Food for a Healthy Life – The Mediterranean Diet

When you consider all of the diets that you’ve heard promoted as being “the best,” how do you know which one is truly the best, and whether it will work for you? There are a multitude of different diets: Paleo, Ketogenic, Carnivore, Whole30, Atkins, Jenny Craig, South Beach, DASH, Flexitarian, Vegan, etc. You probably don’t want to try each one to see what works. I believe a healthy diet is one of the Five Pillars of Health. So let me tell you, plain and simple, why the Mediterranean Diet is the undisputed champion of healthy diets.

The Mediterranean diet is based on the local foods eaten by peoples living near the Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Italy, the Levant, and the Mediterranean coasts of France and Spain. The mainstay food items include:

• Olive oil, which I call “liquid sunshine”
• Fish from the sea
• Cheese and yogurt from happy animals
• Whole grains, minimally processed but amply-enjoyed
• Legumes (green beans, lentils, chickpeas)
• Rich, delicious fruits and vegetables grown from healthy, fertile land

Animal fats like butter and lard are used, but more sparingly. Red meat is enjoyed only occasionally, such as once or twice a month at most.

It is the most well-known and researched dietary pattern in the world, and has the strongest evidence of keeping people healthy in almost every way. The Mediterranean Diet is scientifically proven to help people lose weight, improve their cholesterol, prevent or improve diabetes, promote and protect the health of your heart and brain, improve arthritis and inflammatory conditions, and reduce the risk of all chronic diseases. It consistently out-performs all other studied diets.

One thing I find really fascinating about the Mediterranean Diet is the fact that it originates in the same region that civilization began. It seems rather fitting that people were eating the best and healthiest foods from the beginning. I’d like to think that was intentional.

Another beautiful truth of this diet is you don’t have to really restrict yourself in how much you eat (within reason). These foods are highly satiating and highly nutritious; your body will thank you and feel content naturally when you eat them. You will be less likely to have cravings or get “hangry” afterwards. This way of eating is so healthy and good for you that I would say, “Buon appetito” – enjoy your meal. 

The word “diet”comes from the Greek “diaita” meaning “lifestyle, way of life”. If you consider the lifestyles and cultures of the Mediterranean, you’ll recognize that the people are relaxed, laid back, and love to eat food. Who doesn’t love to eat food? So why not eat the foods that love you back? When you eat a Mediterranean Diet, you’re consuming delicious foods that will extend your lifespan, prevent disease, and also taste great. There’s no guilt in enjoying a healthy meal.

Practical Advice for Mediterranean Eating in the PNW

Obviously, we don’t live in Italy or Greece, but we do live near the Puget Sound and Pacific Ocean. Washington State has strong agriculture with a wide variety of produce, Alaska supplies us with high quality fish, and California produces some excellent olive oil. Here are some tips I recommend when considering how to obtain and prepare your meals in line with the Mediterranean Diet.

• Eat wild-caught fish as much as possible, when in season
  • Avoid Atlantic (farmed) salmon
• Canned or tinned fish is a great snack or light meal option
  • Smaller fish like sardines are less likely to be contaminated with toxins compared to larger-bodied fish like tuna.
• Use olive oil almost exclusively for cooking and dressing foods
  • Make a simple, delicious salad dressing with quality extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and a dash of salt and pepper.
• Design your meal around which fruits and vegetables you want to eat, then decide which protein will pair nicely with it
• Eat locally-grown, in-season produce, and buy organic as much as possible
  • You’ll find seasonal produce to be the most flavorful and highest in nutritional value.

Snack foods I recommend:

• • • Whole olives – Picholine and Castelvetrano olives are my favorites
    • Unsweetened dried fruits – dates, figs, apricots, raisins, prunes
    • Fresh fruit
    • Baked lentils, chickpea snacks, or nuts
    • Try this recipe:
      • Canned fish
      • Crackers
      • Olives
      • Cucumber
      • Olive oil and lemon juice to taste

Further Reading:

The Mediterranean Diet: A History of Health

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3684452/

Diet Review: Mediterranean Diet

https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/mediterranean-diet/