Those are the claims by proponents of a Mediterranean style diet.
But is this all hype or can this diet approach really improve health?
Let’s take a closer look…
First, what is a Mediterranean diet? A Mediterranean dietary lifestyle includes fairly high amounts of protein mostly from fish, poultry, beans and nuts. It is low in red meat. This eating style also includes a fairly low percentage of carbohydrate (compared to a typical American diet), most of which is derived from fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fat consumption is higher than some people may be used to, but it is mostly from “healthy” fats from fish, olives and nuts.
So how does this diet compare with other diets? If you’re familiar with my previous article “Let’s Keep the Debate Going Over Diets,” you’ll know that I and many other health experts are proposing a realignment of the American diet to increase the proportion of quality protein and good fats consumed and drastically reduce the amount of carbohydrates taken in.
The typical American diet is so heavily weighted towards carbs that it is making us a fat nation. Worse, it is causing a tremendous rise in cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. This type of diet is also very inflammatory. It causes the body to over-react with inflammation resulting in arthritis and other inflammatory ailments such as PMS, fibromyalgia, etc.
The Mediterranean style diet closely resembles the ideal eating habits I propose to my patients and that I have included in my diet for years. I must admit that my Mediterranean heritage steered me towards this type of eating long before I knew of any health benefits. I grew up eating like this. And as an aside my cholesterol has never gone over 160, my blood pressure is low-normal and my skin is still quite elastic and heals quickly–a testament to this lifestyle.
Good sources of protein such as fish, shellfish, poultry, beans, nuts and seeds play an important role. Red meat is minimized and can be taken out all together if desired with no loss of protein.
Carbohydrates are mostly fruits and vegetables which are not only good sources of healthy carbs but are high in fiber and antioxidants. Other sources of carbohydrate are whole grain products such as long grain rice, whole wheat pasta and pita bread.
Foods such as berries, prunes, pomegranate and red wine add lots of antioxidants, which is crucial to prevent cancer, premature aging and arthritis.
Is this dietary lifestyle right for you?
If you like fish, shellfish, fruits and vegetables, olives, nuts and red wine, you’ll love this way of life. Many people may not know if this is right for them because they have no idea what Mediterranean food is like or don’t know how to prepare it.
For these folks, I have found an outstanding resource on the web that has a complete Mediterranean Diet plan that can be used to lose unwanted pounds and inches or you can tailor it to maintain your weight and help your fight against heart disease, cancer, arthritis and diabetes. Mediterranean Diet Plan details can be found here.
And for those that just don’t enjoy this type of food, but want the health benefits, a fairly new product called Med-Forte is now available. This daily diet supplement gives you all the essential elements of a Mediterranean diet in capsule form. It’s made by a pharmaceutical grade manufacturer that I have done business with for over 20 years. So you can trust the purity and quality. More details about Med-Forte can be found here.
The Mediterranean style diet is more than a fad. It’s an eating lifestyle that has stood the test of time. The fare from this scenic region is not only colorful and delicious, but is healthy. Whether you are interested in losing weight or just maintaining your optimum weight this is a diet plan that can work for you. The bonus is that you will also be helping your heart stay healthy and can stave off many inflammatory diseases.
All this talk has made me hungry! I can smell the seafood risotto from here…ciao!
To your abundant health,
Dr. Barry L Marks, DC
