The Mediterranean Diet

  The program that I outline in my book, Lose 50+ Pounds at 70+Years, suggests eating foods from the list below. These are the foods I have concentrated on for the last few years as I lost weight and am now maintaining that weight loss. I’ve become especially fond of green, leafy vegs like spinach, cruciferous vegs like broccoli, and low-calorie fruits like berries and melon. I replaced some of the meat I had been consuming with nuts, seeds, and legumes. I simply cut my meat portions by at least half. Easypeasy! 
  Whole grain breads and olive oil have always been my favorites so little adjustment was needed there. I’m not a big fan of most fish, though, so I have to psych myself into eating seafood. I do like salmon, so I’ve tried to develop more recipes with this hearthealthy, nutritious fish. 

Mediterranean diet foods 

• Vegetables: tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, onions, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips 
• Fruits: apples, bananas, oranges, pears, strawberries, grapes, dates, figs, melons, peaches 
• Nuts, seeds, and nut butters: almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond and other nut butters.  
• Legumes: beans, peas, lentils, peanuts and peanut butter, chickpeas (garbanzos.) 
• Whole grains: oats, brown rice, rye, barley, corn, buckwheat, whole wheat bread and pasta 
• Fish and seafood: salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, shrimp, crab, mussels 
• Poultry: chicken, duck, turkey 
• Eggs: chicken, quail, and duck eggs 
• Dairy: cheese, yogurt, milk 
• Herbs and spices: garlic, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, turmeric, cumin (comino.) 
• Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, olives, avocados, and avocado oil 

  Developed by Dr. Ancel Keys of the University of Minnesota from a long-term study he carried out in the 1950s, and published in the US in 1980, the Mediterranean diet is the mouth-watering collection of foods that Keys had observed folks in Mediterranean areas relied upon for eons to maintain cardiovascular fitness, strong bones, and healthy weight. Keys was so impressed by the lifestyle, he pulled up stakes and moved to Italy. He lived to be 100 years old, so he might have been onto something. 
  It has been studied extensively and judged by doctors and scientists as one of, if not the most effective diets in the world. There is quite a bit of reliable evidence that adherence to the Mediterranean meal plan can lower the risk of death from many conditions such as cardiovascular disease by reducing LDL (low density lipoprotein or bad) cholesterol. Emerging evidence indicates that this eating method may also help with issues like age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, diabetes, and certain cancers. 
  And it works for weight-loss, as long as you eat reasonable sized meals with these ingredients. You’ll be satisfied and you’ll lose weight, plain and simple. Hey, it's been working for me!

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