Have you tried the Mediterranean diet?– And How It Could Change Your Life Forever!
The Mediterranean "Diet": A Way of Life
Food is only a part of that life, and when taken out of context the whole thing falls apart.
The Mediterranean diet, in its authentic form, represents a holistic approach to living that has evolved over centuries. Even people in Mediterranean countries are dealing with increased incidence of diabetes and obesity due to lifestyle changes resulting from modernization.
Here are some key features to this way of life:
Key Features of the Mediterranean Lifestyle
Traditional Food Preparation
The Mediterranean diet, in its "authentic" form, has no place for a fridge or a microwave. Food preparation and preservation techniques have simply been around for centuries before modern technology.
Fresh & Seasonal Eating
Food is automatically fresh and in season. Bread is baked daily and no preservatives are needed. There's no "shelf-life" mentality.
Physical Effort in Food Production
Food growing and harvesting involved significant physical effort (even to this date in many rural areas). This is especially true when grains are being produced.
Diverse Microclimates
The areas with higher rainfalls tend to be coastal mountainous and not suitable for monocrop cultures. Inland is semi-arid and used for growing grains and legumes that don't need a lot of water.
Animals as Resources
Animals play an integral part of life, and are seen as a resource not as a product. The areas designated for animal growing tend to be mountainous or semi-arid.
Balanced Protein Consumption
Animal products are typically what's consumed for protein and fat, balanced with legumes. These are either fresh, semi-processed, or processed for preservation purposes.
Mindful Meat Consumption
Animals used for meat are those not productive. Meat is generally a treat, enjoyed as a feast or in small pieces with vegetable based meals.
Natural Animal Feeding
For resource reasons, animals are grazed on grass, chicken are pastured and fed kitchen vegetable scraps. Mainly barley and hay are used in the winter.
Local Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds are local, seasonal, and consumed lightly because they are expensive. Generally, almonds, walnuts, or pistachios grow and are used in making delicate desserts.
Traditional Preservation
Fruits and vegetables are eaten fresh in season and preserved for the winter. Preservation techniques are traditional and use no artificial chemicals.
Balanced Meals
Meals are very balanced and recipes have evolved over centuries. The only thinking someone has to do would be to avoid eating too much rice or too much bread.
Flatbread Tradition
Flatbread is widespread. For the same amount of carbs, you have a much larger surface area to make a sandwich, so you end up consuming less starch.
The Mediterranean Diet: A Balanced Way of Life
11,000 years of wisdom that modern research can't replicate
Some people talk about "21st-century version" of the Mediterranean diet based on modern research. This is silly. Nearly 11,000 years of anecdotal evidence from billions of people, who lived, thrived and built ancient civilizations (Athens, Carthage, Phoenicia, you name it) can't be replaced by 50 years of research on a few thousand people.
Historical Evidence
Those people simply ate what made them feel best from local food and perfected their recipes. It's really that simple. 50 years of "research" on few thousands of people will not compare to that.
The Mediterranean does not win awards because it's balanced, not because it's "plant-based". It could be described that way to people who have not lived it, and that's perfectly fine, but Balance is crucial.
Scientific Background
For more of a scientific background, the fat in human brain is 40% saturated fatty acids (20% C16 and 20% C18), 21% omega 9 (olive oil), 15% Omega-3, 15% Omega-6 and some miscellaneous stuff.
Ideal Omega-3 to Omega-6 Ratio: 1:1
The Omega-3 in the brain is mostly DHA, which can be found in oily fish NOT in plants (plants have ALA). The Omega-6 in the brain is mostly arachidonic acid, which can be found in dairy and animal products (plants have alpha-ALA instead). Your body can't make those PUFA readily/efficiently from plant sources (actual capacity varies depending on the genetics).
Pasture-raised Chicken
Contains the ideal 1:1 ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6
Grain-fed Chicken
19:1 Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio
Corn Oil
58:1 Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio
Sunflower Oil
128:1 Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio
"Vegetable oils" are not really that good. Healthy eating should match the brain fat ratio breakdown in my opinion.
Importance of Balance
This 1:1 ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 is important to suppress inflammation. The Mediterranean diet naturally provides this balance through:
- Oily fish consumed regularly
- Pasture-raised animal products
- Minimal processed oils
- Natural, whole foods
Personal Perspective
This is my personal opinion: a balanced diet probably does not cure any diseases. It's a way of healthy life and not a temporary "diet".
When someone gets sick due to an imbalanced diet, they may feel better by overcompensating the other direction but those extreme diets are difficult to maintain and are just not balanced.
Some of these have research supporting them:
- A diabetic might get better going low-carb/keto
- An inflamed person cutting out nuts/seed oils and eating more fish, fresh produce and some pasture-raised animal products
But those extreme diets (throw in plant-based, carnivore, etc...no disrespect to anybody) are difficult to maintain and are just not balanced. I think reverting to a balanced way of eating as above is easier to follow long term.
The West is generally obsessed with extreme diets and the Western diet is extreme in the worst way from a Mediterranean perspective (and loaded with chemicals, dyes, preservatives, trans fat, which should be 0%).
For a trusted guide to start right, The Mediterranean Plan Guide is an excellent, no-nonsense resource to help you take those first simple steps.