Why We Love The Mediterranean Lifestyle (And You Should Too)

Life always presents itself with new and interesting turns. We are inevitably in a stride to improve our quality of life and health. Living longer matters. We have our step counters, Fitbits, Apple watches that can now track your heartbeat and alert you in the instance on the possible precursor of a heart attack. As a society, we are moving towards being more health-conscious about what we consume.

We are finding any measure to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke ,and other chronic diseases. Consume a variety of nutritious foods, and limit calories and saturated fat. Be physically active. Control your blood pressure and cholesterol.

European countries have been doing this for years, even centuries and it is so simple

“In the countries off the Mediterranean, there exists a deep-seated and largely unspoken consensus that eating is one of the most important things we humans do in our lives…there’s a real sense of eating as a social act, a way of communicating, of expressing solidarity and relationship.”

-The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, 2009.

The Mediterranean diet is a delicious and sustainable way of life, with flavorful foods like we have eaten on vacation in Greece, Spain, France, Southern Italy, Turkey, Morocco. The word “diet” in Greek means “way of living.” So what does it mean to follow a Mediterranean “way of living”?

We just have to follow these simple guidelines:

Little to no processed foods

High intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts and whole grains.

High intake of olive oil but low intake of saturated fats

Moderately high intake of fish

Low to moderate intake of dairy (mostly in the form of yogurt or cheese)

Low intake of meat and poultry

Low intake of refined white sugar

Regular but moderate intake of red wine, generally during meals

Not so tough right?

As a society, on average, the United States spends more than most developed countries on health care and has the lowest life expectancy. Food is medicine, and can be used to help stave off harmful illnesses and increase longevity in life. Just one healthy habit can extended life expectancy by two years in men and women. Not surprisingly, the more healthy habits people have the longer their lifespan.

The Mediterranean diet has many benefits, including reducing Alzheimer’s/dementia, heart disease, type II diabetes, inflammation/arthritis, obesity, depression, and many types of cancer. It’s a no-brainer as to why someone should adopt this healthy way of living.

In partnership with the town of Hilton Head and it’s Eat Healthy initiatives, SERG restaurants’ chefs have developed their very own Mediterranean diet dishes to further support this important and much needed initiative. The great part about this way of eating, is that you feel full without having the urge to fall asleep after a meal.

Food is fuel, and eating this way can help promote brain health, heart health, overall ongoing energy, and satisfied all while eating yummy. During the months of October and November some SERG restaurants are featuring these Mediterranean dishes to guide you on a healthier path.

Each dish is sooooo yummy, my suggestion, try all 8, you won’t be disappointed. They are all delicious and focus on helping you evolve to a better way of living. This lifestyle is sustainable because there is nothing you can never not eat again. It’s about eating more of some things and less of others.