By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – U.S. News & World Report has named the DASH diet its top pick for the third year in a row.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and resembles, according to U.S. News, the Mediterranean Diet.

READ: U.S. News & World Report evaluation of DASH diet

Dietician Marla Heller has taken the basics of DASH and fine-tuned them for weight loss.

“The DASH Diet is extra rich in fruits and vegetables and it also includes the low-fat dairy, lean meats, fish and poultry, whole grains, heart-healthy fats, and it’s really a healthy way of eating so it’s not just a weight loss diet,” she said.

Heller says one secret is dump the junk.

“A snack of and apple with a handful of cashews is going to stay with you longer than a piece of candy would, and it becomes more satisfying. When you have the junk food, your appetite tends to increase for the junk food.”

Heller’s book, The DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution, contains an action plan for a two-week start-up phase with, she promises, visible waistline results, and then cranking up the volume, for more and better.