We’ve already admitted to experimenting with fad diets. It’s a shameful piece of information we just threw onto the internet, but it’s the truth and we have to admit our problems before fixing them, right?
Well, during a recent visit with my BFF since I was three years old, she mentioned in passing a new fad she’d heard of called “The Mediterranean Diet.” Before I set the internet ablaze with comments like “it’s not a fad, it’s what my culture eats,” I want to proclaim my love for Mediterranean food. I’d also like to acknowledge that I’m only referring to it as a fad in reference to women from around the world deciding to move solely into this eating regimen to lose weight.
Alright, now that I’ve fought off any internet trolls, let me tell you what this is exactly.
Back in the 90’s, Oldways, Harvard School of Public Health and the World Health Organization introduced the idea that traditional foods eaten by people in the Mediterranean were showing lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer when compared with people from other parts of the world.
Their diet consists of olives, olive oil, fish and seafood, low intake of red meat, large portions of veggies and fruit, legumes and nuts, and less milk than most.
During their study, they created a Mediterranean Diet Pyramid to give a visual representation of their findings. You can find that pyramid here.
As you can see, the bulk of the diet is fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes and seeds which can be flavored with herbs and spices, with the lowest amount of food coming from red meat and sweets.
The diet seems like the best “fad” out there, and one that I could get behind.
What are your thoughts? Have you had success with eating a mostly Mediterranean diet?
– Sasha Huff
