If your New Year’s resolution was to eat healthier in 2023, it’s worth taking a look at the Mediterranean diet. The eating plan was just named the best diet of 2023 by the U.S. News and World Report—a title it has held for the last six years.
Truth be told, most people do not follow through with whatever commitment was made at the stroke of midnight, with the majority of resolutions falling apart by the second Friday in January. Yet, the Mediterranean diet is more of a lifestyle, with around 20 countries along the Mediterranean basin eating this way.
The diet relies on fresh produce from the region, with a high intake of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and olive oil. Proteins like fish, seafood, poultry, and eggs are consumed moderately, as are dairy products. Other ingredients, like refined carbohydrates and red meat are eaten very seldomly.
“People from many different cultures worldwide already embrace this way of eating. They simply use different varieties of produce, seafood, herbs, and spices. After all, what matters is that plenty of nutrient-rich foods are being consumed regularly. The Mediterranean diet focuses on quality rather than a single nutrient or food group,” explains U.S. News and World Report.
The Mediterranean diet is also known to possess a plethora of health benefits, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, and increasing longevity by up to 13 years.
