The New Year is finally here and millions of Americans vow to keep their new year’s resolution of living healthier lifestyles and losing weight; however, millions of Americans do not know where to begin when keeping their promises. They intend to eat fresh, clean foods, but do not have professional guidance. Fortunately, U.S. News & World Report released its Best Diets 2014 to help direct individuals become more food conscious based on his or her needs.

Health & wellness editor for U.S. News Angela Haupt says,” Best Diets 2014 is designed to help consumers identify a diet that suits their specific needs, whether they are trying to lose weight, control a chronic disease or achieve a healthier lifestyle overall. We assembled top experts and developed the tools and rankings to provide a resource for the thousands of Americans struggling to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.”

32 diet plans were rated by the U.S. News’s panel of Health experts, including nutritionists and physicians specializing in diabetes, heart health and weight loss, based on short- and long-term weight loss, ease of compliance, safety and nutrition. For further details on the scoring of the diets, click here.

The rankings also included an in-depth profile for each diet, including how the diet works, evidence supporting or contesting the claims of the diet, a nutritional quick review, and a look in the contents of the food for each plan.

The government-endorsed Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet was ranked number 1 for the best overall diet with 4.1 stars out of 5. Weight Watchers remains the number 1 diet to use when attempting to lose weight. The top 3 diets for each of the categories go as followed: 

U.S. News Best Diets 2014 Rankings (stars of 5)

Best Diets Overall

1. DASH Diet (4.1/5.0)
2. TLC Diet (4.0/5.0)
3. Mayo Clinic Diet (3.9/5.0)
3. Mediterranean Diet (3.9/5.0)
3. Weight Watchers (3.9/5.0)

Best Weight-Loss Diets

1. Weight Watchers (3.8/5.0)
2. Biggest Loser (3.5/5.0)
2. Jenny Craig (3.5/5.0)
2. Raw Food Diet (3.5/5.0)

Best Diabetes Diets

1. Biggest Loser (3.6/5.0)
1. DASH Diet (3.6/5.0)
3. Engine 2 Diet (3.5/5.0)
3. Flexitarian Diet (3.5/5.0)
3. Mayo Clinic Diet (3.5/5.0)
3. Ornish Diet (3.5/5.0)
3. Vegan Diet (3.5/5.0)

Best Heart-Healthy Diets

1. Ornish Diet (4.6/5.0)
2. TLC Diet (4.5/5.0)
3. DASH Diet (4.3/5.0)

Best Diets for Healthy Eating

1. DASH Diet (4.8/5.0)
2. TLC Diet (4.7/5.0)
3. Mediterranean Diet (4.6/5.0)

Easiest Diets to Follow

1. Weight Watchers (3.7/5.0)
2. Jenny Craig (3.6/5.0)
3. Flexitarian Diet (3.3/5.0)
3. Mediterranean Diet (3.3/5.0)

Best Commercial Diet Plans

1. Weight Watchers (3.9/5.0)
2. Jenny Craig (3.7/5.0)
3. Biggest Loser (3.6/5.0) 

Best Plant-Based Diets 

1. Mediterranean Diet (3.9/5.0)
2. Flexitarian Diet (3.8/5.0)
3. Ornish Diet (3.6/5.0)

Be sure to use U.S. News’s searchable tools that allow users to identify diets that meet individual nutritional, health and lifestyle needs and personal success stories. For additional information on each diet click on the following link: 

http://health.usnews.com/best-diet