#it’s roughly gonna be in two or three categories of work I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get here

[hiraeth-found]

Alien trilogy and Altered Carbon season 2 approaching the question of black metaphysics (as an ontology of terror as per Warren and Bradley) and the black body from entirely different angles, both can be meaningful when approaching it from Sylvia Wynter’s stance on redefining the human.

I think the Southern reach series is also particularly useful and can be read diffractively against Wynter, Warren’s and Rizvana Bradley work, I have some ideas on how I want to do that but I think that will be after I figure out the above.

Octavia Butlers work and the Ambergris series would fit in another bucket, not necessarily concerned with the actual body within a transitional environment but more focused on hauntology, lost or budding wordlings and post-human relationships.

[recurring-polynya]

What comparisons can be made between renruki and Ichiruki? I often wondered about this.

This is such a hot button issue that as soon as I received this (perfectly polite) ask, my body tensed up and my brain went Am I being trolled?

It’s honestly a shame that there is so much bad blood behind this, because it is, in fact, a very interesting thing to talk about, and I am going to attempt to do so in good faith, because I love thinking about this kind of thing. Even though I am very openly a Renruki shipper, I love all three of these characters very much, and I think that Ichigo and Rukia’s relationship is very important! I am doing my best to be neutral, although I have not read very much Ichiruki fanfic/meta, so please give me a benefit of a doubt. Obviously, I can’t stop anyone from reblogging this and putting their own comments on it, but I have no interest in getting in debates over it, so don’t be surprised if I don’t engage.

This is both long, and I am sure some people don’t care, so I’m gonna put the rest under a cut. I have tried to hard to write this in a way that will not make anyone mad, but if you think it will make you mad, please give yourself the gift of not clicking on it.

So, what is the same between Ichigo and Renji? Lots, actually. Physically, they are both tall, strong, and have ridiculously colored spiky hair. They are outwardly grumpy, but secretly have soft, gooey centers. Neither one of them is dumb, but they are both dumbasses. They are protectors: they would rather take any amount of pain or damage onto themselves than see a loved one hurt. Their friends are everything to them, and that goes triple for Rukia.

How are they different, then? There are three major bullets:

- Ichigo is alive. Renji is dead. Perhaps this is a little flip, but Renji belongs to same world that Rukia does, and Ichigo does not. This is not a value judgment, it is just a fact: If Rukia ends up with Renji, she stays where she is. If she ends up with Ichigo, either Rukia or Ichigo have to make a huge change. I will get back to this.

- Youth vs. Experience. Ichigo is a 15-year old boy, as we are told about 1000 times. There is some mystery over how old Rukia and Renji are, but they have graduated from secondary education and are currently employed. I think it’s safe to assume that they are roughly close in age to each other, but I think Rukia may perceive Renji as seeming older than herself-- he graduated from school, and she didn’t; he’s on his third squad transfer, whereas she’s hasn’t budged from her initial, entry-level job, and he’s now middle management. However, the arc of the story we don’t get to see, is that over the timeskips, Rukia not only catches up to, but surpasses him. Also, not for nothing, but I think that in the same way Rukia is immediately drawn to Ichigo because of his resemblance to Kaien, I think she is also drawn to him for his resemblance to Young Renji-- a grumpy, prickly young man, leaking self-doubt from every pore, whom she is more able to be generous towards through the lens of age and experience. (And I think this comparison could support either ship)

- Ichigo is the protagonist. Rules don’t apply to him. Fate breaks on his sword. He represents the triumph of love or hard work or dreams or what have you over the cruel millstone of the world. Renji, on the other hand, is firmly bound to the rules of the world in which he inhabits. In fact, that is arguably the entire purpose of his character. Renji’s fights are often used to set the stakes of the conflict-- ah, Renji got mangled, this guy must be tough. In the Soul Society Arc, he is an antagonist because he is doing what he is supposed to. In the TYBW, Kubo literally throws the two of them in a pit to fight some asauchi just to make the point that Renji is a shinigami and Ichigo is something else.

Let’s jump over to Rukia for a moment. Rukia is a great character, one of my favorite characters in any media. Rukia contains multitudes. She is tough and strong, but often melancholy. She can be beautiful and elegant, but she also lies and breaks rules and tried to put Kon in a dead cat once. Emotionally, she likes to present a cool front, but she has a big, loving heart, and she feels deeply. As a character, all of this makes her very easy to project onto, which is why I think so many people OTP her with someone, no matter who.Some people choose to try to make her into one of these things or another, and some people try to keep her as the full bundle of contradictions that she is.

