Which Mediterranean diet is named the healthiest way to eat in 2023?

The Mediterranean diet contains mostly plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, while also incorporating whole grains, beans, nuts, seafood, lean poultry, and unsaturated fats from the olive oil. iStock

It’s that time of year. January is the month to try to stick to New Year’s resolutions, exercise hard and diet harder. But in a sea of ​​diets, which is the best? According to the annual ranking of the United States News and World Report, it is indeed the Mediterranean diet. The plan that has topped the charts for six years is said to balance good nutrition, is easy to follow, and has a colorful palette.

What is the Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean diet focuses more on the consumption of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, fish, whole grains and beans. It is based on the traditional food model followed by at least 21 countries, including Greece, Italy, Croatia, Lebanon, Turkey and Monaco.

The diet includes mostly plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, while also incorporating whole grains, beans, nuts, seafood, lean poultry, and unsaturated fats from the olive oil.

According to research entitled “The Mediterranean Diet: A History of Health” published in the Iranian Journal of Public Healththe origins of the diet are linked to the eating habits of the Middle Ages, in which the ancient Roman tradition – modeled on the Greek model – “identified bread, wine and petroleum products as a symbol of culture and rural agriculture, supplemented by sheep’s cheese, vegetables (leeks, mallow, lettuce, chicory, mushrooms), little meat and a strong preference for fish and seafood (of which ancient Rome was very greedy)”.

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How does the diet work?

The diet focuses on filling the plate daily with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, herbs and spices. Seafood and fish are eaten at least twice a week while poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt are eaten in moderation.

Red meat and sweets are considered occasional treats, while the occasional glass of wine is fine.

The Indian Express quoted dietician from Mumbai’s Bhatia Hospital, Zoya Surve, as saying that this type of diet focuses on an individual’s eating habits and can therefore be personalized based on their medical history. The Mediterranean diet encourages healthy unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, thereby promoting healthy cholesterol levels leading to a healthy heart, she added.

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What are the benefits of the diet?

This diet has a simple yet effective approach. It helps reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease and promotes a better quality of life.

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet were first published in the Seven Countries Study (SCS), the first major study looking at diet and lifestyle and other cardiovascular disease risk factors in all countries , according to The Indian Express.

The study showed that the type of fat (saturated, monosaturated or polyunsaturated) is much more important for cardiovascular health than total fat intake. “Even up to 40% of total calories from fat can be heart healthy, if the fat is unsaturated,” he says.

Even though the population living in the Mediterranean region today does not eat the same foods as in the 1950s and 1960s, the benefits of this diet persist because it can be easily adapted by any region and food culture.

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Can you lose weight on the Mediterranean diet?

One can lose weight with this simple yet effective diet plan. However, you have to make wise choices and pay attention to portion sizes.

For example, too much olive oil, cheese, whole grains and nuts could have opposite results.

US News and World Report quoted Elena Paravantes, author of The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners saying that one of the most important aspects of this diet regarding weight loss is that it is “easy to follow for long periods of time”.

“In fact, it’s a way of life like it’s a way of eating that we’ve always followed. A traditional Mediterranean diet is 40% carbs, 40% fat, and about 20% protein. This combination has been shown to not be ideal for long-term weight loss, but is associated with lower death rates. As the diet is rich in vegetables, beans and olive oil, it provides good satiety,” she said.

With contributions from agencies

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