With increasing evidence of the benefits of following a Mediterranean style pattern of eating on long term health, more and people are looking to incorporate it into their own diet.

But what does it mean to follow a Mediterranean diet, and how can you incorporate aspects of the diet into your day-to-day life?

What are the benefits of the diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is associated with improvements in both physical and mental health, and reduced risk of developing several chronic health conditions.

Some examples of the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet include (1, 2):

  • Improved heart health
  • Reduced risk of developing diabetes
  • Improved blood glucose control for those who have diabetes
  • Reduced risk of developing some types of cancer and improved survival rates for diagnosed cancers in conjunction with conventional medical treatment
  • Reduced blood pressure
  • Lower cholesterol
  • Reduced risk of cognitive decline including Alzheimer’s and dementia
  • Increased life expectancy
  • And the list goes on!

The benefits of the diet come from come from a mix of different factors in the overall dietary pattern, rather than any one food item (3). However, the diet doesn’t have to be followed perfectly to get at least some benefit out of it. Research shows that every 2 points higher on a scoring system for adherence to the Mediterranean Diet can have some reduction in overall risk factors (1). This means that while the closer a person follows it the more health benefits there are, there is still some benefit even if you aren’t doing it perfectly.

More than just tomatoes.

The Mediterranean Diet is not a specific “diet” with rules to follow, nor does it mean that you need to eat certain foods or cuisines. The Mediterranean Diet is a pattern of eating based on the inclusion of lots of foods from some food groups, and smaller to moderate amounts of others.

The dietary pattern includes:

  • A high intake of plant foods including fruit, vegetables, with an emphasis on protein from plant-based sources such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes
  • Inclusion of ‘healthy’ fats mainly from olive oil, as well as from avocado, nuts, seeds, and seafood
  • Moderate intake of dairy products
  • Moderate intake of fish and seafood
  • Low intake of meats
  • Low to moderate intake of poultry and eggs
  • Moderate intake of red wine, usually in social settings and with meals

The Mediterranean diet also includes regular physical activity and shared meal. As well as benefiting physical health, these factors play an important role in mental and social wellbeing.

Following the Mediterranean Diet doesn’t have to be complicated, nor does it mean overhauling your entire diet or following fancy recipes.

Simple ways to incorporate it into your diet:

One of the best ways to make a simple dietary change, is to focus on what you can have MORE of, rather than what to eat less of. This is especially true of the Mediterranean Diet, which has emphasis on a higher intake of certain foods groups, especially healthy fats, and plant foods.

When it comes to incorporating elements of the Mediterranean Diet into your usual diet, consider the parts of the diet that are in abundance, and aim to include these more often.

Healthy fats:

Known for playing a role in cardiovascular and brain health, healthy fats are an important feature of the Mediterranean Diet. Aim to include plenty of Omega-3 fats from sources such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and fish and seafood.

Including more healthy fats could mean:

  • Using olive oil as your main cooking oil
  • Using olive oil-based salad dressings
  • Swapping butter for avocado on sandwiches
  • Including fish and seafood a couple of days per week for dinner
  • Snacking on tinned tuna or salmon on crackers
  • Using tinned tuna or salmon on a sandwich or in a salad or buddha bowl for a quick and easy lunch

Plant-based proteins:

These are found in foods such as nuts and seeds, whole grains, and legumes. Some ideas for including more of these include:

  • Using legumes in salads, smashed on toast, in curries, soups, pasta sauces, or dried for a snack. Check out this article for some ideas and recipes for including more legumes in your diet
  • Swapping to whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals where possible
  • Using brown rice instead of white rice
  • Adding whole grains like quinoa or pearl barley into a salad or buddha bowl
  • Using nut butters on toast or crackers for a snack
  • Blending nut butters into a smoothie for a quick breakfast
  • Snacking on nuts or sprinkling nuts onto a salad or muesli
  • Sprinkling seeds onto a salad, or adding them to a breakfast cereal, muesli, or porridge
  • Use tofu in stir fries

Fruit and veg:

Adding some extra veggies and fruit through the day can mean being creative or keeping it simple – it’s up to you! Consider these ideas:

  • Using pre-chopped salads from the supermarket for a quick side salad with a main meal or to add some veggies onto a sandwich
  • Making a quick smoothie with some fresh frozen fruit such as mango, berries, or banana
  • Having fresh fruit for dessert or a snack
  • Adding fruit to a savoury salad for something different, such as grapes, watermelon, or strawberries
  • Add extra veggies into a pasta, curry, stir fry, or stew. For example:
    • Stir fries work well with things like baby corn, carrot, Asian greens, broccoli, broccolini, capsicum, zucchini, pumpkin, and more!
    • Curries work well with pumpkin, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, or eggplant
    • A pasta dish can go with spinach, carrots, green beans, asparagus, or zucchini for example
  • Make up a veggie-based soup with some legumes to freeze for lunches. Serve with whole grain toast for some added grains

Have questions? Then book in today! Our team provide individualised dietary advice to best maximise your health in a way that works for you!

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References:

  1. Guasch-Ferré, M, Willett, WC. The Mediterranean diet and health: a comprehensive overview. J Intern Med2021; 290: 549– 566.
  2. Rosato, Valentina & Temple, Norman & Vecchia, Carlo & Castellan, Giorgio & Tavani, Alessandra & Guercio, Valentina. Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Eur J Nutr. 2019;58. 10.1007/s00394-017-1582-0.
  3. Crous-Bou M, Fung TT, Prescott J, et al. Mediterranean diet and telomere length in Nurses’ Health Study: population based cohort study. BMJ. 2014;349:g6674. Published 2014 Dec 2. doi:10.1136/bmj.g6674