The Mediterranean Diet

Few diets are associated with as many positive health outcomes or studied as much as the Mediterranean diet. The food is simple and delicious, making it for my most people a sustainable and practical eating pattern. Hopefully you can tell from this series of blogs, we aren’t big fans of diets here however the Mediterranean diet is an exception, think of it less like a diet and more like a way of eating.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is based on the traditional eating patterns of countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain. The majority of foods found in the Mediterranean Diet are plant-based. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. Healthy fats are also a large portion of the Mediterranean Diet. Olive oil, fatty fish like salmon and nuts and seeds are all high in unsaturated fats. It usually includes a low intake of meat and dairy foods and you generally say away from processed, packaged foods made with added sugar or refined grains and oil. Lastly, the best part of the diet (in my opinion) is red wine in moderation. When combined with other healthy lifestyle factors, like regular exercise and meaningful social connection, the Mediterranean Diet is associated with lower risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and mental health issues.

Weighing the benefits

Pros

• High in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods

• Low in saturated fat and cholesterol

• High in nutrients and fibre

• Strong focus on the types if foods and they wat they are eaten rather than prescriptive amounts of foods and rules

• Reduced risk of heart disease, alzheimer’s, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and mental health issues

Cons

• May be difficult to recreate if trying to eat locally depending on where you live. (If you can move to a gorgeous, remote Greek island, we highly recommend it!)

• Cooking fresh requires extra time preparing meals

• Requires knowledge of healthy portion sizes

• Limited calcium as a traditional Mediterranean Diet relies on calcium from the bones of fish, bones of slow cooked meat, and large quantities of leafy veg which aren’t typically eaten regularly when adapting the Mediterranean Diet

• Wine consumption may not be advisable for everyone

How to align your current eating patterns with the Mediterranean Diet

These are the top 10 tips for translating the traditional Mediterranean Diet to your current diet by Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos. I highly recommend her book “The Mediterranean Diet”

1. Extra virgin olive oil as the main added fat (Approximately 60ml per day)

2. Vegetables /salads with every main meal (> 400g per day)

3. Legumes twice per week (250g/serve)

4. Fish/seafood twice a week (150g/serve)

5. Meat/chicken less often in small portions

6. Wholegrain sourdough breads

7. Fresh fruit everyday

8. Fermented dairy every day. ie yoghurt

9. Nuts everyday 30g per day

10. Wine in moderation, always with meals

Bottom Line

The Mediterranean Diet's staple foods offer more than just health benefits. They also offer up plenty of flavour, making it easy and fun to stick to, without ever feeling deprived. Research continues to show the Mediterranean Diet, based on healthy foods and physical activity, is the best prescription for a long healthy life. Even if you don’t follow the diet faithfully, simply eating more of the foods common in the Mediterranean diet and being more active will help improve your health and wellbeing.