The Mediterranean has always fascinated me – the people, the geography, the history, art, culture, politics, etc. Food is no exception. This October, I brought the Mediterranean into my world, and I’m sad to be leaving it behind me.
The Basics
Many people (Americans) hear about the Mediterannean Diet, that it includes the eating styles of the Italians, and automatically assume that means pasta, alfredo, breadsticks, maybe lots of meatballs, etc. In this and many other ways, Olive Garden has done a huge disservice to Americans and what we think Italian food is. That type of food is Italian, but it is more reminiscent of Northern Italy, where heavier foods abound and health benefits of said diet do not. Instead, the MedDiet embodies the food stylings of areas that actually border the Mediterranean Sea. Meals in these places tend to be fresh, light, flavorful, with a very healthy dose of olive oil and red wine.
Study after study promotes adherence to the Mediterannean Diet for its heart health benefits. I focus on heart health because it’s the most important system in the body! …and also because it is my research and interest bias. A study of over 1.5 million people showed that those individuals who follow a Mediterranean style of eating suffer lower rates of heart disease, cancer, and even neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s than those who do not. Clearly, those Italians/Spaniards/Greeks/Turks know what they’re doing.
So what is the MedDiet? Like all healthy diets, the MedDiet recommends a focus on whole foods: fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, lean meat, fish, some dairy (but not a lot), and very little red meat. On top of those key traits, however, is an emphasis on olive oil (and the frequent glass of red wine). Interestingly, because of the olive oil and nut/seed focus, the MedDiet is actually fairly high in fat (~40%; Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 30-35%), which goes to show that fat is not the enemy. To be clear, though, olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, while nuts like walnuts are omega-3 rich, both of which are very heart healthy. Saturated fat is another story.
One of the many reasons that this eating style promotes overall health is because of the high intake of phytochemicals (compounds in plants that often give the plant a distinct color or fragrance and typically have antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties). Many researchers have sought to determine which specific component of the MedDiet is the source of the diet’s benefits. Olive oil and walnuts are often studied, and while they show significant benefit when either simply added to the diet or substituted for unhealthy fats like butter, they don’t explain everything. That’s no surprise to you or me (though this type of research plagues nutritional science), and the benefits from the diet likely come from eating simple, whole, fresh foods that have complex and synergistic favorable effects.
MedDiet Score
One of the coolest things (in my opinion) that has come out of all the studies of the MedDiet has been the results that show that you don’t have to eat foods specific to the region in order to realize the value of the diet. What I mean by that is there are plenty of foods from around the world that are just as healthy as those consumed in the countries bordering the Mediterannean. For example, Latin (particularly Mexican) foods are near and dear to my heart, and I eat them at least weekly. A late night visit to nearly all drive-thru burrito joints in the American southwest will prove this, but a dish that includes foods such black beans (legumes), quinoa (whole grains), fresh pico de gallo (vegetables, herbs), and avocado (healthy, monounsaturated fats) can still be consumed whilst following the MedDiet plan. Research has shown that as long as these types of whole, fresh foods are consumed, it doesn’t matter if they come from the Mediterannean region. Check out the MedDiet score sheet to see how your diet stacks up!
My Experience
I have been looking forward to doing the MedDiet more than any other diet since I decided to embark on this whole project. After the hell month that was the Fast Metabolism Diet, I was expecting to have a similar response to the flexibility and joy of the MedDiet as I did when I made the Paleo to Weight Watchers transition. It didn’t go as smoothly this time around. While I was restricted on both FMD and Paleo, I didn’t develop the issues with eating/food on Paleo that I did with FMD. As a recap, when I was following FMD, I felt consistently hungry, restricted, and over-analytical about food. This resulted in me gorging myself on unhealthy foods because there was no reprieve from the monotony and control of the diet. I cheated constantly, but I felt no actual enjoyment of what I was eating.
