Diet fads come and go, and the Dash diet is the latest to come along. This one may be different, however, as US News and World Report ranked it the best eating plan to lose weight. What is the Dash diet? The Baltimore Sun reports:
The DASH diets consists of eating lots of fruits and vegetables, low-fat or non-fat dairy products and whole graints. It is high fiber and rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium.
The diet was originally designed to help lower blood pressure and sodium levels, and is the latest fad amongst teenage girls. The journal Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine conducted a ten year study which found the following:
Surprisingly teenage girls who've been following the DASH Diet have had the lowest BMI (body mass index) at the end of a ten year study, which was published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, who investigate the link between diet patterns and weight gain in kids. The research included data on 2,237 U.S. girls (age 9) and followed them for ten years. Diet information was collected annually in detail for each participant, who was then given a score indicating how closely their diet matched DASH diet guidelines.
For those who want to simulate the Dash diet, the Globe and Mail reports:
Have the whole family eat a DASH-style diet. Teens should aim for three to four servings of low-fat dairy products (e.g. one cup milk, ¾ cup yogurt), four servings of vegetables (e.g. ½ cup cooked or raw vegetables, one cup salad greens) and four servings of fruit each day (e.g. 1 medium sized fruit, ½ cup cut-up fruit).
Most often, choose 100-per-cent whole grain foods instead of refined (white) grain products. Nuts, seeds and/or legumes should be eaten four times a week. Limit intake of added fats and sweets. Eliminate sugary drinks, eat more meals prepared at home, and don't skip meals.
And of course, exercise more, and sit less! Take the Dash diet on the go, by getting an app for your iPhone! Phonesreview.co.uk explains:
The DASH Diet app will allow users to use their specific caloric profile, Set your own Sodium Reduction strategy to achieve maximum blood pressure reduction benefit, you can also track daily recommended DASH servings and keep a history of your food intake, View a daily summary of your consumed nutrition to help guide future food choices and even Utilize the simple “Quick Add” feature to add multiple servings for on-the-go tracking without entering new food.
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