Earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report released its rankings of popular diet plans. After evaluating 38 of the most popular diets, can you guess which diet the magazine identified as the best for your health and fitness goals?

It may not come as a surprise, but the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet came out on top, winning Best Diet Overall and Best Diabetes Diet. Studies show the DASH Diet, which doesn’t require special foods, helps lower blood pressure.

The diet includes a certain number of servings from a variety of food groups: vegetables, fruits, fat-free or low-fat milk, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds and nuts. It provides a combination of foods rich in minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamins. It also limits intake of cholesterol and saturated fats.

If you want to adopt a healthy lifestyle and diet but don’t know where to start, the DASH Diet is a great source for nutrition guidelines. Here are six tips to get you started:

1. Ease into the diet by gradually making changes to your eating habits. Try adding one or two servings of vegetables a day – one at lunch and another at dinner. Eventually work your way up to eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
2. Opt for fat-free and low-fat food options. Drink skim or 1 percent milk to reduce your intake of calories, cholesterol and saturated fat. Also make sure you read the Nutrition Facts label to make sure your choosing the foods lowest in saturated and trans fat.
3. Limit lean meats to six ounces a day. Treat meat as part of a whole meal, instead of the main event. Include three ounces of meat with a meal, which is about the size of a deck of cards. To help balance your plate, increase servings of brown rice, cooked dry beans, whole wheat pasta and vegetables.
4. Enjoy eating snacks and dessert? Eat fruits or other foods low in calories, cholesterol, fat, sodium and sugar. Whether canned, dried or fresh, fruits are a healthy alternative to candy bars and chocolate cake. When buying fruit in a can, make sure you buy those that are canned in their own juice or packed in water. You can also try these healthy snack ideas: frozen yogurt, graham crackers, nuts, popcorn with no salt or butter added, raisins, raw vegetables and unsalted rice cakes.
5. If you have trouble digesting dairy products, try taking lactase enzyme pills (available at drugstores and grocery stores) with milk products. You can also buy lactose-free milk, which has the lactase enzyme already added. If you have a nut allergy, use seeds or legumes (cook dried beans or peas).
6. If you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes and are looking to adopt healthier eating habits, Tanner Healthy System’s Diabetes Prevention Program can help you stay on track. The program, which was created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is provided through Tanner’s Get Healthy, Live Well. The classes combine small-group peer support with leadership by trained facilitators. As part of the program, participants receive one-on-one mentoring to encourage healthy changes in diet and exercise. If you are interested in signing up for the Diabetes Prevention Program, register online or call 770.214.CARE for more information.

Dr. Lovvorn currently sees patients at two Tanner Medical Group practices. West Carroll Family Healthcare is located in Bowdon. For more information, call 770-258-5424 or visit WCarrollFamilyHealthcare.org. Tanner Primary Care of Wedowee is located in Wedowee. For more information, call 256-357-2188 or visit PrimaryCareWedowee.org.