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The two best diets for your overall health, according to nutrition experts

The Mediterranean and DASH diets differ a bit in their approaches to healthy eating, but both have a strong emphasis on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

  • US News & World Report ranked the DASH and Mediterranean diets as the top picks for diets to try in 2018.
  • The diets differ a bit in their approaches to healthy eating, but both emphasize fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
  • Here are the steps to take to try each diet.
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Finding a healthy diet and sticking to it is no small feat, especially since some plans require food groups to be entirely cut out.

But nutritionists recommend some eating plans above the rest.

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  • The DASH diet, an abbreviation for "dietary approaches to stop hypertension," involves lowering your sodium intake to no more than 2,300 milligrams a day and eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains like whole wheat and brown rice. Hypertension, otherwise known as abnormally high blood pressure, is a common condition in the US.
  • The Mediterranean diet is modeled on foods commonly eaten in countries along the Mediterranean Sea. Like the DASH diet, it's high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, along with healthy fats found in fish, olive oil, and nuts. Studies have linked the diet with a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of

The DASH diet isn't just for those who are trying to lower or prevent high blood pressure.

"The DASH diet is really a safe plan for everyone," Angela Haupt, assistant managing editor of health at US News & World Report,told Business Insider in 2016. "There's nothing exciting about it, and that's what makes it a good plan. It's not some fad diet making outlandish claims that you can't rely on."

The distinguishing factor for the DASH diet is that itlimits how much sodium you eat. Since many frozen and prepackaged foods contain large amounts of salt, DASH dieters stick to fresh produce and lean proteins like fish and poultry.

Here's what a typical day on a 2,000-calorie DASH diet looks like:

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  • 640 milligrams

In a typical day, for example, you could have an omelet with veggies and reduced-fat cheese for breakfast, minestrone soup for lunch, low-fat yogurt as a snack, and spaghetti squash with meat sauce for dinner.

With all the fiber-packed fruits and veggies in the DASH diet, you won't go hungry.

For people with abnormally high blood pressure, the DASH diet may over time help drop that blood pressure by as many aseight to 14 points.

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The Mediterranean diet is packed with vegetables, spices, beans, and even wine.

Here's what a typical day should include:

A sample dinner might include a glass of red, a salad with arugula and spinach topped with Parmesan cheese, followed by salmon served with couscous, asparagus, and zucchini.

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Generally, if you want to shed pounds, you'll likely need to incorporate exercise into your regular routine, even if you're on one of the best science-backed diets. That component of a lifestyle change isn't factored into US News & World Report's rankings, nor is the price of these eating plans.

In one2010 study, researchers assigned 144 overweight adults to one of three diets: the DASH diet, the DASH diet plus exercise, and a control diet in which the participant maintained their typical eating habits.

At the end of four months, those on the DASH plus exercise diet lost an average of 19 pounds. The other two groups lost little to no weight.

Similarly, exercise was an integral part of some of the studies conducted to assess the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. US News & World Report recommended walking and doing other active things you enjoy.

Jessica Orwig contributed reporting.

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