You probably have heard about it, but do you what it is exactly? “Mediterranean Diet” is really an umbrella term to generally describe dietary patterns that are followed in countries across the Mediterranean basin, such as France, Greece, Italy or Spain. However, rather than being homogenous, the diet varies by country and even region, so you can find several definitions.
How to make your diet more Mediterranean
- eating many starchy foods, like bread and pasta
- eating plenty of fruit and vegetables
- including fish in your diet
- eating less meat
- choosing products made with olive oil or other vegetable oils.
Benefits of the Mediterranean diet
Mediterranean diet has long been hailed as one of the most healthy diets out there, as there seems to be some evidence backing such claims. In fact, it’s often prescribed by doctors to those suffering from heart diseases and other conditions.
The Harvard School of Public Health considers Mediterranean diet to be healthy and cites some research associating it to several health benefits, some of which are listed below.
The HSPH says that research has “consistently” shown effectiveness in reducing risk of cardiovascular diseases and overall mortality, citing one study of almost 26,000 women whose risk of developing cardiovascular diseases dropped by 25% in the span of 12 years. The findings pointed to changes in inflammatory processes, blood sugar levels and body mass index.
In fact, what’s interesting about this diet, according to the authors of the report, is that it challenges the obsession about gross calorie intake in favour of a more comprehensive look at the quality and proportion of the consumed nutrients. While the types of fat consumed matter, the percent of calories you get from them is less important. Healthy fats like those found in extra virgin olive oil or nuts are better than saturated fats from processed foods, even if the intake is generous, as one PREDIMED study showed.
The Harvard authors do mention two caveats for this diet: despite what’s mentioned above, you should still be mindful of portions, as there’s a risk of excessive calorie intake. Even so, Mediterranean diet is able to provide considerable satiety and enables long term adherence.
On another note, it’s worth stressing that is the balanced combination of healthy foods and not the specific properties of some of them alone that make of a healthy diet, so it’s not just about adding olive oil or nuts to your current diet. Instead, you should rather embrace it as a whole.
