Trying to diet? See how your plan ranks!

Last week, U.S. News & World Report released their evaluation of the Best Diets for healthy eating. Diets were given a "healthiness" score from 1 to 5 (5 being the best) for safety and nutrition. According to the panel's analysis, which included health experts and dietitians, the Dash Diet received the top ranking and the Atkins Diet came in at number 20 (out of 20). Surprising? Not really. The Atkins, Raw Food and Paleo diets (new trend...the paleolithic diet) received low scores because they were too restrictive to provide adequate amounts of healthy nutrients. Top-ranking diets, including also the Mediterranean diet and the Mayo Clinic diet, were similar in that they relied more heavily on vegetables, fruits and whole grains with a modest amount of lean protein, non-fat dairy and healthy fats.

Overall, this is a nice overview of popular diets with sound evaluations. We hear so much information relating to food and nutrition that it can be difficult to decide between myth and fact! It's good to have a reminder of what a healthy diet really is. Bottom line: if you're eliminating entire food groups or focusing on a single nutrient, your diet is not likely to help you achieve health and lasting weight loss. Click here to read the report.