A Mediterranean Diet, which is based in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and less refined carbohydrates and saturated fats, is much like that of a general healthy diet prescribed by physicians and nutritionists alike. According to Dr. Helen Delichatsios, Internal Medicine Physician at Mass General Hospital and Director of Nutrition Education at Harvard Medical School, a Mediterranean-style diet is known to improve hearth health and help with weight control.
“Studies looking at a Mediterranean pattern diet have shown that people from certain countries had lower risk of heart disease and overall death,” explains Delichatsios. “And if you have a diet that’s heavy in plants and fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains, you can eat more volume and therefore feel fulller with fewer calories.”
But she notes, “With any weight loss program you also have to look at portion control—so it’s not just the food choices but the amounts of food that you eat.”
Here, Dr. Delichatsios lays out the guidelines for eating like the Mediterranean.
- Pile on the produce: Delichatsios says to choose fruits and vegetables that are both in season and bright in color to ensure taste, essential nutrients and antioxidants. “Antioxidants have shown to prevent cancer. So the yellows, the oranges, the squash, the spinach, blueberries, those are all the essentials with good antioxidant properties.” Get your fill by making salads a main course, keeping cut up veggies handy for snacking, adding fruit to your salads, or by mixing up fruit and yogurt smoothies.
- Go nuts: Nuts contain antioxidants and other nutrients that are essential to a healthy diet. And they have a low glycemic index, which has a steadying effect on blood sugar. “Be cautious with nuts,” warns Delichatsios, “because they’re very caloric dense. So they’re a great way to add a little bit of fat and calories and can be satiating. However if you’re eating too many than you’re eating a lot of calories and you can negate the effects that are beneficial.”
- Grab the whole grains: Whole grains contain more vitamins, minerals and protein than refined grains—think whole grain bread, brown rice and wheat wraps over white bread, white rice and flour tortillas. “The important thing here is to look at the ingredients,” notes Delichatsios. "Make sure the first ingredient on the package is whole grains. Because sometimes the package will say ‘made with whole grains’ but it doesn’t really have that many whole grains in it.”
- Eat good fats: Good, healthy fats found in the Mediterranean diet come from olive oil, canola oil, nuts, and fish. Avoid saturated fat, which is anything that comes from animal products: red meat, whole milk, whole cheese, butter, etc.
- Spice it up: Mediterranean cuisine benefits from a climate ideal for growing spices and herbs, which impart flavor and variety. “People often equate healthy with bland or not good tasting, but this diet can change that perception,” says Delichatsios. “Different aromatics can help with just making food more appealing and tasting both visually and then smell and taste and those are all very important in making a healthy [meal].”
- Bean there, done that: Beans are chock full of protein and fiber, and are low in calories “so they’re a great source of energy that is healthy,” explains Delichatsios. Add any type of cooked or dried beans to soups, salads, rice dishes or substitute them for meat in casseroles and stews.
- Raise a glass to your health: Having a glass of wine with a meal is a staple of the Mediterranean diet. “For women, up to one glass a day and for men, up to two a day can be, as part of a healthy lifestyle, beneficial to heart health,” says Delichatsios. Studies show that wine contains flavonoids, which have demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer characteristics.
- Take it slow: Taking time to enjoy your food and savor the tastes is just as important to the success of the Mediterranean diet as what you eat is. “Eat slowly,” advises Delichatsios. “If you’re putting your fork down between bites, if you’re talking, it you’re taking a sip of water in between bites, at the end of the meal you end up eating less than you would have if you shoveled food in. The brain doesn’t sense satiety until after a certain time goes by, so if you’re eating too fast your brain might not be able to send the full signals to the stomach. So for that reason easting slower is helpful.”
Together with exercise, the Mediterranean diet is proven to help increase overall health and energy. Delichatsios says that if you follow the tips laid out here (while allowing your self dessert every once in a while!) you’ll be well on your way to living the life of the Mediterranean, regardless of where you call home.
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