What if I told you that one of the healthiest diets in the world is also one of the most delicious?
The Mediterranean diet isn’t just a way of eating—it’s a lifestyle packed with heart-healthy benefits, brain-boosting nutrients, and vibrant, flavorful foods that nourish your body and soul.
As a board-certified, licensed naturopathic physician, I have spent years prescribing, recommending, teaching, and researching different dietary frameworks. A dietary framework is a specific diet or nutrition plan. Essentially a framework to guide your nutrition choices. Some popular dietary frameworks include ketogenic, paleo, vegan, and today’s dietary framework of choice, the Mediterranean diet. Some diets come and go as trends, but the Mediterranean diet stands the test of time. Why? Because it’s not about restriction, it’s about balance, sustainability, and enjoying the foods that fuel your body best.
Before we dive into the benefits, let’s talk about how I apply dietary recommendations in my practice. Nutrition is not just about food; it’s deeply personal affecting every aspect of our lives. I start by assessing a patient’s dietary history – what they eat daily, their relationship with food, and factors like cultural traditions, budget, and food availability. Often times this can be done in the context of one office visit, but sometimes I will delve deeper and we will complete a 2-3 day food diary using a tool such as Cronometer. This allows me to analyze food choices, macronutrients (protein/carbohydrates/fats), and micronutrients (vitamins/minerals). Then we develop realistic, achievable goals tailored to their health needs. Sometimes, change happens quickly, but other times it is a journey that takes months or even years. Either way, it is about making sustainable choices that fit their lifestyle.
Now, let’s dive into why you should consider the Mediterranean diet and how it can transform your health. Prior to starting any major dietary overhaul, make sure you check with your doctor first to see if this change is right for you! I cannot be your personal doctor through a blog post.
1. Boosts Heart Health
Your heart is an incredible machine, pumping blood throughout the body 60+ times per minute to keep you alive. Fueling it properly is essential. A comprehensive meta-review (a large study looking at multiple other studies) saw that the mediterranean diet significantly lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, and overall cardiovascular disease. Its focus on healthy fats, lean proteins, and nutrient-rich produce makes it one of the best diets for heart health out there.
2. Helps with Weight Management
Weight loss if not just about eating less – it is about eating smarter. A systematic review found that the Mediterranean diet promotes weight loss and reduces overall fat mass while supporting metabolic health. The key? High-fiber foods, healthy fats, and balance meals that keep you full and satisfied. This makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight without feeling deprived.
3. Improves Memory and Cognitive Function
Want to keep your brain in tip top shape? The Mediterranean diet has been linked to improved memory, cognitive function, and reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Thanks to its abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and brain-boosting nutrients, this diet is like fuel to your mind.
4. Reduces Cancer Risk
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and diet plays a major role in prevention. Studies show that the Mediterranean diet can lower the risk of several types of cancer, including colorectal (colon), head and neck, respiratory (lung), gastric (stomach), liver, and bladder. Its high intake of antioxidant-rich foods helps fight inflammation and protect against cellular damage.
5. Prevents Type 2 Diabetes
Maintaining a stable blood sugar is crucial for preventing diabetes, and the Mediterranean diet excels in this area. It enhances insulin sensitivity, which helps your body process sugars more efficient. This means more balanced energy, better metabolism, and reduced risk of metabolic disorders like diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
6. Fights Chronic Inflammation
Inflammation is such a hot topic in health and wellness and for good reason. Inflammation in the body can be helpful when we are healing a papercut or fighting off an infection. It is a part of the body’s natural defense system. Chronic inflammation contributes to a whole host of disease states from autoimmune conditions, heart disease, and even cancer. The Mediterranean diet is packed with anti-inflammatory foods like olive oil, nuts, fish, and fresh produce, which helps reduce inflammation and support long-term health.
How to Implement the Mediterranean Diet
After going through these 6 reasons why the Mediterranean dietary framework could be a helpful addition to your health and wellness routine. We still have not discussed what is the Mediterranean diet and how you can implement it. This dietary framework is not about rigid rules; it’s about making mindful, healthy choices. The Mediterranean dietary framework food period is shown below as produced by Oldways (one of my favorite dietary support websites). Starting with the base of the pyramid, is healthy physical activity, movement, and community. Enjoy food with others, sit down and eat your meals to improve digestion, and move your body daily to optimize your metabolic health.
Moving up to the next level of the pyramid is healthy fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, herbs, and spices. Your meals should include some of these foods at each sitting. They should be the foundation and base of all your meals on this dietary framework.
