The Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is a lifestyle and eating plan that can lower the risk of many chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. This diet includes many nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, lean protein, and low-fat dairy.

Healthy eating is one of the factors in living a healthy lifestyle to stay energized, enhance well-being, prevent chronic diseases, and keep insurance rates reasonable. A balanced diet that includes a variety of different foods from all the food groups will help you feel better and look better. 

You can get term life insurance even if you have chronic health issues like diabetes. Term insurance for a diabetic person is available, but it can be more costly. To keep rates affordable, you must be managing your symptoms and keep your blood glucose levels in a healthy range. 

While this diet is a way of life for many people across the world, anyone can modify their diet to include more Mediterranean foods. We will discuss the details of the Mediterranean diet, the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and an emphasis on how eating healthy can also affect life insurance.

What is the Mediterranean diet? 

The Mediterranean diet is one option to help you eat healthily and decrease your risk for chronic diseases. This eating pattern focuses on mostly whole, unprocessed foods with plenty of nutrients to boost your well-being. 

The Mediterranean diet is the food guidance system for many of the counties that surround the Mediterranean Sea. It is not a temporary or fad diet. It’s a lifestyle eating plan. 

The foundation of the diet is plant-based foods. This eating style encourages plenty of: 

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Grains (mostly whole grains)
• Beans 
• Nuts and seeds 
• Olive oil
• Soy products like tofu, edamame, and tempeh

Most fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables are included in this diet. Canned fruits should be low in added sugar, and canned vegetables should be low in sodium. Fruits and vegetables are great snacks and are sources of fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and many vitamins and minerals. 

Whole grains include brown rice, oats, whole grain bread, whole-grain cereal, whole grain pasta, quinoa, and popcorn. Eat processed grains like white bread, white rice, and white flour less often than whole grains. Whole grains have fiber and many vitamins and minerals. 

Low-sodium canned beans or dried beans are a great option to provide protein, iron, fiber, and many other vitamins and minerals. Nuts and seeds have heart-healthy unsaturated fats, fiber, and many other vitamins and minerals. 

Olive oil can be used for cooking, baking, sauteing, or in place of butter. It has heart-healthy unsaturated fats along with vitamin E. 

Soy products have fiber, protein, and many vitamins and minerals. Tofu, tempeh, and edamame are convenient soy options that can fit into any meal. 

Fish and seafood should be eaten at least twice a week. Eggs and poultry should be consumed in moderate amounts, which means you can have daily or weekly portions of these foods. 

Low-fat dairy products like low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, low-fat Greek yogurt, and low-fat cheese should be consumed in moderate amounts. This means you can have them daily to weekly.  

The Mediterranean diet also includes beverages such as water and red wine. While red wine is an option, it is a drink that should be consumed in moderation. This means no more than one drink daily for women and no more than two drinks daily for men. 

There are certain foods that should be limited or avoided with a Mediterranean diet. Some foods to limit or avoid include:

• Fatty cuts of red meat and processed meats 
• Sweets
• Processed grains
• Alcohol
• Butter 
• Sugar-sweetened beverages
• Other heavily processed foods like white rice, chips, white bread, cookies, and cake. 

The Mediterranean diet doesn’t just include foods and beverages, it also includes aspects like enjoying mealtime with others and physical activity. Physical activity has numerous health benefits, so staying active is important. Physical activity and social engagement are great stress management techniques, which can boost your emotional and mental health. 

The Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet boosts health thanks to it being packed full of nutrients. Many research studies exhibit the numerous health benefits of this diet. Some of the health benefits include:

• Enhanced cognitive function
• Improved longevity
• Decreased risk for heart disease, some types of cancer, and Type 2 diabetes
• Lowered blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels
• Prevention of premature aging
• Weight loss when coupled with a calorie deficit 

The omega-3 fatty acids from fish and seafood are important for heart health, cognitive health, and joint health. They decrease inflammation in the body which helps lower the risk for many chronic health issues like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Be sure to talk to a nutritionist about your best dietary options in these cases.

Antioxidants and phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and red wine boost health by protecting cells and preventing inflammation and chronic diseases. Eating a diet rich in these nutrients can help lower the risk for heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. 

The many plant foods in the Mediterranean diet are a great source of fiber. Fiber is a nutrient that helps us feel full, which can improve our weight management efforts. It also helps lower blood cholesterol levels, keeps us regular, and can prevent some types of cancer. 

This type of eating style can help you manage and stabilize blood glucose levels to help lower the risk for Type 2 diabetes. This is also helpful for those with Type 2 diabetes. This diet can also help decrease insulin resistance, which is related to Type 2 diabetes. 

The Mediterranean diet can help you live longer and prevent some of the effects of aging. Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fiber are nutrients that can play a role in these two health benefits. 

The Mediterranean diet does not have any risks or side effects. However, there are some areas of caution. 

The diet does encourage red wine, but some individuals should not drink alcohol. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, those taking prescription medications that may interact with alcohol, or those that have trouble controlling their alcohol intake should avoid all alcohol, including red wine. 

Nuts, seeds, and olive oil are sources of heart-healthy fat in the diet. However, overconsumption of these foods can add extra calories to the diet because fat is a calorie-dense nutrient. Nuts, seeds, and olive oil should be moderated to help maintain weight. 

The Mediterranean diet may also be lower in minerals like iron and calcium because of the limited amounts of red meat and dairy products. A supplement or multivitamin can help if you are lacking in iron or calcium. 

Is the Mediterranean diet the healthiest diet?

The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diet options, but there are other diets that are healthy as well. It is also one of the most popular diets, earning a spot on the U.S. News Best Diets list regularly. It earned the #1 spot in 2022. 

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is another healthy diet with many similarities to the Mediterranean diet. Both of these diets focus on a lifestyle eating plan with foods to encourage and foods to limit, rather than a strict or low-calorie diet. 

How to Start the Mediterranean Diet

If you are interested in trying the Mediterranean diet for health benefits, it doesn’t have to be a complete overhaul of your current eating habits. There are many Mediterranean recipes online.

You can incorporate some simple Mediterranean foods or meals into your current eating plan. Try the following ideas to make some simple changes to your eating habits. 

• Try salmon Instead of steak. 
• Use olive oil Instead of butter.
• Try quinoa Instead of white rice. 
• Try a baked potato instead of French fries. 
• Eat hummus and whole-grain crackers instead of chips and dips. 
• Try an apple with almond butter instead of a cookie. 

Another thing you can do is slow down, enjoy your food, and enjoy mealtime with others. Try to be more mindful when you eat and enjoy the aromas, textures, and flavors of your food. 

Make physical activity part of your daily routine. Exercise with a friend, go for a daily walk, or join a streaming fitness service to enjoy the health benefits of staying active. 

Healthy Eating and Life Insurance

Life insurance is important to protect your family’s future in case something unexpected happens. It can cover end-of-life or burial expenses to protect your family’s finances. Life insurance rates are based on your age, gender, current health status, medical history, and occupation. Be sure to talk to an insurance agent or broker to compare costs.

Life insurance rates are the cheapest when you are young and healthy. Eating a healthy diet helps enhance health and prevent diseases that keep your insurance rates reasonable.

Eating Healthy the Mediterranean Way

Anyone can start eating the Mediterranean way by making a few simple changes to their diet. Focusing on plant foods, fish, and olive oil will give you the nutrients needed for good health. 

There are many benefits of this eating style that can boost health and prevent diseases. 

Melissa Morris writes and researches for the life insurance comparison site, QuickQuote.com. She is a university professor of nutrition, a certified exercise physiologist, and a certified sports nutritionist.