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A Mediterranean diet includes foods like nuts, vegetables, fish, legumes, and whole grains.
- The Mediterranean diet encourages the consumption of unprocessed foods like fruits, fish, legumes, nuts, poultry, vegetables, and whole grains.
- A Mediterranean diet doesn't involve counting calories or cutting out entire food groups, and the potential benefits include reducing cardiovascular disease, preventing cognitive decline, and fighting depression.
- I decided to try to the Mediterranean diet for a week, and here's what happened.
The word "diet" normally puts a bad taste in my mouth. I hate how restrictive most trendy meal plans are, and I'm not convinced they're actually good for you. When I heard about the Mediterranean diet, however, I reconsidered my stance.
As its name suggests, this diet is based on Mediterranean-style eating. According to the Mayo Clinic, a Mediterranean diet involves primarily consuming fruits, fish, legumes, nuts, poultry, vegetables, and whole grains. More broadly, there's an emphasis on plant-based and unprocessed foods, plus healthy fats. Foods like dairy and red meat are OK, as long as they're eaten in moderation.
The Mediterranean diet isn't about counting calories or cutting out entire food groups - two things I hate about many diets. It also accommodates a social lifestyle - drinking wine and enjoying shared meals included - while other eating plans have interfered with my social life.
On top of all that, studies suggest that it can help with depression, keep your brain sharp, protect your heart health, and save you money, as Business Insider previously reported.
Would the Mediterranean diet change my mind about diets in general? Would it mitigate some of my depression symptoms? Would it lead me to spend less on food? I decided to find out. Here's what happened when I committed to a Mediterranean diet for a week.