Going Med

Yesterday we looked at some of things that the Mediterranean Diet was not, and discovered that it was a long term pattern of eating rather than any particular foods. At its most basic, the diet is primarily vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, olive oil and seafood. Some poultry and diary are staples. And very little meat, sweets or processed foods. The Harvard School of Public Health as created a Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid that illustrates nicely the types and proportions of different foods that comprise the real Med Diet.

Nobody is perfect and your diet doesn't need to be either. But you can get closer to this healthy way of eating step by step by gradually adapting to the following pattern of eating and just sticking with it.

Daily - eat fruits, vegetables, mostly whole grains, olive oil, beans, lentils and nuts. Go ahead and add whenever herbs and spices you enjoy, just leave out the salt.

Two or Three Times a Week - have fish and other seafood. Enjoy fermented diary products (like yogurt or cheese) and eggs.

Once a Week - Poultry.

Once or Twice a Month - Red meat and sweets.

Avoid - processed meats and prepared foods. Sugary drinks.

Drink - plenty of water. Tea and coffee are fine. If you drink alcohol, favor red wine and have it with your meals.

Exercise - build regular moderate exercise into you daily routine. You don't need to hit the gym. Walking, mowing the lawn and climbing the stairs all count.

Relax - mealtime is family time in most Mediterranean countries. Whether eating with family or friends, or all by yourself, relax, take your time and enjoy the experience. That is part of the pattern too.

You don't have to do this all in one step. That is provably an excellent way to fail. Start with small steps and keep going as it gets easier, as you feel better and as you discover the many ways to make eating this way fun, tasty and easy.

Replace candy, cookies and chips with nuts or fruit for snaking. It's an acquired taste, but so is the crap you are snacking on now.

Replace some of the red meat you are eating with seafood or beans. (Can you say broiled salmon steaks or chili?)

Replace soda and sugary drinks with cold water or tea. This one is utterly painless and in 2 weeks you'll wonder why you ever drank anything else.

Get a cookbook and experiment. You will find dozens of things that you will enjoy and you'll be surprised to discover how easy it is once you make a habit of it. Here are two good ones....

The Oldways 4-Week Mediterranean Diet Menu Plan. Take all the guesswork out of it with a 28 day meal plan.

The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook. Over 500 recipes in this one, so you are bound to find some you will enjoy.

As with any change, the hardest part is getting started. Once you do, you can start to plan what you would like to do with the extra years you will be adding to your life and all the money you will save by not being sick.