HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR MEDITERRANEAN DIET: CLASSIC OR GREEN?
I’m sure you’ve heard that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest eating plans you can follow. It’s a way of eating based on the traditional foods of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea such as Greece, Italy, France and Spain. Now, a study suggests that a new “green” version of the diet may be even healthier.
I searched online for a concise look at the Mediterranean diet and found an article by the Mayo Clinic Staff titled Mediterranean diet: A heart-healthy eating plan. Here are excerpts:
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The main components of the diet include:
- Daily consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats
- Weekly intake of fish, poultry, beans and eggs
- Moderate portions of dairy products
- Limited intake of red meat
Other important elements of the Mediterranean diet are sharing meals with family and friends, enjoying a glass of red wine and being physically active.
Plant based, not meat based
The foundation of the Mediterranean diet is vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, beans and whole grains. Meals are built around these plant-based foods. Moderate amounts of dairy, poultry and eggs are also central to the diet, as is seafood. In contrast, red meat is eaten only occasionally.
Healthy fats
Healthy fats are a mainstay of the Mediterranean diet. They’re eaten instead of less healthy fats, such as saturated and trans fats, which contribute to heart disease.
Olive oil is the primary source of added fat in the diet. Olive oil provides monounsaturated fat, which has been found to lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol levels. Nuts and seeds also contain monounsaturated fat.
Fish are also important in the Mediterranean diet. Fatty fish — such as mackerel, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, salmon and lake trout — are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat that may reduce inflammation in the body. Omega-3 fatty acids also help decrease triglycerides, reduce blood clotting, and decrease the risk of stroke and heart failure.
Eating the Mediterranean way
Interested in trying the Mediterranean diet? These tips will help you get started:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables.Aim for 7 to 10 servings a day of fruit and vegetables.
- Opt for whole grains.Switch to whole-grain bread, cereal and pasta. Experiment with other whole grains, such as bulgur and farro.
- Use healthy fats.Try olive oil as a replacement for butter when cooking. Instead of putting butter or margarine on bread, try dipping it in flavored olive oil.
- Eat more seafood.Eat fish twice a week. Fresh or water-packed tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and herring are healthy choices. Grilled fish tastes good and requires little cleanup. Avoid deep-fried fish.
- Reduce red meat.Substitute fish, poultry or beans for meat. If you eat meat, make sure it’s lean and keep portions small.
- Enjoy some dairy.Eat low-fat Greek or plain yogurt and small amounts of a variety of cheeses.
The Green Med diet
Lately, an even “greener” version of the diet is making the news. Here’s an excerpt from the March 2021 Harvard Heart Letter article “Green” Mediterranean diet: Better than the original?
A variation of the Mediterranean diet that includes more green plant foods may be even better for you, a small study suggests.
The study included 294 sedentary, moderately obese people whom researchers randomly divided into three groups. Each received different dietary advice: a standard healthy diet, a low-calorie Mediterranean diet, or a “green” Med diet. Both Mediterranean diet groups included about a quarter-cup of walnuts daily, and poultry and fish replaced beef and lamb.
People following the green version of the diet were also encouraged to drink three to four cups of green tea daily, along with a daily shake made with duckweed, an aquatic plant that’s high in protein.
After six months, people following the “green Med” diet reaped the most health benefits compared with the other two groups. They experienced greater improvements in several heart-related risk factors, including decreases in body weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, and C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation). The study was published online Nov. 23, 2020, by the journal Heart.
You shouldn’t go wrong following either the classic Mediterranean diet or going even further to the “green Med” meal plan.