and helps you to feel full. Often, people think they are hungry when they are thirsty. By hydrating, the feeling of hunger will lessen.”
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Weight Watchers was ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report for “easiest diet to follow,” with the Jenny Craig, Mediterranean and Slim-Fast diets following close behind. “Best weight-loss diets,” ranked by effectiveness for both quick and lasting weight loss, was also Weight Watchers, followed by Jenny Craig, Atkins and others, while “best heart healthy diets” include the Ornish diet at the top of the list, followed by the TLC, DASH and Mediterranean diets.
“Dieters can eat whatever they want as long as they don’t exceed their allotted daily points,” U.S. News & World Report said of Weight Watchers. “No foods are forbidden, occasional treats are encouraged, and the plan emphasizes all-you-can-eat fresh fruits and veggies.Experts liked the optional weekly meetings, since support is crucial to compliance. They also applauded Weight Watchers for being realistic, flexible, and filling.”
“No matter if you want to follow the DASH diet or any of the other top ranked diets, be sure to set realistic, attainable goals of 1-2 pounds per week,” Judy stresses. “Wishing you a happy healthy New Year filled with good times and small portions!”
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Category: Health, Nutrition, Views on the News, Weight Loss
Will WW adopt more of the principles from the DASH diet? I am excited to read more about this, especially since DASH can be helpful to women with osteoporosis: http://www.womentowomen.com/community/osteoblast/…