Mediterranean Diet Plan

Health and nutrition experts alike espouse the value of the Mediterranean diet plan as a long-term, heart-healthy diet. The diet is based on the eating patterns of people who lived in Crete and southern Italy in the 1960s, before fast food and prepared foods arrived on their shores. During that time, natives of those regions enjoyed some of the longest life expectancies in the world, along with low incidences of coronary artery disease, some cancers, and other chronic, diet-related illnesses.

Basics

The basics of the Mediterranean food pyramid are relatively simple. Plant foods are central to the diet, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole-grain breads and cereals, potatoes and seeds. Desserts usually feature fresh fruit.

The major source of fat is olive oil, a heart-healthy monosaturated fat that contrasts with the saturated fats that have become mainstays of the traditional Western diet.

On the Mediterranean diet, you also eat small to moderate amounts of fish and poultry, with only the occasional indulgence in red meat. You may also eat up to four eggs a week. Dairy products such as cheese and yogurt are eaten in moderation. You may consume wine in moderation, usually in conjunction with meals.

Considerations

The Mayo Clinic gives the Mediterranean eating plan high marks for being heart-healthy. While acknowledging that the Mediterranean diet is higher in total fats than the American Heart Association's Step I diet, the Mayo Clinic advises that there is less cholesterol in the Mediterranean diet.

The American Heart Association neither praises nor denounces the Mediterranean diet. The AHA's stance is that more scientific research must be done before it can be concluded that the health benefits of those living in the Mediterranean region can be attributed to diet alone or if lifestyle and other factors contributed equally.