Getting a Mediterranean Frame of Mind and Diet

Winter's history. Add some sunshine to your diet with the flavorful foods of the Mediterranean region.

Getting in a Mediterranean frame of mind also is a great way to eat more healthfully. A traditional Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil as well as fruits, vegetables and grains, has been correlated with heart-healthful benefits, lowering cancer risk and other health advantages.

"Heart disease is among the leading causes of death in the United States, and despite all the advances in treatment, it's still better if we can prevent the disease. One of the best ways to prevent heart disease is through diet and exercise," said dean of the University of South Carolina's School of Public Health.

But, because diet modification is difficult for many people, a Mediterranean-style diet may offer a healthful, more palatable option. He favors the Mediterranean diet over other traditional ethnic diets that show promise in preventing chronic disease because he believes it is easier to sustain than very low-fat diets. In addition, many of the foods are more familiar and easier to find.

There is no single, typical Mediterranean diet. Diets vary not only from country to country in the Mediterranean area, but also among regions within countries. However, there is a consensus among health professionals that a traditional Mediterranean-style diet is more healthful than the American diet because it includes more grains, such as pasta and couscous, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and olive oil. It is a diet high in soluble fiber, antioxidants and other important nutrients.

The greatest difference is that red meat is much less important in the Mediterranean diet, with cheese and yogurt, along with eggs, poultry and fish constituting the predominant sources of protein. The American Heart Association, while noting health benefits that are correlated with a Mediterranean diet, recommends a diet with fewer calories coming from fat. And the Mediterranean-style diet is not a low-fat regimen.

About 30 to 40 percent of calories in a Mediterranean diet come from fat, about the same as in the typical American diet. The difference is that because of the emphasis on fruits, vegetables, grains and olive oil -- a monounsaturated fat-- saturated fat accounts for only 8 percent of calories in the Mediterranean diet. This level of saturated fat is lower than the average in the American diet and is within the Heart Association's dietary guidelines.

A low-fat diet can help prevent heart disease, but people tend not to remain on a low-fat diet.

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