Is the Mediterranean Diet Healthy? | You Versus Food

• Get some herbs in there, get some spices. (upbeat music) Hi, I'm Tracy Lockwood Beckerman. I'm a Registered Dietitian in New York City and it's my job to help you figure out what to eat and why? You might have been hearing about the Mediterranean Diet lately. It's increasingly talked about as a healthy way of eating, and was even ranked as the best diet of 2019 according to U.S. News & World Report. Thank you so much for believing in me, I love you. But what is the Mediterranean Diet, and is it a healthy food trend or just a trend? Find out in this episode of You Versus Food. The Mediterranean Diet isn't a specific set of rules and restrictions, making it way easier to adopt than other trendy diets. It's a general lifestyle that focuses on real food, sustainability, longevity. And the key factor in it's popularity is that the goal is to be healthier, not necessarily to lose weight. The Mediterranean Diet is a long term way of approaching food.

It's got some serious scientific backing, and it doesn't have to be super expensive. It centers around eating healthy fats, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits and veggies, whole grains, and seafood. The Mediterranean Diet encourages foods that are real, generally unprocessed, and full of antioxidants and I love that. (upbeat music) Here's how to get the most out of the diet. Include a wide variety of veggies in your diet. Includes fruits such as citrus and berries. Plants are the star of the eating plan so, you better get ready to eat the rainbow.

Legumes and bean are a-okay. Increase your whole grain and fiber intake, and limit refine grains. Use olive oil instead of butter and animal fats, and skip those Hydrogenated oil such as margarine, shortening, and corn oil. Eat fish and chicken at least twice a week. Teas and coffees are okay to have daily, and so is red wine. I know it's wine o'clock somewhere, but think one glass a day not one bottle. This is okay, this is too much. Season your food with lots of herbs, and spices instead of going crazy with salt. Buh-bye salt bae. Exercise as often as you can, and drink lots of water. Maybe a duh moment, duh. But movement and hydration should always be part of your lifestyle. (upbeat music) You know I don't think that there are any caveats to the Mediterranean Diet. It can help support a healthy heart, manage chronic diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Stave off Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's, and even help with weight management. A diet that's rich in healthy plant foods, relatively lower in animal fats, with a focus on fish and moderate wine intake has never looked so good.

It's also a diet that's great for stabilizing your blood sugar. Consuming complex whole grain carbohydrates such as wheat berries, buckwheat, and quinoa instead of refine carbohydrates keeps your blood sugar levels even. Which helps with your all around energy, energy. Yes! A common pitfall to eating healthy is feeling like you just don't have time to prepare those fresh, unprocessed meals. But have no fear, these days you can easily find healthy meals to help you live that Mediterranean lifestyle. If cooking from scratch seems too daunting, and too stressful you can find frozen cauliflower rice, frozen quinoa, frozen salmon, and frozen tilapia. And voila a one way ticket to the Mediterranean Diet that is. Sorry, your gonna have to purchase a flight to Italy separately. A tip for convenient Mediterranean eating. Don't get frozen meals with breading, coating, added sugar, or sauces.

Aim for those awesome baked and streamed packages, and simply add olive oil, fresh and dried herbs, and lemon to your dish. This lovely twist will give you that flavor that will help improve your HDL, your good cholesterol. (upbeat music) Diet trends come and go, but the Mediterranean Diet's encouragement of eating a variety of foods in moderation is pretty aligned with the advice I like to give my clients. I usually tell clients not to follow any diet trends that veer too far away from their normal day to day eating patterns. And not to follow a diet trend that forces them to eat foods they just don't enjoy.

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