There is no romantic content in canon Bleach. There is no romantic content in canon Bleach. There are many, many scenes that can be interpreted romantically, but no one goes on a date, no one kisses. Ichigo gazes longingly into the eyes of all his friends, it’s just a thing he does. Orihime does explicitly proclaim at one point that she loves Rukia, although I suspect that in the original Japanese, it’s the word for “friendship love” and not the very-rarely-used “romantic love.” I have seen a scene-for-scene comparison of IchiHime “romantic moments” only it’s Chad and Uryuu (which I choose to believe supports IshiChad, rather than negates IchiHime, but we may all choose for ourselves!) My point is that shipping in Bleach is a DIY craft, which, when we’re all having a good time, is what makes it so fun.

So, bringing all of this together, given that Ichigo and Renji are fairly similar characters, why are the ships so different, and what makes one appeal to some people and be abhorrent to someone else?

I think about romance stories a lot. I actually took a class on romance novels in college and I just really like to think about the mechanics of stories. In the truest sense of the word, “romance” is about extremes-- about sailing the high seas and wearing ostentatious shirts and shouting off a cliff in a rainstorm. When we talk about romance as a genre, the characters tend to behave in a way that we would not prefer our actual romantic partners do, but the over-the-top nature of it makes us swoon and our hearts drop -- except when it doesn’t. What is heart-breakingly romantic to some people can be a huge turn-off to others. The biggest fight my husband and I have ever had was over a kdrama. The male lead was hiding his identity from the female lead in order to help her, and I found it all to be deeply, deeply romantic, and my husband turned to me and said “He is being dishonest with her and I think it’s morally wrong” and I almost died.

So, let’s break down some of the themes of the two ships, which I think gets at the meat of what you were asking. Now, like I said, shipping is very participatory, and anyone may have their own ideas of how these relationships would be, and I am a big fan of “a great writer can get away with anything”, but in broad strokes, I think that these are the themes of the two ships:

IchiRuki:

Love conquers all/ Love is enough to overcome differences of class, age, lifestyle, geography, etc.

Instant connections/Love at first sight

Love is a force of the universe that cannot be denied or defeated

Young love

Grand gestures

Your partner changes you (in a positive way)/You effect change in your partner

Your partner is the center of your world

Your partner is the one person who can get through to you/You are the one person who can get through to your partner

Banter

Dumbassery

RenRuki:

Love takes work

Best friends to lovers

Second chances/Broken things can be repaired

Love is a choice

You improve with age

Shared experiences build love

Pining

Working together with your partner to create a mutually satisfying life together

Your partner enriches your world, but your independence is maintained

Banter

Dumbassery

There is also some degree of character interpretation at work, too-- there seems to be a huge degree of disagreement between fans as to whether:

a) Ichigo enjoys his normal, human life, and even though he do anything to protect what he loves, he would prefer to live a human existence with his human friends and family. He credits Rukia will helping him realize his strength and powers.

b) Ichigo is unsatisfied with his human life and that meeting Rukia opened the doorway to a life of excitement and adventure, on top of being given the strength to protect his loved ones.

As far as Ichigo pairings go, I think that most IchiHime people fall in category (a) and most IchiRuki (and GrimmIchi) shippers fall in (b). In both cases, peoples’ ships align with their view of what makes Ichigo happy. Most IchiRuki content I have seen  seems to feature Ichigo moving to Soul Society, rather than Rukia moving to Karakura. Rukia pretty explicitly indicates at the end of the Soul Society Arc that she wants to stay in Soul Society, plus she’s got a pretty established life there. Contrast that to the story of Isshin and Masaki-- Isshin seems pretty flippant and disaffected about his life in Soul Society; it doesn’t seem like it was a particularly hard choice for him to give up being a shinigami. Also, it’s pretty clear that what Isshin did was illegal, and I’m not sure there would be an easy way for Rukia to just say “WELP, I’m off to live as a human, smell you jerks later.”

To try to wrap things up, I think the actual dynamics of an IchiRuki or RenRuki relationship would be very similar, actually. They would banter a lot and dive headfirst into danger and support each other no matter what. Byakuya would treat either guy with the vaguest, most grudging amount of respect. The primary perpetual, unresolved argument between Rukia and Ichigo would be “The Living World is dumb/Soul Society is dumb”, whereas with Rukia and Renji, it would be “Squad 6 is dumb/Squad 13 is dumb wait no I didn’t mean that Captain Ukitake is an angel.”

Personally, I headcanon Renji as being more able than Ichigo to step back and be the support person in the relationship (see that bullet about Ichigo being the protag), so I think that RenRuki could manage to run a functional household, whereas Ichigo and Rukia would just go on adventures until they got arrested for tax evasion.

*For the record, I am very pro-IchiRenRuki, except that they would be even worse at running a household. It’s just Renji trying to explain how a chore wheel works while Rukia and Ichigo walk out the door on him.

