The Mediterranean Diet
What is the Mediterranean Diet?
In the US today Americans face a variety of chronic diseases such as: heart attacks, stroke, type 2 diabetes, etc. A lot of this can be prevented through the way we eat. What you put in your body can affect your overall health!!
The Mediterranean diet became popular in the 1960s when heart diseases were causing lower rates of death in the Mediterranean countries compared to the US. The Mediterranean diet is recognized by the World Health Organization to be a sustainable and healthy diet.
This dietary lifestyle is based on a traditional lifestyle cuisine of the countries bordering the Mediterranean sea. There is not one specific way to take on the Mediterranean diet, as these different countries eat differently from one another, but they all share the same backbone and principles. This diet contains more vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, legumes, seeds, oils, and beans. Based around plants, this lifestyle has moderate amounts of dairy, poultry and eggs, and seafood, with low amounts of red meats.
How Do You Adapt This Lifestyle Eating?
I personally enjoy adapting other cultures of eating rather than the “fad” diets. This is not a structured diet like that fads out there today, but rather a pattern of eating to base your lifestyle around. When looking at what to eat and how to eat, refer to the Mediterranean pyramid and the tips to come.
Here are some tips to help you better understand this pattern:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables: 7-10 servings a day between the who
- Choose whole Grains: no more white bread, switch to whole grain bread, cereal, and pasta. There are many different types such as: Bulgar and farro
- Healthy Fats: Instead of butter - olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil
- Seafood: 2 times a week - picking fresh or water-packed. Avoid deep fried
- Cut down red meat - limit red meats to a couple times a week as a side dish to your main veggies and fruits
- Minimal Dairy - Low-fat or Non-fat Greek yogurt; small amounts of high quality cheese such as goat cheese, brie, feta, etc.
- Add the spices!!
Avoid these or in very rare moderation:
- Added/Processed Sugars: soda, candy, ice cream, syrups, table sugars
- Trans fats: margarine and a variety of processed foods
- Highly processed foods: the “low fats” of the shelf or the prepackaged and factory made foods
- Refined grains: white breads, pastas, and refined wheat, etc.
- Processed meats: packages and processed sausages, hot dogs, etc.
The Goods To Eat:
- Vegetables: tomatoes, kale, spinach, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, etc.
- Fruits: apples, bananas, strawberries, grapes, dates, figs, melons, oranges, etc.
- Nuts and Seeds: walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, sunflower, etc.
- Legumes: beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
- Tubers: sweet potatoes, turnips, yams, etc.
- Whole Grains: whole oats, brown rice, jasmine rice, corn, buckwheat, whole wheat
- Fish and Seafood: salmon, oysters, trout, tuna, shrimp, clams, crab, etc.
- Poultry: chicken, duck, turkey, etc.
- Eggs: quail, chicken, duck
- Dairy: cheese, Greek yogurt, etc.
- Herbs and Spices: garlic, basil, mint, sage, nutmeg, pepper, etc.
- Healthy Fats: avocado oil, olive oil, avocado, coconut oil
Sample Meals:
Breakfast:
- Greek Yogurt with Blueberries and Whole Grain Oats
- Oatmeal with raisins
- Veggie Egg white omelet, fruit
- Greek Yogurt with fruit and nuts
Lunch:
- Whole Grain veggie sandwich
- Tuna Salad with avocado oil, and feta cheese
- Whole grain sandwich with chicken and fresh veggies
Dinner:
- Green Leafy salad with veggies, feta cheese, and olive oil
- Grilled salmon with brown rice and veggies
- Baked chicken with veggies and sweet potato
- Mediterranean lasagna
While there is not specific and defined diet for the Mediterranean lifestyle, adapting this dietary pattern will transform your health through the rich healthy plant based foods and lower animal foods, focusing more on the seafood. Pair this dietary pattern with exercise and you are sure to increase your life span and life a happier, healthier life.
Interested in learning more about recipes and meal planning, contact me and lets chat!!
Want to go even a step further?
Pair your own Mediterranean Meal Plan with Your own personalized fitness program to truly reap the benefits and change your life today!
Contact me via message or apply for my 1:1 coaching here: https://cheyenne307109.typeform.com/to/QxCZHG
Cheyenne Autry, MS, ATC, LAT, CPT