Unfortunately, these issues with food and eating transcended into the first 7-10 days of October. I ate out of necessity, but I realize now that because of FMD, I had forgotten how to enjoy food – to even really taste it. Luckily, this issue disappeared before it ruined my whole month. I eased back into cooking for fun and joy, and I really got to stretch my legs in the kitchen again. I can’t adequately describe how amazing this felt once I strapped on my proverbial chef hat and got to it. For the past few months, I haven’t really tried many new recipes, I haven’t experimented much, and I’ve just been in a cooking rut. But no longer! I didn’t even give a second thought to what I was eating – did it fit into the stipulations for this month’s eating plan? Was it too salty/too high fat/too many points/GMO-free?…and on and on and on. I felt so much freedom this month. In general, the MedDiet style of eating is how I like to eat anyways. When in doubt (of me “following the plan”), I usually just threw in some more veggies to my meal, tossed the finished product with some extra olive oil, and poured myself a glass of wine. Oh and then ate some dark chocolate for dessert. Yes, this is real life, and this is actually a great way to eat. Try it on. I bet you’ll like the way it fits J
Being in the kitchen again and doing it as a hobby instead of out of necessity brought so much joy to me this month. It’s interesting, cooking in this Mediterranean way. I felt relaxed, at peace. Cooking can be meditative for me, and I felt it more this month than I have in a very long time. Nearly everything I made this month was made from scratch and there is power and beauty in that. Food is obviously a necessity, but to make it into an art is invigorating. I loved that about this month. So very much.
Recipes
I already posted a number of recipes that I developed this month. Here are some of my favorites that I didn’t create, but are worth noting.
Butternut Squash, Chickpea, Lentil Stew– My parents just bought me a crockpot when they were visiting earlier this month (thanks Mom and Dad!), and this was my first creation in it. I LOVED it! I was sort of lazy, though, and I didn’t cook anything beforehand, as the recipe recommends – I just threw it all in the crockpot the night before, started it the next morning, and then my house smelled like a freaking dream when I got home. I topped this stew with toasted pepitas, pine nuts, and walnuts, and served with carrot apple muffins.
Hummus Crusted Chicken – So simple and easy! I didn’t serve mine with the squash and zucchini though. I roasted carrots with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup for about 30 minutes, and then made a basic spinach salad to go along with all of it.
Kale Ricotta Gnocchi – This takes a little more time than most meals, so I recommend it for a lazy weekend evening. This was one of those preparations that was meditative and lovely. I truly enjoyed making this meal. To make these a tad healthier, I substituted whole wheat flour for the white flour and part skim ricotta for the regular ricotta. My gnocchi weren’t as pretty as hers, but who cares? They tasted pretty. I pan fried mine in the butter sage sauce and served with roasted butternut squash (tip: I like to leave the skin on my squash while it roasts and let it get nice and crispy. It just adds another dimension of texture and flavor).
Hope you try some out and enjoy them as much as I did!
Final Stats
I’ll leave you now with the outcomes of this month. I put on a couple pounds, but they were full of love, olive oil, and happiness so I’m ok with it. Nothing else too earth shattering to report – but seriously, I can’t recommend this “diet” highly enough. I hope I’ve made that clear. Now pour yourself a glass of wine, get in the kitchen, and whip up some joy!
|
Goal/Normal |
Smoothies |
DASH |
Low Fat |
Sustainability |
FMD |
MedDiet |
|
| Anthros | |||||||
| Weight |
121-60 |
124 |
123.5 |
123 |
123 |
125.5 |
127.5 |
| BMI |
18.5-24.9 |
19.5 |
19.5 |
19.25 |
19.25 |
19.7 |
20 |
| PBF |
21-32 |
19 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| WC |
<35 |
27.5 |
? |
26.5 |
27 |
27 |
27.5 |
| HC |
38 |
? |
36.5 |
37 |
37.5 |
38 |
|
| W:H Ratio |
<0.8 |
0.72 |
? |
0.73 |
0.73 |
0.72 |
0.72 |
| Blood Pressure |
<120/80 |
92/68 |
91/68 |
103/66 |
103/68 |
95/65 |
102/73 |
| Diet | |||||||
| Total kcal |
2000-2200 |
1980 |
1865 |
1780 |
1905 |
925-1688 |
1920 |
| Protein (%) |
Oct-35 |
17 |
15 |
22 |
19 |
15-61 |
16 |
| CHO (%) |
49-52 |
54 |
52 |
60 |
52 |
28-77 |
46 |
| Fiber (g) |
at least 25 |
33 |
30 |
23 |
25 |
30-52 |
28 |
| Fat (%) |
20-35 |
29 |
33 |
18 |
29 |
10-46 |
38 |
| Sat Fat (%) |
<10 |
7 |
8 |
7 |
8 |
3-7 |
7 |
| Sodium (mg) |
2300 |
2320 |
2147 |
2315 |
2282 |
1250-1740 |
2127 |
| Potassium (mg) |
4700 |
3925 |
3874 |
3143 |
3746 |
4014-4624 |
3826 |
| Fruit/Veg (servings) |
5-9 |
8-10 |
7-9 |
4-6 |
5-7 |
8-12 |
6-9 |
| Cost |
135.42 |
127.32 |
145.2 |
254.45 |
195.14 |
204.3 |
2013, With a Grain of Salt 