Eating a nutritious diet is important to improving your heart health. Pohley Richey, a registered dietitian and health coach with Saltzer Health, says that the Mediterranean diet is one way to minimize processed foods and sugar while increasing fiber in your daily meals.
The diet has evolved over the last 5,000 years in the Mediterranean region, she said.
It really came into popularity in the 1960s when people from the region were studied and shown to
have a lower incidence of heart disease, Richey said.
The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional foods that people have eaten for generations in Italy,
Greece and other Mediterranean countries with an emphasis on:
Whole, unprocessed, natural foods
Less sugar
Local, seasonal fruits and vegetables
Whole grains
Heart healthy fats like nuts, olive oil, and other seeds
Protein from legumes, lentils, chickpeas, and seafood
Its not necessarily about a specific food per se but about this overall style of eating, Richey said.
Research has shown that the diet promotes wellness and decreases the risk of heart disease, cancer,
diabetes and other chronic conditions.
Richey describes the Mediterranean diet as super versatile.
It is super easy to implement. Its delicious. There is a lot of variety involved. It can be really simple,
easy, and a fun way to eat, she said.
Do you LOVE local news? Get Local News Headlines in your inbox daily.
Thanks! You'll start receiving the headlines tomorrow!
With any diet, Richey recommends starting small. If you are looking at making a complete revamp it
gets a little bit overwhelming, she said. Think of very specific things that you can pull from this dietary
pattern and implement.
To get started, she recommends:
Try going one meal a week meatless
Eat more legumes
Experiment with new foods like chickpeas or lentils
Shop at local farmers markets
Pohley Richey, RD, is a culinary instructor and health coach with Saltzer Health based at PIVOT. To learn more, visit saltzerhealth.com and heart.org.
A resident of Nampa, Martinez is a senior at NNU majoring in biology/pre-med and healthcare communications. He is a resident of Nampa. Martinez is a communications intern at Saltzer Health.
Link:
Improve your health with the Mediterranean diet - Idaho Press-Tribune
