The Mediterranean Diet and Healthy Eating

May is International Mediterranean Diet Month and highlights a diet that is thought to be one of the healthiest in the world. Although it is one of the oldest diets, it was not brought to the United States until 1931. Unfortunately, the word diet has been for the most part associated with restrictions in how we eat. Fad diets ask us to eliminate entire food groups and demonize certain essential macromolecules such as fat. Serving at the Pittsburgh Mercy Family Health Center as Health Navigator has allowed me to open a different kind of discussion around food, nutrition, and how it is linked to overall health and well-being. Therefore, when I talk about diet with my patients, it is usually not in a restrictive sense, but used as a gold standard for good health.

Taking a look at the Mediterranean diet reveals that it encourages a fruit and vegetable heavy eating pattern as well as one rich in whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes and seeds, and various herbs and spices. In fact, the Mediterranean diet has its own modified food pyramid:

The foods in this diet are rich in antioxidants as well as healthy fats. Nuts such as walnuts and oily fish such as salmon and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have been implicated in numerous health benefits. These fatty acids aid in normal body functioning and have been linked to protection from heart disease, stroke, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and autoimmune disorders1. Mono and Poly unsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, so consumption of these is strongly suggested by the American Heart Association2. Furthermore, the diet doesn’t cut out food groups, making it easier for people to stick with it. In my experience, nutrition education can get repetitive quickly, but if it is framed in a way that highlights how it fits into your life rather than how it can be taken out of your life, it immediately becomes a more appealing topic to discuss.
Beyond the intrinsic nutritional value of the Mediterranean diet is its willingness to celebrate cooking, eating in moderation, being active, and most importantly, eating together. Stress hinders digestion, so slowing down, relaxing, and enjoying a meal with people can only invite health. So, I invite everyone to give the Mediterranean diet a try.

References:

1) http://www.ncpresbytery.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/May-2016-Internat...
2) http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Mediterranean-...