If the pandemic has you feeling restless, locked down, eager for adventure, here's an idea: Go Mediterranean.
While the idea of a trip there may be too arduous, with testing and the spread of the Omicron variant, the Mediterranean diet could be the change of pace you need. It promises to help you live longer and ward off chronic diseases. And it's just been named the No. 1 best diet overall ― for the fifth straight year ― in the U.S. News & World Report annual rankings of diet plans.
It earned the top spot in multiple categories, including easiest diets to follow, best for healthy eating, best for diabetes, best plant-based diets, and best heart-healthy diets (tied for first in that one).
For this year's rankings, the 12th annual for the report, US News ranked 40 diet plans in all.
"There are no huge surprises in the winners," says Gretel Schueller, US News's managing editor of health. The Mediterranean diet, she says, "has been our long-ranging champion for a long time."
To determine the rankings, US News gathered an expert panel of top specialists in nutrition, diabetes, heart health, and weight loss. The experts praised diets that provide adequate calories, modest lean protein, and the occasional treat, Schueller says.