[there-must-be-a-lock]

Three (Bad Ideas) - Part 2/3

Jensen Ackles x Jared Padalecki (pre-J2 x reader)

Word Count: ~3470

Warnings: It’s not super explicit, it doesn’t get much farther than some groping and grinding on-camera, but there’s some decidedly adult content here. 

A/N: The second part of the prequel to Everything. The first part is right over here. All my gratitude to @fangirlxwritesx67​ for the reading and encouragement, as always, and also for the J2 spamming esp. possessive!Jensen. 

“What, like, hot alien threesome?” Jensen laughs. 

“All those different species, with like. Droids. And fuckin’... Wookiees and shit.” Jared tries to make a Wookiee noise but he’s giggling too hard to get it out. In his defense, it’s two in the morning and he’s very drunk. 

“Hutt porn?”

“Hentai with actual tentacles! I mean, come on, you could scroll through category menus for hours.” 

Jensen snorts and shakes his head. “I always thought the green chick was hot.” 

“The twi’lek! Fuck yeah.” 

“You are such a dork,” Jensen laughs. He goes to elbow Jared, but Jared dodges, stumbles, and almost walks into a streetlamp. 

“Dude,” he splutters. “Dude, fuck, can you imagine… holy shit! If somebody liked to be choked, and -” 

“Hate to break it to you, but that barely counts as kinky in this universe,” Jensen says, with a wicked grin. 

Jared’s brain stores that away with a neon sign saying we are going to think about this later! but manages not to short out completely. 

“No, no, you know how Darth Vader -“ Jared stops in the middle of the sidewalk, mimicking the Force-choking gesture, trying to imitate a stern Vader-y expression and failing miserably. He clutches his stomach, wheezing with laughter. 

“Such a dork,” Jensen repeats, trying to hold back his laughter. “Get your ass moving, I’m fuckin’ freezing.” 

Jared falls back into step. “Your fault you’re already dressed for Austin.” 

“Vancouver in April might as well be Hoth,” Jensen says, and Jared cracks up all over again. 

“Who’s the dork now? I’m rubbing off on you!” he crows, and immediately adds, “That’s what she said.” 

Jensen huffs, mock-exasperated, but he sneaks a sideways look at Jared, grinning. 

One second they’re walking side by side, and the next, Jensen’s grabbing him, hand tight on Jared’s wrist as he crowds right into Jared’s space. Jared steps back instinctively, almost stumbles, but Jensen just follows, walking him backward with this wild-eyed intensity on his face. 

Jared’s back hits a cold brick wall. Jensen’s mouth is hot and desperate when it collides with his. 

The kiss is clumsy and messy and perfect, and it’s like Jared’s brain gets stuck in a loop: what, what, what, because they’re kissing, and he’s paralyzed by the shock for a long frozen moment while his stomach lurches and his heart pounds and his head spins. Then Jensen’s teeth catch on his lip, stinging in a way that sends electricity skittering along his synapses, jolting him back into the moment like a fucking AED. 

Jensen’s kissing him like he wants to devour him, sucking and biting like he could eat Jared alive, and Jared’s stomach flips with every ruthless drag of his teeth, every deep lush lick, every new brush of those pillowy lips. Jared pulls him in close and kisses him back with everything he’s got. 

Jensen slides both hands into Jared’s hair, strong fingers twining through the strands and tugging sharply just as his leg shoves up between Jared’s, and Jared lets out this ragged, needy moan, the most ridiculously slutty noise that’s ever escaped his lips. He should be embarrassed by how fucking desperate he sounds, but Jensen’s hips jerk forward, grinding up against him as he hisses out an answering curse. If Jared wasn’t being shoved up against the wall he’d probably fall the fuck down with the way his knees turn to jelly. 

Jensen pulls away. Before Jared’s brain can catch up with his body, he’s swaying forward in an attempt to follow his mouth. 

“Yeah?” Jensen growls. His voice is even deeper than usual, a barely-there rumble, and Jared shivers. 

Jared doesn’t know what the fucking question is, but he manages, “Yes.” 

There’s one more searing kiss, teeth and blistering heat, and then Jensen’s grabbing his wrist and tugging him away from the wall and down the quiet sidewalk. Jared feels like his muscles aren’t quite working right, floppy and uncoordinated as he staggers after Jensen. 

He can still feel the residual heat of Jensen’s body all down his front, and the Vancouver night feels even colder in the wake of all that fiery pressure. His lips are bruised and puffy. His skin is jumping with… god, he doesn’t even know what to call it: disbelief, lust, wonder, need, shock, too fucking much all at once, more than Jared can take. 

He sneaks a quick look at Jensen, and Jensen’s staring right back at him, eyes smoldering as he looks up through his lashes. He flicks his tongue out over his red, swollen lower lip and shoots Jared a little half-smile, and Jared has to stop again to reel Jensen in and kiss that smile until Jensen’s gasping against his mouth. 

