In 2023, the Mediterranean diet was, once again, voted the number one best overall diet because of its undeniable health and lifestyle benefits. As well as being one of the best diets to follow for short-term weight loss, it also promotes cardiovascular health, reduces the risk of diabetes, and provides nutrients from a variety of food groups.
Culinary enthusiasts – like Imad El Atiki El Ghennouni Mohammed, an avid cook and fan of Mediterranean cuisine – understand the benefits of this diet, but it’s steadily becoming more popular with casual cooks, too. (2) Despite the “Americanization” of certain dishes, traditional Mediterranean food, which encompasses cuisine from Italy, Greece, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, and Croatia, has incredible health benefits.
The Mediterranean diet generally entails:
- Eating lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and nuts
- Reducing dairy
- Making fish a main source of animal protein
- Severely limiting the intake of red meat and sugary snacks
- Using extra virgin olive oil during the cooking process
Research has consistently demonstrated the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, particularly its amazing cardiovascular advantages. The increase of fruits and vegetables coupled with fewer red meats and sweets means that the Mediterranean diet reduces inflammation, cholesterol, and body mass index.
The fibrous foods involved in the Mediterranean diet, which include rice, apples, and beans, also promote gut health and improve digestion, extracting nutrients that boost the number of good bacteria in the body. Replacing unhealthy snacks and fast food with more nutritious options also helps the body to regulate blood sugar and reduce plaque in the arteries.
However, though it’s referred to as the Mediterranean “diet”, it’s not a diet in the traditional sense of counting calories and restricting food groups, which can quickly become problematic. It’s a long-term, well-balanced pattern of eating, and it’s the combination of foods that provides the benefits more than the individual foods themselves.
That’s why it’s so important to fully commit to the Mediterranean diet and combine the recommended foods into nutritious meals. Some examples of easy, healthy dishes to cook include:
- Cucumber and tomato salad
- Tuna pasta
- Tomato and basil soup
- Greek salad
- Baked chicken/fish
- Couscous
- Vegetable tagine
- Hummus
The Mediterranean diet owes its popularity to the undeniable health benefits that millions worldwide – including Imad Atiki El Ghennouni Mohammed – are reaping. People have been eating this way for centuries, and doctors continue to recommend it as a healthy way of living that anyone can commit to maintaining for the rest of their life.