Looking for a diet plan? Here’s how U.S. News ranks the plans

I’ve said before this is not a diet site, its a site for helping you cut the salt, fat and sugar from your daily food intake (ok, diet). If you cut all three of those, chances are you’ll be losing weight because you will simply be eating less.

But that said, it’s January and this is when everyone realizes how much they over-ate during the year-end Holiday season and so searches for the best diet to help them drop some pounds.

The Keto Diet got lots of press in 20918, but it’s not at the top of the list of best diets U.S. News has put out for 2019. Number one is the Mediterranean Diet which I think of as very old-school since it’s been around, and recommended by healthcare professionals, for some time.

The DASH ( dietary approaches to stop hypertension) Diet, which had been No. 1 the previous year, comes in at No. 2 for this year. It’s not all that different from the Mediterranean Diet. DASH recommends eating “fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy, which are high in blood pressure-deflating nutrients like potassium, calcium, protein and fiber. DASH also discourages foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy foods and tropical oils, as well as sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets,” explains US News. “Following DASH also means capping sodium at 2,300 milligrams a day, which followers will eventually lower to about 1,500 milligrams.”

So DASH is a good one for those of us cutting our salt intake, which should be most Americans, by the way.

The Mediterranean Diet calls for:

Core foods to enjoy every day: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, herbs, spices, nuts and healthy fats such as olive oil.
Twice weekly servings of ﬁsh and seafood.
Moderate portions of dairy foods, eggs, and occasional poultry.
Infrequent servings of red meats and sweets.

Both really come back to cutting processed foods and cutting cakes, chocolates, candies and all the things you liked as a child — and perhaps too much as an adult. Sorry.