The Mediterranean Diet: Much about Lifestyle

The Mediterranean Diet is based on traditional whole-grain breads, pasta, rice, couscous, polenta, bulgur, other grains, and potatoes. Fresh vegetables and fruits along with beans, legumes, and nuts are also consumed in large amounts. Olive oil is the main source of fat in the diet, although omega-3 fatty acids from fish are also an important component. Dairy products are consumed in much smaller amounts and usually in the form of yogurt or fermented cheeses. Fish is the main source of animal protein, followed by poultry, eggs, and, occasionally, red meat. Sweets are an occasional treat. Wine usually produced by local growers, is consumed on a regular basis, but generally in moderation.

While diet is not the same throughout the entire Mediterranean area which includes Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and North Africa, one common denominator that scientists discovered is the low consumption of saturated fatty acids because of the plant-based nature of the cuisine.

The Mediterranean Diet is also as much about lifestyle as it is food. The people are active, and their foods are whole, natural, and inherently more tasty than the highly processed foods consumed in the United States. The sources of fats in the diet are mono-unsaturated, primarily olive oil, which represents 40 percent of the calorie intake.

They do eat a high amount of fat, although it is mono-unsaturated the good fat. In part, that's probably why they don't snack or overeat. Fat is very satisfying. Low-fat and no-fat processed foods, virtually unheard of in the Mediterranean, have not helped the nation's dietary well-being.

I think it's pretty much a documented fact that Americans went to the extreme with these kinds of foods. They may not be high-fat, but many are high-calorie, and few are nutritious, certainly nowhere near as good as eating a luscious piece of fruit that provides nutrients, fiber, and phytochemicals, which we are finding prevents a lot of diseases.

In the Mediterranean Diet, foods are as close to their natural state as possible. In the U.S., we have gone too far in making the use of fast foods, food substitutes, and prepared packaged meals a major component of our daily lives. Americans love fast foods, microwaveable foods, and as a result of the advent of TV dinners in the 1950s, we have forgotten how to cook.


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