One way to improve your health while also eating some really wonderful foods is to follow the Mediterranean style of eating, says Natalie Bruner, a registered dietitian and nutritionist with St Clair Health, part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network in Pittsburgh, in the US state of Pennsylvania.
The Mediterranean diet emphasises whole, minimally processed foods such as beans, seeds and legumes, antioxidant-rich fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, and moderate portions of lean protein like seafood. Photo: Shutterstock
Also known as the Mediterranean diet, it is not so much a “diet” in the traditional sense, which is often defined by a bunch of hard-and-fast rules such as calorie counting and macro-tracking what you put in your mouth. Eating Mediterranean style is more of a lifestyle.
Patterned around the foods eaten by people who live in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea – think Italy, Greece, Spain and Northern Africa – it puts a daily emphasis on plant-based dishes and heart-healthy, unsaturated fats such as olive oil, instead of the refined or hydrogenated oils that are so common in fast-food meals and snack foods.
The diet also emphasises whole, minimally processed foods such as beans, seeds and legumes, antioxidant-rich fresh fruits and vegetables, and moderate portions of lean protein like chicken and seafood, with only the occasional serving of red meat.
Fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, is especially key since it can help reduce inflammation and pain caused by arthritis, which is common in seniors, as well as improve cholesterol levels.
“It’s not a diet that’s restrictive,” Bruner says. “You’re eating everything that’s good for you, which is great.”
If you are a picky eater, try to incorporate something you have never had before each week, and do not be afraid to give another try to something you think you dislike. Photo: Shutterstock
Dietitians and nutritionists generally do not like to characterise food as “good” or “bad” because that can lead to restrictive behaviours, she says. Yet multiple studies have shown that those who follow the Mediterranean diet have better cognitive function and brain health in old age, she says.
Because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and its effectiveness at preventing obesity, there are also a lot of heart-health benefits, along with the prevention and progression of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, which is associated with lifestyle and diet.
For instance, according to a 2023 study in the medical journal Heart, women who followed a Mediterranean diet more closely than others had a 24 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease. They also had a 23 per cent lower risk of mortality.
So what’s the best way to get started?
Because different fruits and veggies contain different nutrients, “if you restrict one thing, you might be deficient in another”, Bruner says. The more variety, the better chance you will get all the dietary micronutrients you need.
You are not going to make these changes all at once. But making small changes can help you substantially follow a healthy lifestyle
Natalie Bruner, dietitian and nutritionist, St Clair Health
If you are a picky eater, try to incorporate something you have never had before each week, and also do not be afraid to give another try to something you think you dislike.
“Sometimes it takes our bodies multiple times of being exposed to something before we like it,” she says.
“It’s just the way we taste foods as we age,” Bruner says.
Having an array of fruits, which tend to be both lower in calories and higher in fibre, can help satisfy those cravings.
Healthy proteins are another concern. The need for protein increases as we age to maintain lean muscle mass, yet it is something a lot of older adults lack.
“What they really want is refined carbs, which is opposite of what our bodies need,” Bruner says.
If you do not care for fatty, cold-water (and good-for-you) fish like salmon, trout or tuna, choose a skinless, lean poultry like chicken or turkey and then reach beyond the salt shaker into your spice cabinet to make it sing.
Potent flavourings like cloves, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, paprika and turmeric not only please waning taste buds with intense flavour but add a punch of antioxidants.
Flavourings like cloves, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, paprika and turmeric add intense flavour and provide antioxidants. Photo: Shutterstock
Remember, too, that grains, beans and lentils can play a starring role when it comes to adding protein to plant-forward salads, sides and main dishes. They are also often cheaper than chicken or fish.
Above all, set small goals, especially if you are used to following an ultra-processed diet.
“You are not going to make these changes all at once,” Bruner says. “But making small changes can help you substantially follow a healthy lifestyle.”
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