Chapter 1

A Guided Tour through the Mediterranean Diet

IN THIS CHAPTER

Discovering the key components of the Mediterranean diet

Recognizing key differences between the Mediterranean diet and a traditional Western diet

Taking a look at the health benefits

The Mediterranean diet is a way of life — one where you eat lots of fresh food and slow down. More technically, the Mediterranean diet is a modern set of guidelines inspired by traditional diet patterns of southern Italy, the Greek island of Crete, and other parts of Greece. The lifestyle was first researched in the 1960s, and in 2010, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially recognized this diet pattern to be part of the cultural heritage of Italy, Greece, Spain, and Morocco. There are a lot of similarities between how all of these countries eat, including a more rural lifestyle being a common thread among these regions.

This chapter gives you an overview of the Mediterranean diet, explaining what it is, what it includes, and how it’s more than just a food plan; it’s also a way to embrace and enjoy life.

Introducing the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Sea, connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the thin (14-mile wide) Strait of Gibraltar in the west and to the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea by the Dardanelles and the Bosporus in the east, has long played an important role in the civilizations that border it. Surrounded by the coastlines of 21 countries — Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Libya, Malta, Montenegro, and Spain to name just a few — it has been an important route for merchants and travelers and a primary source of food for the civilizations that sprang up around it. The climate in the Mediterranean region — hot and dry in the summer and mild and rainy in the winter — lends itself to crops like olives, figs, and grapes; and the rocky, coastal terrain is more suitable for sheep, goats, and chicken than the staple of traditional western diets: beef. The nearby sea provides an abundance and variety of seafood.

This region has long fascinated and inspired the Western world in terms of governance, philosophy, science, mathematics, art, architecture, and more. Now, studies that draw direct links between what’s called the Mediterranean diet and reduced risks for heart disease, reduced incidence of cancer and cancer deaths, and reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease have given people another reason to embrace the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean diet relies on fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources, and healthy fats — hallmarks of all healthy diets. So you may be wondering what makes this diet different. Here’s a quick overview of the Mediterranean diet and its effects; the next sections provide a fuller introduction to these concepts:

• The recommended proportions: If you look at the Mediterranean food pyramid (see Figure 1-1), you can see a couple of interesting things, the first of which is that the food groups you may be accustomed to (dairy, meats and other proteins, fruits, and vegetables) are regrouped. Specifically, all the plant-based foods — fruits, vegetables, and foods (like grains, legumes, nuts, olives, olive oil, herbs, and spices) that come from plants — are all in one group, and the proteins are divided into no less than three categories, with chicken grouped with dairy products, and red meat stuck at the top with sweets. This division is a key reason why the Mediterranean diet is so healthful: It includes a specific balance of foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and contain the optimum balance of fatty acids.
• The holistic nature of the diet: The second thing you may notice about the food pyramid is that its foundation isn’t a food group. It’s a call to live a physically active life and to enjoy meals with others.

The Mediterranean Food Guide Pyramid is based on the dietary traditions of the Greek island of Crete, other parts of Greece, and southern Italy around 1960, when chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer were low. As Figure 1-1 shows, the focus is on eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and seafood; eating less meat; and choosing healthy fats such as olive oil. Note also the importance of fun activities, time shared with family and friends, and a passion for life.

Cooking with healthy fats

Although Mediterranean residents don’t consume a lowfat diet, their dietary pattern is considered heart-healthy. How can that be? Because not all fats are created equal. People in the Mediterranean consume more of the healthier types of fats (monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids) and less of the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and saturated fats other cultures tend to overload on.

The good news: Eating Mediterranean cooking doesn’t mean you have to go on a lowfat diet. You just have to maintain a healthier ratio of these different groups of fats. In fact, people in the Mediterranean consume about 35 percent of their total daily calories from fat but less than 8 percent of their calories come from saturated fats (in the United States the average intake of saturated fats is 11 percent of daily calories).

The trick is to focus on the different types of fats, tipping the balance toward healthy monounsaturated fat sources such as olive oil, canola oil, olives, nuts, and avocadoes and away from saturated fats such as animal fats. Using monounsaturated fats is often associated with better heart health. Eating a good amount of dietary fat also helps to keep you feeling full for a longer period of time.

To find out more about the role of healthy fats and olive oil in particular, head to Chapter 4.

Making plant-based foods the foundation of every meal

One of the most important concepts of the Mediterranean diet pattern is consuming lots of plant foods such as fruits, veggies, legumes (beans, lentils, and peas, for example), and whole grains, such as bulgur wheat or barley. In fact, people in the Mediterranean commonly eat seven to ten servings of fruits and vegetables each day, which often means having two to three vegetable servings with each meal. The legumes and whole grains are the other daily staples. Foods in these categories are naturally low in calories and high in nutrients, which makes weight and health management easy.

Following is a variety of the plant-based foods that are grown in the Mediterranean and feature prominently in the Mediterranean diet:

• Legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, peas
• Fruits: Olives, mandarin oranges, figs, grapes, lemons, persimmons, pomegranates
• Grains: Barley, corn, rice, wheat
• Nuts: Almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, walnuts
• Vegetables: Asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, green beans, garlic, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, broccoli rabe, artichokes

Chapters 3 through 7 feature the details of the benefits of all these plant-based foods.

Eating seafood weekly

Seafood is a weekly staple in the Mediterranean diet, and with good reason. First, it’s a local product. The least expensive seafood in the Mediterranean region includes sardines, anchovies, mackerel, squid, and octopus. Mid-priced fish and shellfish include tuna, trout, clams, and mussels. For a pricey, special occasion meal, options include lobster and red mullet.

During the 1960s, before the area was overfished, a variety of seafood was available in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, fish stocks today are significantly low due to overfishing, and many important species, such as tuna, are threatened.

Second, seafood is a great source of those coveted omega-3 fatty acids. You can add seafood to a few weekly meals and reap the same benefits. If you live near a coast, you have a great opportunity to find fresh fish in your local stores and restaurants. If you’re landlocked, don’t discount lakes and rivers for fresh fish.

Don’t like fish or don’t have access to high-quality fish? Most Americans don’t get the recommended 8 ounces per week. Not to fret! You can get omega-3 in other ways like by eating walnuts and flaxseeds or by taking a fish oil supplement with fatty acids, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

Limiting your consumption of red meat

Many people automatically consider protein foods such as beef, poultry, pork, and fish as an entree. But in the Mediterranean, beef is only served once or twice a month rather than several times a week, as it is in many U.S. kitchens. And when it does hit the table, it’s usually as a small (2- to 3-ounce) side dish rather than an 8-plus-ounce entree. This habit helps ensure a reasonable intake of saturated fats and omega-6 fatty acids. (See the section “Cooking with healthy fats” earlier in this chapter for info on why balancing fat intake is important.)

Red meat used to be a luxury item in rural parts of the Mediterranean, so folks there ate it less frequently. Even though it’s now more accessible to the average Joe, the serving limits have stuck over the years.

Before you panic, keep in mind that the Mediterranean...