Rampant obesity and epidemic rates of heart disease plague North America, and Americans have been urged to adopt a more Mediterranean style of eating. However, as more Americans embrace this healthy way of eating, more Mediterraneans are consuming western diets and suffering from the same onslaught of diet-related illnesses seen in the U.S.
Benefits of Eating Mediterranean Foods
Mediterranean diets are associated with lower rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease, according to Courtney Hutchinson of the ABC News Medical Unit. The Mayo Clinic says that a study of 1.5 million people found that Mediterranean diets produce lower incidence of death due to cardiovascular illness, lower cancer rates and fewer cancer deaths as well as fewer cases of Parkinson's disease.
The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid
Picture the Mediterranean diet in terms of a pyramid configuration. The lowest and largest section of the pyramid is composed of plant-based foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, herbs and spices. These foods should form the basis of every meal. Even the fats are healthy in a Mediterranean diet, because they are plant-based. Olive oil is the principal source of fat in the Mediterranean diet, according to the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." The second-largest food group is fish and seafood, which should be eaten at least twice per week. Moderate portions of poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt can be eaten daily to weekly. Meats and sweets are the smallest group and should be eaten less frequently.
Using Mediterranean-type Foods
You can gradually switch to a Mediterranean style of eating by adopting small steps such as choosing fresh fruit as your daily dessert. Oenophiles will be glad to learn that wine is part of the Mediterranean style of eating, as long as it is consumed with meals in low to moderate amounts, according to "AJCN." Mayo Clinic suggests using olive or canola oil in the place of butter and relying more on your spice rack and less on your salt shaker to add flavor to foods.
Cost Difference
A downside of attempting to eat in the Mediterranean style is that fresh, wholesome foods tend to be more expensive. According to Dr. Carla Wolper, senior clinical nutritionist at New York Obesity Research Center, fresh produce and dairy products tend to cost 10 times more per 100 calories than the chips, snacks and processed foods that Americans crave.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Mediterranean Diet: Choose This Heart-Healthy Diet Option; June 2010
- ABC News/Health; Mediterraneans Ditch Their Famously Healthy Diet; Courtney Hutchinson; July 2011
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Mediterranean Diet Pyramid: A Cultural Model for Healthy Eating; W.C. Willet, et al.; June 1995