“Bed,” Jensen says roughly. “I need to get you in a bed right fucking now.” 

“Yeah. Okay. Bed.” 

“You sure about this?” Jensen asks. He’s staring at Jared’s mouth again. 

Jared’s not sure what to say to that. Instead of admitting that no, he’s not sure about anything, and in fact he’s scared out of his damn mind, and this is probably a bad idea, he just ducks his head to kiss Jensen again.   

*

Jared’s spent so many hours reliving the feel of Jensen’s mouth against his, Jensen’s skin under his hands, Jensen’s low moan and shuddery sigh… there’s a million and one fragments of visceral gut-punch memory embedded in his nerve endings from the night Jared got drugged. 

He’s gotten better at pushing them away. At first it was every time, every time he got too close, every time he smelled Jensen; a feverish flash of sensation would hit him hard and fast. Now the memories mostly come out at night, when he’s alone. They’re still almost too intense to bear. 

It’s surreal, the way those memories pale in comparison to the real thing. 

Jensen’s on top of him, hips twisting, and they’re both hard in their jeans; they haven’t managed to stop touching long enough to get their clothes off, and the drag of too-rough denim-on-denim friction is driving Jared insane. The little growl in the back of Jensen’s throat is the same. The incredible mix of grace and aggression in the way he moves is the same. The way he makes Jared feel is the same: this all-consuming need through his body, fierce and dizzying, like he’s about to vibrate out of his skin. 

He blamed it on the drugs, the electricity and mind-melting heat of the first time. He convinced himself that it was partly in his head, that it was the chemicals: the perfection of it, the way they slotted together like they were made for each other, the way every goddamn touch felt like a revelation. 

He was wrong on all counts. He feels drugged all over again. 

Jensen sits back on his heels abruptly, tugging his shirt over his head. Jared can barely take his eyes off the freckles and the muscles and the fucking hipbones long enough to deal with his own shirt, but it’s worth it when he pulls Jensen down again and feels all that smooth bare skin on his. 

Jared rakes his nails down Jensen’s shoulder blades and then flattens his hands on Jensen’s back to squeeze him closer, arching up, rolling his hips. Jensen pulls back just long enough to inhale, quick and sharp. 

“Sure about this?” Jared asks breathlessly. He’s not sure what he’ll do if Jensen says no, but he feels like he should ask. 

Jensen doesn’t answer. He ducks right back down, sinking his teeth into the spot under Jared’s ear that makes him whine and twitch. 

Jensen’s hand curls around the other side of his neck, thumb fitting right under the line of his jaw and forcing his head back, exposing his throat and leaving him at the mercy of Jensen’s mouth. Jensen’s tongue swirls over the skin he just bit, soothing the sting with a soft tickling lick, before nibbling the same spot again, gentler this time. Jared already feels strung-tight and shaky. 

He can feel how hard Jensen is, stiff heat straining against the front of his jeans, but Jensen’s taking his time. His fingers press harder, holding Jared down, holding him in place, and the pressure of his hand is doing devastating, crazy-making things to Jared’s insides. He nips and sucks and works sensitive patches of skin between his teeth until Jared’s twisting and gasping under him. 

Jared bucks up, frustrated, and grits out, “Please.” 

The way Jensen groans, low and helpless, might be the hottest thing Jared’s ever heard. He grinds down again, so fucking good Jared’s eyes roll back in his head, and then he finally pulls away, fingers sliding up from Jared’s neck to grip his hair instead. 

Jared blinks up at him. Even after all these years, he can’t believe it, sometimes; Jensen’s too beautiful to be real. He’s even more beautiful now, hair sticking up, lips swollen, looking down at Jared with his pupils blown and his cheeks flushed, something like surprise in his eyes. Jared’s too stunned to even wonder what his own face must look like. 

“Tell me what you want,” Jensen whispers. His voice is a barely-there rasp, steely and dark, and it makes Jared want to get on his knees, spread his legs, beg for anything and everything Jensen might choose to do to him. 

“You,” he manages. It’s always been the truth. 

*

Jared makes it less than forty-eight hours before he snaps. He’s in the car before he can think about it, driving the familiar roads to Jensen’s house on autopilot. 

He almost turns right around when he pulls into the driveway. The reality of what he’s doing sets in, and it’s so huge and overwhelming that there’s this rushing in his ears and this wheezing in his lungs and everything else fades away for a moment. He parks and leans forward, crossing his arms on the steering wheel and resting his forehead on them. He tries to breathe. 

Gonna see if I can catch an earlier flight. Just need to think.

Sorry.  

