At this of year, we’re probably all thinking about how to drop a few pounds. And, if you’re wondering which of the hundreds of diet plans to try in 2018, then we may have the answer.
Because nutrition experts from America have just released the annual US News & World Report, ranking the top 40 eating plans, based on how good they are for your overall health, Business Insider reports.
The diets were assessed on a range of criteria, including how nutritional and safe they are, how easy they are to follow, their effects on weight loss (in the short and long term), and how well they can help protect followers from health issues such as diabetes and heart disease.
And, coming out in joint first place, were two diet plans: one of which you may never have heard of…
First up, the Mediterranean diet was a clear winner. This style of eating is based on a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as healthy fats from the likes of fish, olive oil and nuts.
Many studies have linked this way of eating with health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease, some types of cancer and cognitive issues.
But, perhaps a little more surprisingly, the DASH diet was also named a joint winner.
In case you haven’t heard of it (and we hadn’t), DASH is an abbreviation of ‘dietary approaches to stop hypertension’. It involves lowering your daily salt intake by consuming lots of fruit, veg and wholegrains, including brown rice.
So, there you have it, if you are looking for some healthy eating inspiration, it might be worth considering one of those two diet plans.
