{"id":9675,"date":"2019-03-05T20:36:59","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T20:36:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prd-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=9675"},"modified":"2025-10-27T23:38:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T23:38:06","slug":"how-to-get-started-with-the-mediterranean-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/how-to-get-started-with-the-mediterranean-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"How to get started with the Mediterranean diet","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Mediterranean diet has been\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/health.usnews.com\/best-diet\/best-diets-overall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">named\u00a0no. 1 in \u201cBest Diets Overall\u201d for 2019 by U.S. News &amp; World Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cMediterranean diet\u201d isn\u2019t a specific diet, since the (approximately) 18 countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea each have their own dishes and recipes. However, they all share a similar eating pattern.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s one of the most well-studied diets, not only for its effects on weight loss, but also for its effects on cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and other chronic diseases.<\/p>\n<p>Because the \u201cdiet\u201d consists of guidelines and not hard and fast rules, there are no food groups excluded, only recommendations for limiting certain foods \u2014 making this a sustainable way of eating.<\/p>\n<p>The guidelines include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Core foods to enjoy every day: Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, herbs, spices, nuts\/seeds and healthy fats such as olive oil<\/li>\n<li>Twice weekly servings of \ufb01sh and seafood<\/li>\n<li>Moderate portions of dairy foods, eggs and occasional poultry<\/li>\n<li>Infrequent servings of red meats, saturated fats, refined grains, sugar and sweets<\/li>\n<li>Small amounts of red wine (if desired)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And because of the high fiber and generous amounts of healthy fats (which are both filling and satiating), hunger isn\u2019t usually a challenge \u2014 another boost to the sustainability of this style of eating.<\/p>\n<p>Embracing this diet\/lifestyle also means understanding that meals are about more than just calories and nutrients; enjoying your food is important, too. You can do this by taking the time to shop for fresh ingredients; using natural, healthy ways to enhance flavors; spending time cooking with friends or family; and lingering at the table.<\/p>\n<p>One final aspect of the Mediterranean diet that is frequently overlooked (or at least not emphasized) is the incredible importance of regular, consistent physical activity to ensure heart health and a healthy weight. Walking is a big part of the culture in cities surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.<\/p>\n<h2>A great place to start<\/h2>\n<p>With 74 percent of Americans citing \u201cweight loss\u201d as their no. 1 health concern, particularly after the holidays, we know it\u2019s common to want a quick fix.<\/p>\n<p>But weight loss is a complicated issue and there are many factors contributing to it, not just diet. Plus, research shows that slow, steady weight loss (1-2 pounds per week) is the most successful in terms of keeping it off.<\/p>\n<p>Because MultiCare\u2019s Center for Weight Loss and Wellness (CWLW) is dedicated to helping achieve permanent, long-term weight loss as well as improving overall health, we don\u2019t advocate quick-fix diets or \u201cfad\u201d diets, skipping meals, meal replacements and so on.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, we focus on whole, fresh foods and clean eating as a solid foundation.<\/p>\n<p>When our clients first begin the program, we want to help them get started on the path to healthy eating \u2014 and the Mediterranean diet is, arguably, a great place to start.<\/p>\n<p>However, we don\u2019t advocate any specific diet. Instead, we emphasize the health benefits from this particular style of eating and living.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to get started<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>First, make it easy. Keep your kitchen stocked with these staples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fresh fruits and vegetables (or frozen, with no added sugar, salt, sauces, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Canned or dried beans and chickpeas<\/li>\n<li>Olive oil<\/li>\n<li>Dried lentils<\/li>\n<li>Fish\/seafood and poultry<\/li>\n<li>Low-fat\/non-fat dairy products<\/li>\n<li>Quinoa<\/li>\n<li>Whole grains (wheat, oats, brown rice)<\/li>\n<li>Nuts and seeds<\/li>\n<li>Canned tomatoes<\/li>\n<li>Dried spices (oregano, thyme, cumin, paprika, dried mint leaves)<\/li>\n<li>Olives<\/li>\n<li>Vinegar<\/li>\n<li>Garlic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once you are fully stocked, find recipes that include these ingredients, such as this\u00a0<a class=\"cta\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/happy-back\/blog\/recipe-mediterranean-shrimp-quinoa-salad\/\">Mediterranean shrimp quinoa salad<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>The MultiCare Center for Weight Loss &amp; Wellness supports you before, during and after the weight loss journey.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a id=\"Weight\" class=\"btn cta\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/services\/weight-loss-wellness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Learn more and make an appointment<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Mediterranean diet has been\u00a0named\u00a0no. 1 in \u201cBest Diets Overall\u201d for 2019 by U.S. News &amp; World Report. The \u201cMediterranean diet\u201d isn\u2019t a specific diet, since the (approximately) 18 countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea each have their own dishes and recipes. However, they all share a similar eating pattern. It&#8217;s one of the most well-studied [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":123,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to get started with the Mediterranean diet - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn simple steps to begin the Mediterranean diet and enjoy heart-healthy meals rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. Start your journey today.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/how-to-get-started-with-the-mediterranean-diet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to get started with the Mediterranean diet - MultiCare Vitals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn simple steps to begin the Mediterranean diet and enjoy heart-healthy meals rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. 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