Eating the Mediterranean way teaches us to avoid processed foods and eat real minimally processed food that's nutritious, satisfying, and benefits your physical and mental health.
I didn't always eat this way. A few years ago you could find me in front of my laptop, mindlessly putting away a half bag of pretzel sticks. And you may be thinking: “what's the problem with that? They're only pretzels”.
The problem is not just the pretzels, it's the entire processed food system that has set us up to fail. Most people don't know how to eat. It's not something that's taught in school and if their parents ate a certain way it's only normal that they would continue the pattern. Stocking a grocery cart full of frozen dinner, chips, cereal, cookies and crackers is a very normal thing. After all, the grocery store sells it. It's there for us.
I've never heard anyone say, oh I was watching TV and binged on 3 cans of sardines or a can of chickpeas. Of course not. A lot of careful marketing goes into ensuring that people are enticed by the taste, smell and look of certain food. I'm not crazy - when I see Oreos, I get a little weak in the knees, but I know what goes into them. With ingredients that belong in a chemistry lab, we're likely doing our bodies a disservice. Most of us are malnourished while having more food at our disposal than any other country on the planet. Our bodies rely on the synergy of vitamins and minerals that come from whole, real food and most people are simply not meeting even the basic daily values.
There is no coincidence we instinctively gravitate towards processed stuff. We are biologically pre-disposed to crave that which gives the brain the most pleasure. If I put a hard-boiled egg in front of my kids and a handful of sweet cereal, you better believe they will without fail, choose the cereal every time.
Unless we take the time to un-learn that which is pushed on us from every direction, eating disorders, obesity and chronic illness will continue to rise. This is where the Mediterranean diet comes in. I don't even like the name diet - because its connotation implies deprivation.
How To Start Eating The Mediterranean Way
I believe it all starts with education. Questioning what goes into the food we're eating, how food is grown, manufactured, etc. I'm fairly certain big food companies don't have our best interest in mind and are not thinking about how the food they're producing is affecting your health. No, there is one end goal in mind and that is money. That's it. Focusing on fresh, clean ingredients, can truly clean up our lives from the inside out.
Change habits, change your life
In order to change habits and patterns we've known our whole lives, we have to make unpopular decisions. I've been called weird for eating the way I do, which blows my mind because most food we have at our disposal today is the thing that’s weird. I'm not a purist by any means but I try to make conscious choices that have truly transformed the way I feel and look at the food world.
So what can you do to start eating better?
It all starts with the food you buy. I'm going to share a few simple and very basic tips that take us a step closer to a Mediterranean way of eating and living.
- Cook - this should be the obvious answer but it's not always obvious to everyone. Not everyone was born to be in the kitchen. But if you want to eat better, you have to spend some time cooking. It doesn't have to be complicated and I emphasize that in most of my recipes. For inspiration, check out the recipe page.
- Meal prep for the week - If you want a basic guide for roasting vegetables and chicken, check out the posts here and here.
- Have snacks handy - I know some swear by the 3 meals a day but in the afternoon, I generally need something to hold me over.
Here are some great options: - cut up vegetables
- fruit
- seeds and nuts
- granola
- almond butter and carrot sticks or celery
- hard boiled eggs
- butternut squash or beet hummus with vegetables
- coconut butter
- kale chips
- smoothies
- sardines
- collagen chocolate bars - Drink water - if you're someone who drinks soda often, start slow. Maybe the transition to a healthier version. You can make your own fermented soda that's loaded with probiotics and tastes delicious. But the drink of choice throughout the day should be water. Once you get in the habit of drinking water your body actually starts craving it. If you want a spin on plain water, try adding lemon. You can read all about the benefits of drinking lemon water here.
- Include fermented food - I've written several posts about the connection between gut health and overall health. All health really does begin in the gut and in order for us to thrive, we have to feed our gut bacteria and that will have a rippling effect on the rest of our body and mind. Check out some basic recipes for fermented carrots, pickles and radishes and sauerkraut.
- Eat good fat - For our brain and organs to function optimally we need fat and saturated fat as part of our diet. If you want a more in-depth read on saturated fat, you can check it out here.
- Have recipes on hand - What I've always said when it comes to eating well and eating a real food diet is that you have to plan and prepare. Have recipes on hand you can quickly whip up when you're strapped for time. I'm a mom with two young kids, work full time and run a blog. I don't have a lot of time on most days so all the recipes I develop are geared towards putting dinner on the table in a reasonable time.
My Favorite Mediterranean Recipes
Spaghetti With Olive Tapenade, Tomatoes and Herbs
Cannellini Bean Salad With Tuna And Artichoke Hearts
Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
Mediterranean Herbed Tahini Sauce
Mediterranean Quinoa Tuna Salad
Mediterranean Lemon Tahini Dressing
Don't be afraid to go against the norm. If we want to create any long-lasting change and turn around some of the patterns that are sinking us into a chronic illness epidemic, we have to educate ourselves and pay attention to what we put into our bodies.
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