It is pretty clear that the Mediterranean Diet is one of the healthiest ways to eat in the world. There are now thousands of studies that show that switching to this popular way of eating can decrease your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and even dementia, asthma, and alzheimer’s. The problem is that there is confusion about what a Mediterranean diet really is. If we go to a restaurant and order Mediterranean chicken pasta that comes with a half pound of spaghetti, another half pound (or more) of chicken, a half pound of cheese, and only a barely noticeable amount of vegetables than that is not a traditional Mediterranean dish!
The cuisines of the Mediterranean are quite varied. A typical Turkish meal is different from a traditional Spanish or Egyptian one, but what is not different are the base ingredients. Olive oil, vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds with some grains, animal products and moderate amounts of alcohol (not every country) are the staples of the diet. The base diet of these countries are heart healthy, anti-inflammatory, and generally very “good for you” foods. They are foods that are life sustaining instead of life depleting. The people of the Mediterranean celebrate cooking, eating and socializing. They don’t go on diets or count their calories, they just enjoy.
Switching to any new way of eating can feel overwhelming making people more likely to give up which is why we are suggesting you follow our “one step at a time” approach. Instead of trying to “become” Mediterranean overnight we recommend easing in over a period of a few weeks or even months. Many of you are choosing to try eating Mediterranean because of health reasons, but we think you will stay because of the lifestyle and the delicious food! Enjoy and (Bon appétit !)(T’boftë mire!)(Καλή όρεξη!)(Buon appetito!)(Bom apetite!)(Dober tek!)(¡Buen provecho! ¡Buen apetito!)(Afiyet olsun!)