Episode 27: Go Mediterranean

When you check out at the grocery store, open a magazine, or scroll through social media, you have probably seen something advertising fat-blasting, low-carb, keto, paleo, anti-inflammatory, or any other type of life-changing diet. While these diets may boast fast results, often they are not able to be sustained for long periods of time and can lead to adverse health effects and malnutrition.
Low carbohydrate diets have become increasingly popular with the rise of the Keto, Atkins, and South Beach diets. You may have heard that these are high in protein and low in carbohydrates, but truthfully, they are high in foods that have unhealthy saturated fats. These diets also have you give up most fruits, vegetables, whole grains and milk products and severely limit breads, cereals, pasta, pizza, and potatoes.

The World Health Organization, National Cancer Institute, American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Dietetic Association all recommend eating MORE fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, which are NOT allowed on the low carb diet.
While many people who find success within the first couple of weeks on a low carbohydrate diet can’t sing its praises loud enough, the “quick” weight loss experienced in the first week or two is due to fluid loss that comes with severely limited carbohydrate intake, not fat loss. This fluid is quickly regained when you begin eating carbohydrate foods again.
Low carb diets can also be harmful and lead to nutrient deficiency due to the lack of fruits, vegetables, whole grain and dairy options “allowed” in the diet. These options contain important nutrients such as fiber, calcium, folate, potassium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins E, A, thiamine, and B6.
You are likely to feel weak, dizzy and tired, possibly experiencing headaches and dehydration. This will also make you less likely to exercise.

Following a low carbohydrate diet may increase your risk of dehydration, kidney stones, bone loss or osteoporosis (due to calcium loss), heart disease (due to high saturated fat and cholesterol intake), certain cancers (due to high fat intake and lack of important nutrients many of which you cannot replace with vitamin and mineral supplements), and kidney disease.

We may be so used to saying “diet” in reference to the newest restriction we are imposing on ourselves and what and when we put food into our bodies, but by definition, diet simply describes our pattern of eating, not insinuating any particular restrictive or prescriptive way to do so.
So, with that in mind, there are some healthy “diets” in the sense of patterns of eating that have been associated with greater health benefits, such as the

These two dietary patterns encourage a style of eating that align with the American Heart Associations' recommendations for improving health. The DASH diet allows more dairy products and meat, while the Mediterranean diet includes regular use of olive oil.
The most important thing to focus on is the overall quality of your diet as a lifestyle, not a quick fix.

The Mediterranean-style diet is based on the traditional eating habits of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. There is not a “prescription” of meals to eat or a strictly regimented diet plan, but rather highlights and incorporates certain foods based on the dietary traditions of Crete, Greece, and southern Italy during the mid-20th century. At that time, these countries displayed low rates of chronic disease and higher than average adult life expectancy despite having limited access to healthcare. It was believed that the diet—mainly fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, ﬁsh, olive oil, small amounts of dairy, and red wine—contributed to their health benefits. (Harvard)

Emphasis on healthy fats, which are food options that are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts and oily fish like salmon and sardines
Plant foods like whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, beans and legumes are eaten as most meals and are cooked using olive oil or fruit in its whole form
Includes low-fat or fat-free dairy products, fish, poultry, non-tropical vegetable oils and nuts
Limits added sugars, sugary beverages, sodium, highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates, saturated fats, and fatty or processed meats
Recommended to eat fish or seafood about 2 times per week
Small amounts of eggs and poultry
Red wine in moderation-red wine contains the antioxidant reservatrol, but red wine should be limited to no more than 4-8 ounces per day. If you are not already a wine drinker, this is not the time or opportunity to start! The same antioxidant is found in fruits and vegetables.

Of course, when you are making a lifestyle change or trying to establish a pattern or habit in anything, you have risks and challenges to adherence. There is a risk of excess calorie consumption due to lack of emphasis on portion sizes.
The health benefits of a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern that includes several different foods-the combinations of the foods are what are associated to the disease protective factors and the benefit is not as strong when singling out food or nutrients from the Mediterranean diet.

Several studies suggest that people who are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease are able to lower their risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, strokes, or cardiovascular-related deaths when following the Mediterranean Diet over several years.

Antioxidants that are found in fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains are associated with protection against age-related diseases

Call to action: Try to incorporate one or more of the components of the Mediterranean Diet into your meals this week.