Fish and seafood comes next, and the goal is to eat these often as a source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory, helpful for memory, heart health, and joint function). Aim for at least 2 servings per week of varied fish and seafood.
Drink water daily! Drink water when you are thirsty. There is no perfect amount of water for everyone to consume as it is completely individual to you, your physical activity level, and underlying health. When you are thirsty, drink water instead of other items. If you are decently active, aiming for 64 oz of water per day is not a bad place to start. I drink around 90-120 oz of water daily depending on my activity level, how much I sweat, and how much salt or other items I eat/drink.
Moving up the pyramid we have poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt. This is when we start to limit our consumption. These items are still healthy but should be consumed moderately compared to the others with 1 serving per week at minimum to 1 serving per day at maximum. I like to vary my items from this category and work them into my dietary picture and meal prep when craving them.
At the top of the pyramid, we have meats, sweets, and alcohol. These are the items that we should avoid or eat the least if you are following the Mediterranean dietary framework. These are items that are not necessarily contributing to the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. It does not mean that they are inherently “bad” for you, in fact do not call food good or bad it is just food. Rather these are items that are not contributing to the health benefits of this framework. Specifically, alcohol and processed meats are known carcinogens and contribute to cancer risk. These should be consumed sparingly regardless of dietary framework.
Here’s a breakdown of how to build your meals:
Foundation of the Diet (eat daily)
Fruits & Vegetables – Half your plate should be colorful, nutrient-rich produce.
Whole Grains – Swap white bread and pasta for whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, and whole-wheat bread.
Legumes, Beans, Nuts & Seeds – Excellent sources of plant-based protein and healthy fats.
Olive Oil – The primary fat in the diet, rich in antioxidants and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
Water – Stay hydrated! Aim for at least 64 oz a day, adjusting based on activity level.
Eat in Moderation (a few times per week)
Fish & Seafood – Aim for at least two servings per week for omega-3s and protein.
Dairy (Cheese & Yogurt) – Consume in moderate amounts.
Poultry & Eggs – Incorporate a few times per week.
Limit These (occasionally)
Red Meat – Keep intake to a few servings per month.
Sweets – Enjoy sparingly.
Processed Foods & Alcohol – The less, the better.
Are you interested in trying out the Mediterranean diet? If so, here are some helpful resources to get you started:
Food Type | Frequency |
Olive oil | Primary dietary fat, most meals, cook on maximum medium heat to avoid it becoming rancid. If you need to cook at higher heats use coconut oil or avocado oil sparingly. |
Fruit and Vegetables | Every meal! Aim to have ½ your plate fruits and vegetables at each meal. |
Legumes, Beans, Nuts, Seeds | Every meal! Focus on these being your main sources of protein. Aim to have ¼ of your plate these healthy protein sources at each meal. |
Grains | Focus on whole grains, not simple sugars. Aim to have ¼ of your plate these healthy starches per meal. Potatoes and starchy squash would fall under this category as well. |
Fish and shellfish | Have at least 2 servings per week. For these meals, you can swap out your legumes, beans, nuts, and seeds for healthy fish or shellfish as your protein source. |
Dairy | Low to moderate amounts. Aim for no more than 1 serving per day to 1 serving per week. This would fall under the protein category for your meal. |
Poultry and eggs | Low to moderate amounts. Aim for no more than 1 serving every other day to 1 serving per week (maximum of 4 servings weekly). This would fall under the protein category for your meal. |
Red meat | Limited amounts. 1-2 servings weekly maximum. This would fall under the protein category for your meal. |
Sweets | Limited amounts. 1-2 servings weekly maximum. This would fall under the starch category for your meal. |
Mayo Clinic Mediterranean Patient Guide
Download the guide here!
Download the meal plan here!
Here’s an example of a balanced plate!
Final Thoughts
The Mediterranean diet is not a trend – it is a time-tested, scientifically backed approach to health that emphasizes whole foods, balance, and enjoyment. Whether your goal is to improve health heart, manage weight, or simply feel better, this dietary framework offers a delicious and sustainable way to nourish your body.
Are you ready to give it a try? Let me know in the comments if you have questions, and feel free to check out the resources linked in this article for more Mediterranean diet resources and recipes.
Stay well and eat well!
-Dr. Emma Neiworth-Petshow, ND, CPT
Want more nutrition, health, wellness information? Comment below or reach out to let me know what topic you would like me to cover next. If you are wondering what my background and experience is in these topics, continue reading below!
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