Did you hear the news?  A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Mediterranean diet has once again been shown to help stave off heart disease and stroke – two major causes of death for men AND women (many of you women think only men are high risk).

This is big news for people like me, nutritionists and foodies, who take eating real food very seriously.   Not that we didn’t already know this, but the reminder to lay down the fad diets, processed foods, and junk foods instead of fresh, delicious, and healthy food is more important than ever.

What Is The Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet is not a “diet” in the traditional sense. There are no hard rules and regulations. Rather, the Mediterranean diet is a way of eating and a way of life. This is the best part: eating as if you live in the Mediterranean means you are choosing a diet high in fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil, legumes, and nuts and low in red meat and processed foods.

This is not another weight loss diet, but rather an eating plan focused on health. It is about eating real, fresh food.  Other health professionals, such as Dean Ornish, who promotes a highly restrictive low-fat vegan diet, don’t buy the health claims of the Mediterranean diet.  Still, fad diets, such as the  Paleo diet, which promotes a high amount of plant foods along with a curiously high amount of saturated fat from animal protein (and no whole grains), make them difficult at best to comply with.  The Mediterranean diet, on the other hand, is a way of healthy eating that you can stick with, that you can lose weight with and that can open up the possibility of creating a variety of delicious, nutritious meals.

Want to know what the Mediterranean diet is like?  Try a few recipes like my Warm Tabouli Salad with Mint Dressing and see how delicious and healthy can be.

What do you think of the Mediterranean diet?  Are there other “diets” that have made a huge difference in your life?  Leave a comment below and share your news!