The Anti-Fad Diet: Eating the Mediterranean Way
As we reviewed in our January webinar, Nutrition Mythbusting: Fad Diets, any diet will likely lead to short-term results but will inevitably be followed by the return of any weight lost (1, 2). I urged you to reframe the way we think about a diet. However, there are at least two exceptions backed by scientific evidence: the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.
Although the Mediterranean Diet is called a “diet,” it is not typical in the way we have come to understand diets. The Mediterranean Diet is a way of eating and a lifestyle that celebrates foods and helps guide decisions about how often we should be eating them. The Mediterranean Diet suggests drinking water and eating certain foods every day: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds and olive oil. Seafood should be consumed often, at least two times per week. Other proteins and dairy products (poultry, eggs, cheese, yogurt) should be eaten weekly in moderate portions. Meats, sweets, and wine are consumed less often. The Mediterranean Diet also highlights the importance of physical activity and the social aspect of eating.
Backed by strong evidence over many years, the Mediterranean Diet is associated with a lower risk of some cancers, better cognitive performance and improved metabolic risk factors such as cholesterol and triglyceride levels (3, 4, 5). To learn more about scientific studies backing the Mediterranean Diet, visit the Oldways Health Studies page, reviewed by a registered dietitian.
Here are ways to eat the Mediterranean way this New Year:
Each DAY:
Make your own salad dressing with olive oil: mix together equal parts olive oil and vinegar (balsamic, red wine, white wine, or apple cider), a squirt of Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.
Opt for more whole grains: mix white and brown rice together.
Carry an apple or banana and a packet of nut butter in your bag as a snack.
Use more canned beans in soups and dips. Try a quick Three Bean Salad: drain 1 15-ounce can each of chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans and combine with 1 cup chopped green beans, ½ cup chopped celery, ¼ cup chopped red onion, ¼ cup chopped parsley, juice of 1 lemon, 1 Tb olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
Each WEEK:
Defrost frozen shrimp for a shrimp and vegetable stir fry with brown rice.
Make a quick salmon salad: mash together 1 6-ounce can salmon, 2 Tb chopped scallion greens, 1 Tb capers, half of an avocado, juice of ½ lemon, and pepper. Serve with celery sticks, cucumber slices, and brown rice cakes.
Hard boil 2 eggs as a snack.
Sprinkle flax meal and oat bran on 1 cup of yogurt, peanut butter, and berries for a breakfast with added fiber.
Each MONTH:
Enjoy a 3-ounce steak.
Savor an ice cream sundae with friends
References
(1) Pietilainen KH et al. Does dieting make you fat? A twin study. International Journal of Obesity 2012;36:456-464.
(2) Lowe MR et al. Dieting and restrained eating as prospective predictors of weight gain. Frontiers in Psychology 2013;4(577):1-7.
(3) Schwingshackl L et al. Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Risk of Cancer: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2017;9:1063.
(4) Petersson SD and Philippou E. Mediterranean Diet, Cognitive Function, and Dementia: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Adv Nutr 2016;7:889-904.
(5) Malakou E et al. The Combined Effect of Promoting the Mediterranean Diet and Physical Activity on Metabolic Risk Factors in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Nutrients 2018;10:1577.
