Mediterranean Diet

What is Mediterranean Diet?

It's generally accepted that the folks in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea live longer and suffer less than most Americans and Kiwis from cancer and cardiovascular ailments. 

The not-so-surprising secret is an active lifestyle, weight control, and a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods. 

The Mediterranean Diet may offer a host of health benefits, including weight loss, heart and brain health, cancer prevention, and diabetes prevention and control.

Following the Mediterranean Diet, you could keep that weight off while avoiding chronic disease.

There isn't "a" Mediterranean diet as such. Greeks eat differently from Italians, who eat differently from the French and Spanish. But they share many of the same principles. 

Working with the Harvard School of Public Health, Oldways, a nonprofit food think tank in Boston, developed a consumer-friendly Mediterranean diet pyramid that offers guidelines on how to fill your plate – and maybe wineglass – the Mediterranean way.

Pros

• Nutritionally sound

• Diverse foods and flavors

Cons

• Lots of grunt work

• Moderately pricey

How does Mediterranean Diet work?

Because this is an eating pattern – not a structured diet – you're on your own to figure out how many calories you should eat to lose or maintain your weight, what you'll do to stay active and how you'll shape your Mediterranean menu.

What food can you eat on Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet pyramid should help get you started. The pyramid emphasises eating fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, and flavorful herbs and spices; fish and seafood at least a couple of times a week; and poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt in moderation, while saving sweets and red meat for special occasions. 

Top it off with a splash of red wine (if you want), remember to stay physically active and you're set.Fruits and veggies take up the most space on the Mediterranean food pyramid. Fill up on plant foods at least twice a week, preferably more.

• Olive oil is a cooking staple in Mediterranean recipes, and a key salad dressing ingredient.

• Whole grains, beans, nuts and legumes are always allowed.

• Fish and seafood are recommended at least twice weekly.

• Wine (in moderation and if you drink) and water are typical Mediterranean beverages.

Do: Load up on whole grains and veggies.

Build your Mediterranean diet around these, and of course, feel free to throw in a few olives.

What food can’t you eat on Mediterranean Diet?

• There’s no “can’t” on the Mediterranean diet, but cutting way down on sweets is recommended.

• Red meat should be eaten sparingly. In many Mediterranean recipes, meat is used in small quantities to flavor rather than dominate a dish.

• Eggs and poultry are occasional foods, in moderate portions.

• Cheese and yogurt are traditional Mediterranean foods, also in moderate portions.

While certainly not required, a glass a day for women and two a day for men is fine if your doctor says so. Red wine has gotten a boost because it contains resveratrol, a compound that seems to add years to life – but you'd have to drink hundreds or thousands of glasses to get enough resveratrol to possibly make a difference.

How much does Mediterranean Diet cost?

The cost of the Mediterranean diet, like most aspects of the diet, depends on how you shape it. While some ingredients (olive oil, nuts, fish and fresh produce in particular) can be expensive, you can find ways to keep the tab reasonable – especially if you're replacing red meats and meals with plant-based home cooking, some research suggests. Your shopping choices matter, too. Snag whatever veggies are on sale that day, rather than the $5-a-piece artichokes.

Will Mediterranean Diet help you lose weight?

The Mediterranean diet might help you lose weight. While some people fear that eating a diet like the Mediterranean diet that is relatively rich in fats (think olive oil, olives, avocado and some cheese) will keep them fat, more and more research is suggesting the opposite is true. 

Of course, it depends on which aspects you adopt and how it compares to your current diet. If, for instance, you build a "calorie deficit" into your plan – eating fewer calories than your daily recommended max or burning off extra by exercising – you should shed some kgs. How quickly and whether you keep them off is up to you.

How easy is Mediterranean Diet to follow?

Because Mediterranean diets don't ban entire food groups, you shouldn't have trouble complying long term.

The Mediterranean diet can be convenient. When you want to cook, there's a recipe and complementary wine that'll transport you across the Atlantic. Oldways' consumer-friendly tips will make meal planning and prepping easier. And you can eat out, as long as you bring someone along to share the hefty entrees.

Oldways offers numerous Mediterranean recipes, including this guide featuring meals that all cost $5 or less a serving. Otherwise, a simple Google search will turn up lots of healthy Mediterranean meal ideas.

If you eat out while following the Mediterranean diet, embrace the diet's affinity for sharing by ordering one entree for the two of you. And be sure to start with a house salad or order extra veggies a la carte to get your fill.

You may save time on the Mediterranean diet by cooking and storing meals ahead of time; otherwise, you'll have to hire somebody to plan, shop for and prepare your meals, if your time is more valuable than your wallet.

You'll find lots of free Mediterranean diet resources on the Oldways website, including an easy-to-understand food pyramid; a printable grocery list; gender- and age-specific tips on making the Mediterranean switch; a quick-read "starter" brochure; a recipe newsletter; and even a glossary defining Mediterranean staples, from bruschetta to tapenade.

Hunger shouldn't be a problem on this diet; fiber and healthy fats are filling, and you'll be eating lots of fiber-packed produce and whole grains, and cooking with satiating fats like olive oil. Nutrition experts emphasise the importance of satiety, the satisfied feeling that you've had enough.

You're making everything, so if something doesn't taste good, you know who to blame.

How much should you exercise on Mediterranean Diet?

Exercise is required on the Mediterranean diet – but it doesn't have to feel like exercise.

Walking, often a central part of a Mediterranean lifestyle, is a good place to start, but add whatever you like into the mix – be it Jazzercise, gardening or Pilates. Do anything you can stick with.

Adults are generally encouraged to get at least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity activity each week, along with a couple days of muscle-strengthening activities.