He woke up alone two days ago, and he’s read the note so many times since that it’s like those three sentences are just on a constant loop in the back of his head. He’s not sure he can face Jensen right now; hearing the words in person might just kill him. It was bad enough the first time. 

Don’t worry about it. What are brothers for? 

But at least that time there was an excuse. Jared could write off all his neediness, all his desperation, on drug-induced temporary insanity. 

Jensen must’ve just figured there was nothing wrong with a casual fuck. They were drunk, they were horny, they’d done it before, might as well. But then he’d seen the way Jared looked at him, and he must have finally realized. He panicked; that’s the only explanation Jared can think of. 

Jared knows himself. He knows that everything he feels shows in his expression, clear as fucking day, and if he didn’t have so much practice hiding that particular emotion, Jensen probably would’ve noticed a long time ago. Jared let his guard down that night, drunk, in the heat of the moment. Jensen must’ve seen it plastered all over his face. 

Thing is, though, Jared couldn’t live without his best friend. Doesn’t matter that he’s in love with Jensen. Doesn’t matter how he feels. The simple fact is, even if it’s never anything more than friendship, Jared needs Jensen in his life. If he screwed that up because of his stupid inconvenient feelings, if he really did scare Jensen away this time… well, he can’t think about that. That train of thought leads to cold sweats and sheer panic. 

Jared sits up. He grips the steering wheel, white-knuckled, then releases it, stretching out his fingers as he sighs. He looks guiltily at his hands. He stopped biting his fingernails a long time ago, but right now his nails are gnawed to the quick and his cuticles are edged with scabs. 

It’s eating him up inside. He feels raw and achy and shredded, and he needs to just bite the bullet and hear the words so that he can apologize. He has a whole speech planned out. Then maybe they can just go have a beer or something and it’ll all go back to normal. It has to go back to normal. 

Fuck. 

He grabs his phone and texts before he can think too hard about it: Can we talk? 

Jared sits up and looks at himself in the rearview mirror quickly. His eyes, sunken in bruised purple-blue rings, are puffy and red-rimmed. His hair is a greasy fucking mess, tangled where it peeks out from under his beanie. He looks like absolute shit. Doesn’t matter; Jensen’s seen him at his worst, and his looks aren’t really the point right now. 

His phone buzzes and Jared’s stomach lurches. 

Yes. I’ll come over. 

Jared almost chokes on his borderline-hysterical giggle. He gets out of the car, texting as he walks to the front door. 

Um okay but I’m maybe in your driveway?

He steels himself with a deep breath. The door swings open before he can knock. 

Unlike Jared, Jensen doesn’t usually wear his emotions on his face. It took time and trust before Jared could read the little nuances of his expressions, and he knew, even then, that it was just as much Jensen letting him in as Jared figuring him out. 

Now, though, Jensen might as well be a fucking billboard. He looks terrified and desperate and hopeful, and there’s something tender and familiar shining in his eyes. He looks just like Jared feels. 

Jared had a whole fucking speech planned, and he can’t remember a single word of it. He blinks, paralyzed, before taking one hesitant step forward. 

They both move at once, abrupt and clumsy, crashing into each other so hard it knocks the air from Jared’s lungs, and if he thought Jensen kissed him hungrily before, he’s starving now, teeth clashing and tongue plunging in deep, with this deep, gorgeous whine in the back of his throat when Jared just parts his lips and lets him take what he needs. 

Neither of them bother asking this time. They’re sure. 

*

It’s a bad idea and Jared knows it, even as he hauls Jensen in by the belt loops, but this is the longest he’s gone without kissing Jensen since they got together. He’s pretty sure he’s going to lose his goddamn mind before they make it to the last panel of the day. They’re near the green room in a relatively secluded little nook of the hallway, so at least there’s no danger of fans spotting them, but someone from the cast or Creation staff could walk by. It’s a stupid risk. 

They still haven’t told anybody. They want to try to keep it from the press, at first, for the sake of privacy, and there’s going to be a shitstorm of epic proportions when the fans find out, but they don’t have any illusions about being able to hide it from anybody involved in the show. Still, they wanted to at least tell the important people on their own terms, Singer and Speight and the ones whose opinions actually matter, before it gets out. They’d be assholes to let their friends hear it third-hand through the production gossip grapevine. 

But he’s not thinking about any of that. He’s not thinking at all, really. It’s the first time in over a week that Jared’s had to hold back, to be careful about how and when and where he touches Jensen, and it’s driving him a little bit crazy. 

Jensen’s feeling the same way, if the way he returns the kiss is any indication. He makes a rough, eager sound in the back of his throat and tucks his fingers into Jared’s back pockets, squeezing his ass and rocking up against him, before sliding his hands under the hem of Jared’s shirt to splay over his lower back and pull him closer. Jared runs his hands up Jensen’s arms, gripping his shoulders, feeling the muscles flex under his fingers. 

