Watching Our Waistlines

Each year, U.S. News & World Report studies diets and eating plans and ranks them according to a variety of criteria. It’s not all about how much or how fast the weight drops, but also specific measures for heart health, ease of use, and so on. You can see the most recent rankings (January 2018) here.

I was interested to see that the Dukan diet ranked near the bottom, at #39 out of 40 in Best Diets Overall and #40 out of 40 in Best Heart-Healthy Diets! Like many diets, it produces short-term, fast results, but the U.S. News panel found it lacking in nutrition, ease of use, or benefit for those with diabetes or heart disease. I actually followed a very modified version of the Dukan diet a few years ago when I noticed that my weight seemed to be creeping upwards. My takeaway from that experience was to limit starch in my overall eating goals and that approach has worked quite well for me.

I’m also a fan of the “We Care Spa” and their very difficult but extremely healthy organic vegetarian diet, which eliminates sugar and alcohol with the inclusion of periodic juice fasting. I never felt so fabulous! In addition to being a philosophy of eating, We Care Spa is also a place – a sort of nutritional/spiritual center in Desert Hot Springs that incorporates yoga, meditation, massage, floatation, infra-red sauna, and other practices into week-long retreats.