What is the Mediterranean diet?

Olive oil is a key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet

Last week’s Ask the Doctor post by Kristin Tabor featured gastroenterologist Dr. Robert Madoff, who discussed issues related to colon cancer and colon cancer screening. Dr. Madoff noted the importance of a healthy diet and answered questions about his own health and fitness habits. He said, “Nutritionally, I’ve migrated from a typical high meat, high fat “Western” diet over the last few years to what would now be described as a “Mediterranean” diet – many more vegetables, less meat, and less dairy than I used to eat.”

The Mediterranean diet to which Dr. Madoff referred has garnered much publicity over the past several years as dieters and fitness buffs try to sift through changing trends in nutritional recommendations. It has also gained popularity with health providers because of it’s emphasis on carbohydrates from fruit and vegetable sources, and lean proteins such as fish and chicken. For many, the Mediterranean diet provides a more reasonable approach to eating because it allows for and even encourages foods that they enjoy, such as red wine, olive oil and nuts. The diet has also been linked to a decreased risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association acknowledges that the guidelines of the Mediterranean diet “are often close to our dietary recommendations, but they don’t follow them exactly.” They continue, “people who follow the average Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than those who eat the average American diet ” and conclude that the recommended fat intake in the Mediterranean diet is “well within our dietary guidelines.”

So how does the Mediterranean diet differ from a typical American diet? MayoClinic.com offers a list of key components of the Mediterranean diet. They include:

• Getting plenty of exercise and eating your meals with family and friends
• Eating a generous amount of fruits and vegetables
• Consuming healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil
• Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
• Eating small portions of nuts
• Drinking red wine, in moderation, for some
• Consuming very little red meat
• Eating fish or shellfish at least twice a week

Listed below are typical meals which follow both the Mediterranean and typical American diet. Both plans offer hearty meals to satisfy a large appetite, but the emphasis in the Mediterranean diet plan is on whole grains, lean protein, fruits and vegetables. The Mediterranean meal suggestions are adapted from GIcare.com, the website for Jackson/Siegelbaum Gastroenterology which also provides a comprehensive primer for the Mediterranean diet.

Breakfast:

Typical American diet:

• 3 egg omelet with cheese and ham
• Hash browns
• Toast with butter
• Orange juice

Mediterranean diet:

• Whole grain cereal
• Skim milk
• Banana
• Whole wheat toast with margarine
• Almonds

Lunch:

Typical American diet:

• Roast beef sandwich with cheese
• Potato Chips
• Brownie
• Soda pop

Mediterranean diet:

• Lentil soup
• Whole grain roll
• Salad with spinach, romaine, mushrooms, radishes
• Balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing

Dinner:

Typical American diet:

• Fried chicken
• Corn on the cob
• Butter
• Biscuits
• Mashed potatoes

Mediterranean diet:

• Pasta with garlic, tomatoes, broccoli, squash, peppers and mushrooms, tossed in olive oil and topped with parmesan cheese
• White bean salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar
• Grapes
• 1 glass red wine

The entire day’s food on the Mediterranean diet totals less than 2000 calories. Each meal on the American diet approaches that same calorie count and includes much more saturated fat. Fat from sources such as nuts and olive oil on the Mediterranean diet help to keep an eater satisfied while providing numerous health benefits.

To get more information on the Mediterranean diet, visit any of the sources used for this article:

MayoClinic.com

GI Care.com

The American Heart Association

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