They break apart just an inch, enough to breathe, both of them panting, noses still brushing. Jared knows they should stop before they get caught, but he can’t bring himself to put any real space between their bodies. 

“Can’t fuckin’ wait to have you to myself again,” Jensen growls, and he pushes up on his tiptoes, lips right against Jared’s ear as he whispers, “Gonna bend you over the desk and make you watch in the mirror. Should see how pretty you look when I get my fingers in you.” 

Jared lets out a frustrated grunt, cock twitching as Jensen nips his earlobe. 

“You’re killing me,” he mutters. 

Jensen kisses him again, gentler this time, but it makes Jared shiver with the strain of holding back. 

Blame Jensen and his mouth for the way Jared’s so lost he doesn’t hear the door handle right across the hallway. He’s not sure what Jensen’s excuse is. 

He practically bites through Jensen’s lip with surprise when he hears the quick little gasp. Jensen stumbles back hurriedly, wiping his mouth, eyes huge in a way that would look comical if Jared didn’t feel icy all over with panic. 

“Oh thank fuck,” he breathes, when he sees who it is. He’s so relieved that it takes him a second to process the expression on her face; she’s bright red, looking down at her feet, flushing and avoiding eye contact instead of giving them shit about it like he would’ve expected. 

“Sorry,” she squeaks. “I’ll just… yeah. Give you some privacy.” 

She’s already bolting when Jared finds his voice again. 

“Wait,” he manages, and she grimaces as she turns to face them again. 

“We haven’t told anyone,” Jensen says. 

“Secret’s safe with me,” she says, with a too-bright smile, before she’s whirling around and rushing down the hall. 

Jared stares after her, puzzled, and more than a little disappointed. 

“What was that about?” he wonders out loud. “If it was anyone else I’d assume homophobic freakout, but…” 

“You really can’t figure out why she might not want to see you kissing someone?” Jensen asks sharply. His lips are swollen, red and shiny and distracting as hell. 

Jared’s heart is still pounding with the leftover adrenaline. He shakes his head, feeling slow and stupid. 

Jensen sighs. “Never mind.” 

“I should talk to her,” Jared says unhappily. “I… I missed her. I didn’t think -” 

Something that looks like hurt flashes through Jensen’s eyes. “We gotta get to the next panel. I’m sure you’ll see her tonight.” 

“Right. You’re right. Okay.” Jared runs his fingers through his hair and tucks it behind his ears. He feels fidgety and strange. 

Jensen grabs him, lightning-fast, and captures his mouth in one last kiss.

“Mine,” he whispers. 

“Yours,” Jared agrees softly. 

*

After the panel, Jared finds her right behind the stage, sitting cross-legged in the corner and rolling a water bottle between her palms, deep in thought. When he drops to the floor and sits next to her, nudging her with one elbow, she smiles at him warmly. There’s no trace of the awkwardness from earlier. The knot of anxiety in Jared’s chest loosens slightly. 

“When?” is all she says. 

“Hooked up again the night we wrapped, pulled our heads out of our asses two days later,” Jared says, grinning down at his lap. “You okay?” 

“Just surprised me, that’s all,” she says, studiously avoiding eye contact again. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be weird about it. Just felt bad interrupting.” 

“Missed you,” Jared says, honestly, and tilts over to rest his cheek on top of her head. She twists around and gives him a sideways hug, squeezing hard, and Jared feels a weight lifting from his shoulders. 

“Missed you too,” she whispers. “Happy for you.” 

*

She’s so soft under his hands. She melts into him and the kiss stretches like taffy, slow and sweet. He runs his hands up and down her sides, feeling how warm she is, and slides his palms down to cup her ass. 

“This is a bad idea,” she whispers, and then Jensen’s staring back at him, eyes flashing, furious. 

Jared wakes up, wrapped around Jensen under the thick hotel comforter, rock-hard and panting. Guilt twists in his stomach. He feels feverish with it, hot and cold all over. 

Jared lets out a shaky sigh, hips rocking forward ever so slightly; he can’t help himself. Jensen stirs and hums contentedly, squirming back against him. 

Jensen’s all he’s wanted for so fucking long. There’s something wrong with him, thinking about someone else when he has this. 

“Good dream?” Jensen whispers, his voice gravelly with sleep. 

“Yeah.”  

“What was it about?”

“You,” Jared lies. 

.

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Next part HERE. 

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If you enjoyed this, please reblog or leave a message here! 

[alittlefoxedup]

An Unexpected Reunion

I’m gonna try out this Omega Jason Todd Week challenge thing with an idea that’s been in my head for awhile.

