For a healthier heart, stick to a Mediterranean diet

Aim to eat fish twice a week and avoid, when possible, fried fish. Begin replacing red meat with fish and poultry and strive to eat red meat only a handful of times throughout the month.Begin cutting back on your salt usage. An easy way to do this and still keep foods flavorful is to replace salt with herbs and spices. Stock up on your favorites so you'll always have them at hand when cooking.Mediterranean diets use healthier fats such as olive oil or canola oil instead of butter. Replace butter with a splash of olive oil when cooking or dip your bread in olive oil with pepper or herbs. View the list »
Mediterranean diets should include between 7 and 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. If you're constantly on-the-go, choose travel-friendly fruits and vegetables such as: apples, bananas, celery sticks, and baby carrots.

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You’ve probably already heard that a Mediterranean diet is good for your health. Numerous studies have linked the diet to reduced risk of stroke, heart attack and other chronic conditions. A new study released on February 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine, adds more credence to these studies.

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Researchers from the Universidad de Navarra in Spain enlisted almost 7,500 overweight or obese men and women for the study. They divided them into three groups and put them on three separate diets: a low-fat diet, a Mediterranean diet with a lot of olive oil, and a Mediterranean diet with a lot of nuts.

After five years, researchers looked at the number of participants who suffered heart attacks, strokes or death from heart disease and found that the two Mediterranean diet groups had about a 30 percent reduced risk of these conditions than those in the low-fat diet group.

It is believed the combination of good fats and nutrient-rich compounds found in Mediterranean diets account for the heart-health benefits found in this and other studies like it.

If you and your family would like to reap the benefits of such a diet, it is important to know what a Mediterranean diet is. According to mayoclinic.com, the main components of a Mediterranean diet are:

  • Getting plenty of exercise
  • Eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts
  • Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil
  • Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
  • Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month
  • Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week
  • Drinking red wine in moderation (optional)

If incorporating all of these steps are too drastic a change, start off with just a couple. Perhaps this month you can start replacing butter with healthier oils, like olive oil or canola oil and using more herbs and spices instead of salt. Then next month you can start cutting back on the amount of red meat consumed, and so on until you reach a healthy balance. For more information on Mediterranean diets view the list provided here.

View the list
  • Mediterranean diets should include between 7 and 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. If you're constantly on-the-go, choose travel-friendly fruits and vegetables such as: apples, bananas, celery sticks, and baby carrots.
  • Mediterranean diets use healthier fats such as olive oil or canola oil instead of butter. Replace butter with a splash of olive oil when cooking or dip your bread in olive oil with pepper or herbs. 
  • Begin cutting back on your salt usage. An easy way to do this and still keep foods flavorful is to replace salt with herbs and spices. Stock up on your favorites so you'll always have them at hand when cooking.
  • Aim to eat fish twice a week and avoid, when possible, fried fish. Begin replacing red meat with fish and poultry and strive to eat red meat only a handful of times throughout the month.
  • Nuts are a large part of a Mediterranean diet. Almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios or peanuts should be eaten in moderation daily. Keep a small amount at your desk and snack on them instead of reaching for potato chips of candy.
  • Switch to lower fat dairy products such as skim milk and non-fat or low-fat yogurt. When using whole milk or whole-fat dairy products, be sure to use sparingly.
  • Begin replacing breads and pastas with their whole-grain counterparts. It's easy to find whole grain pastas, breads and rice in supermarkets so it should be an easy switch.
  • Although not a requirement of a Mediterranean diet, a glass of wine with dinner has been linked to heart health. If you like wine than feel free to enjoy one glass a night, but don't feel you must drink wine to benefit from the Mediterranean diet. This step is optional.
View the list

, Tallahassee Healthy Living Examiner

Jennifer Milanese strives to live a healthy lifestyle despite having a somewhat hectic home and work schedule. She works as a researcher in her 9-5 job, but her research doesn't stop when she clocks out for the day. Instead she uses her skills to find new and innovative ways to make her daily...

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