Carissa Anderson
Elite Nutrition Intern

You don’t have to live by the sea in order to reap the rewards of a Mediterranean lifestyle. Fads come and go and that’s why they are not the answer for people who truly want to be healthy. The top Mediterranean foods are healthy and can be combined to make the most mouth-watering dishes. This heart-healthy diet has significant benefits, such as lowering LDL (bad cholesterol), reducing the risk for heart disease and it is credited to lowering risk for cancer. If you eat a variety of the Mediterranean foods in the right portions, you can lose weight the healthy way. So are you just dying to know what exactly is in the Mediterranean Diet?

Mediterranean Staples:

• Fruits & Vegetables
• Legumes
• Whole Grains
• Fish
• Olive oil & Nuts

In Moderation:

• Dairy Products
• Red Meat & Poultry
• Red Wine & Alcohol

Choice of fat is significant here. Eating Mediterranean means obtaining most fat from healthy sources. Olive oil is good for the digestive system, full of antioxidants that can prevent artery clogging, and contains monounsaturated rather than saturated fat. Saturated fat, found in animal products, is loaded with cholesterol and should be consumed in small doses. So don’t lather your bread with margerine or butter, rather dip it in heart-healthy olive oil. The other healthy fat is Omega-3 fatty acid. Fish are an excellent source, although some are richer on Omega-3’s than others. More on Omega-3 benefits and sources can be found here.

The Mediterranean diet is also about family. Many families spend every evening around the dinner table. It is important to create an experience around meal time. It is not just about the food, but the people we share it with. Pour yourself a glass of wine, visit, catch up from the day’s happenings, and enjoy a little relaxation. You can build mouth-watering meals around fruits and vegetables. There are so many ways to prepare vegetable dishes. If you find yourself in a rut check out recipes at EatingWell. Rather than featuring meat as the main entree, use small amounts of high quality cuts for flavoring, such as pancetta or proscutto. It is also very Mediterranean to season with herbs instead of salt, try fresh rosemary, thyme, basil.  And most importantly, allow yourself to feel indulgent. Sip wine and savor every bite. Living Mediterranean is not about deprivation. It is about pleasure.

For more on discovering the pleausures of healthy eating I recommend “Mediterranean Women Stay Slim, Too”.