Day 1: Jason presents post-Lazarus

Roy Harper is rescued by someone who claims they’ve met, but he can’t figure out how he’s supposed to know the omega.

The whole rescue had been a bit of a blur for Roy. Bread and water for a month, maybe more, would do that. He could really go for a burger. The idea of food was the only thing keeping his feet moving. That and his mysterious rescuer. Grateful as he was, Roy wanted to know who and why. If anyone was going to rescue him, he thought it would have been Oliver or the Titans. Neither came.

He was pretty sure he couldn’t blame being out of the hero loop on not knowing this guy. The guy had clearly been in the business for a long time, but Roy had never heard of him. People only heard about the ones that got caught or boasted. Roy didn’t think his rescuer fell into either category. He was pretty sure his rescuer could run laps around everyone he knew and they’d never know.

Finding out what this guy wanted with Roy was Roy’s new top priority after eating all of this guy’s food. He couldn’t see the smirk but could feel it. His rescuer wore a red hood and mask covering the bottom half of his face. It was hard to make out any features except for blue eyes and a streak of white in his black hair. The gray body armor disguised as leathers was an interesting choice. Roy liked the bronze gauntlets and greaves. The modern mixed with some traditional worked well on the guy.

“You won’t enjoy all that coming back up.” His rescuer took the rest of the food away.

Roy nodded, already full on a sandwich and half an apple. He wasn’t sure when the last time he had juice was, but he was starting to feel better. His stomach wasn’t going to be happy later but whatever. He switched to the glass of water he’d been given and tried for answers.

“So who are you?”

The guy shrugged. “Different people call me different names.”

“Uh huh, must be hard for name recognition when you don’t want anyone to know you exist.”

“My mother told me the same thing. I’ve been going by Red Hood for awhile.”

Roy frowned. There were a few times he’d helped Dick out and that name had popped up. He was pretty sure it was the name Joker went by before going, well, batshit. Only a large amount of guts or small amount of intelligence could be responsible.

“You wouldn’t be the first to question it.”

“I’m sure. Why’d you pick it?”

The guy shook his head. “Long story.”

“Mhmm, then why’d you save my sorry ass?”

“That’s not how I’d describe it, and you deserve better. I kinda know a thing or two about never measuring up in a mentor’s view.”

Roy tilted his head. “Is that so?”

“Uh, yeah.” Red Hood went to rub the back of his neck and knocked his hood off. With a better view, he looked familiar in a way Roy couldn’t place.

“So why’d you really save me?”

“I wasn’t planning to, but it seems everyone got caught in legal tape. I think the only reason they kept you there was to get something in exchange for ‘graciously’ letting you live. They weren’t moving fast enough in my opinion.”

“You think I’m gonna buy that? You’ve stayed off everyone’s radar just to get involved now?”

“Fine. You did something for me that was small for you but meant a lot to me. I’m paying you back.”

Roy didn’t buy it, but the last explanation sounded the closest to the truth. He was given the option to stay until he was back to full strength. The guy probably didn’t save him just to kill him so Roy stayed. The home cooked meals were heavenly after the crap he’d been eating for the past year. The house was on the beach and far away from the rest of the world.

The first week was tense. Roy was probably to blame. Hood took his mask off after a few days and called Roy by his real name which unsettled Roy for awhile. There were little things that rung bells that Roy couldn’t place. He watched Hood sometimes discreetly sometimes blatantly. The scent blockers coming off were as much as a shock as the omega scent that followed. Hood started to make more sense.

Roy slowly got back into training. Everything had taken a hit so he had to work back to where he’d been before. He tried pushing himself once then was knocked down by Hood. The scolding was from concern so Roy let Hood come up with his recovery routine as long as he got to watch Hood do his workout.

Sparring came two weeks in. Hood always won. Roy had used every trick he could think of to win and got nowhere. That didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy it. Hood’s quips were as quick as his attacks, and Roy could match him. The line between banter and flirting became blurred to the point Roy didn’t care. An omega that could beat him in a fight and took care of him was slowly becoming what he wanted. Roy just hoped it wasn’t all one sided.

It took a month and a half for them to have nightmares the same night. Late night tv kept the edge off. Roy threw one arm on the back of the couch. It landing behind where Hood was sitting meant nothing and everything. Roy wasn’t sure if it was just an inch between them or a canyon.

“What was it that I did that you felt like you owed me?” The question had been at the back of his mind for awhile. His nightmare and the silence pushed it forward.

Hood leaned into his arm some. “You gave me your number.”

“I think I would remember giving my number to someone as pretty as you.” Roy let his hand drop onto Hood’s shoulder and toy with the loose thread.

“I wasn’t an omega then, and I was fourteen.”

“How old are you now?”

“Roughly twenty one.”

