The Mediterranean diet promotes numerous healthy practices, including eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, few processed foods and saturated fats and enjoying food with loved ones. However, the diet is not ideal for everyone. If you struggle with portion control, work best with specific dietary guidance or adhere to a strict vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, you may find the Mediterranean diet challenging. For best results, seek guidance from a qualified dietary professional.
Non-specific Guidelines
While the Mediterranean diet provides basic guidelines, such as basing your diet on fruits, vegetables and grains, it does not designate specific portion amounts. If you carry excess body weight and have difficulty sticking to appropriate portion sizes, or lack understanding as to what proper portions and quantities of food best suit you, you may find the diet frustrating.
Non-vegetarian
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes many plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and plant-based oils. The second most emphasized food group within the diet, however, involves fish and seafood, according to the Mayo Clinic. The diet encourages fish at least twice per week and modest amounts of poultry, eggs, cheese, yogurt and meats. If you partake in a strict vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, you may experience difficulty in creating balance and reaping sufficient protein at your meals.
Potentially High-fat, High-calorie
Nuts and olive oil are emphasized significantly in the Mediterranean diet. While nuts and olive oil are healthy fat sources, they are also dense in calories. If you are overweight or have difficulty controlling portions when it comes to nuts, seeds, oil and salad dressing, you may end up consuming rich amounts of fat and calories. The more fat and calories you consume, the greater your risk becomes for unhealthy weight gain and other health conditions. According to the American Heart Association, people who eat a Mediterranean diet tend to consume a high-fat diet, which increases your risk for obesity and obesity-related diseases, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Alcohol
The Mediterranean diet encourages low to moderate intake of alcohol. While modest alcohol consumption may provide benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health in middle age, it poses risks for some people. If you take a medication that interacts negatively with alcohol or are a woman of child-bearing age, even modest alcohol intake poses risks. Moderate alcohol consumption can also increase your risk for breast and colon cancer, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Alcohol is also dense in calories, can disrupt sleep and may lead to reduced metabolism and increased appetite.
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