“Roughly?” Roy frowned. Seven years ago he would have been running with the original Titans. He’d given his number to plenty of people.

“You said I could call you whenever I needed to rant about family and you’d tell me embarrassing stories until I felt better.”

Roy’s hand stopped moving. He remembered that conversation. There hadn’t been any calls because that kid died. Roy had visited his grave, but all the little things he noticed made sense if the guy he kinda had an arm around was Dick’s kid brother. He certainly wasn’t a kid anymore.

“Jason? How?”

The fear mixed into the omega’s scent pulled at Roy’s heart. He knew that kind of fear. Fear of a rejection that was sure to happen, that had maybe happened already. It was a fear Roy had become all too familiar with. He hated it, especially coming from the person who’d been looking out for him.

“It’s okay. I believe you. You don’t have to tell me specifics, but I want to know what happened if you can tell me.” Roy pulled Jason close and kept his arms around him.

“I don’t really know. I just woke up with all my injuries still there and six feet of dirt above me. Talia found me and took me in. Ra’s was interested then grew bored. She put me in the Lazarus Pit so he wouldn’t do something. Ra’s was pissed. I presented a couple hours later. Talia thinks that’s because the Pit fixed the malnutrition. I found out about what happened while I was gone.” Jason took a deep breath. “The Pit Madness latched onto that. I was sent to some different teachers. One of them got through to me so I was able to fight off the Pit. I went back to Talia and looked after Damian until he was sent to… Gotham.”

“I don’t know what you mean about the Pit Madness.”

“Means I was more than wrathful about not being avenged and a new kid in my suit. Ducra explained some stuff about not everyone being capable of taking a life. Some people can physically do it, but the mental side could shut them down or turn them into a monster. It made sense. He’s never been exactly mentally healthy.”

“You were missed. I saw it almost ruin Dick and heard about what it did to Bruce. Hell, we talked like three times, and I missed you. You were mourned and still are being grieved, Jay.” Roy pulled Jason into his neck and ran a hand through his hair. He’d wanted to repay him but not like this.

“I tried to go back, but they wouldn’t listen. One whiff of my scent and they started screaming at me how it was a horrible joke and I was an awful person for even thinking of doing that. They wouldn’t listen. They ordered me to leave and never come back. I can’t even see Damian now.”

Roy held onto him tightly and bit back his growl. An alpha’s order was near impossible for their pup to ignore. Grief made people do stupid things, but the logic and evidence run Bats shouldn’t have been that stupid.

“I can kidnap Dick and force him to listen to you.”

Jason shook his head and buried deep into Roy’s neck. The quiet sobs and tears hurt worse than any knife or bullet. Roy didn’t know how to fix that so he held him together while Jason fell apart.

The tv droned on about nothing.

[javathewildone]

Ty Chronicles - A Walk to Remember (Pt. 13)

Summary: Meghan Donovan is a girl no one pays attention to until the day Ty Borden discovers something about her that so closely relates to his own life he finds himself becoming attached to her. But the closer he gets, the worse things become. And no one makes it through unscathed. The first installment of the Ty Chronicles saga. Set pre-Heartland/pre-juvie/pre-group home. Told in first-person through Ty’s point of view. Rating: M for adult themes Author’s Notes: Hey, look! It was exactly one year since I posted a chater for this one. *facepalm* I’ve changed direction with it so many times it amazes me I still remember wtf I was doing. Trigger Warning: adult content including prostitution Parts: P | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8  | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

"You're really not going to tell me how you got Maisie to trust you enough to open up about Meghan?" I asked, discarding a useless three of clubs down on the bench between us. It had been over an hour since we ran into the mysterious Maisie. After a while of me sitting and fidgeting and looking suspiciously like I was jonesing, Seth dug out a deck of cards from his grocery bag and we were now three games into a Gin tournament.

Seth took a moment to move his cards around. "Your tender virginal ears couldn't bear the sensual details." He discarded a six of hearts.

My brow rose. "You used sex in exchange for information?" I almost couldn't believe it.

"See? The very idea makes your head spin, my prudish little friend."

I scowled. "I'm not a prude, Seth. Virgin, maybe, but I've been around the block a time or two. What surprises me is that you're not."

Seth leaned back, aghast. "Beg your pardon, fella; I happen to be very popular with the ladies. Cougars, particularly, like Miss Maisie back there. They just devour my boyish charm." He smiled broadly as if to flaunt said charms.

I snorted. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume the other night wasn't your first time hanging around here."

"And you would be correct," Seth said, lowering his gaze back to his hand. "You gonna make a move, or what?"

I picked up his card, arranging it in my hand. "Well…?"

"Well, what?"

"You and Maisie. What's going on there?"

Seth shrugged, picking up my discarded two of spades. "I'm a refreshing break from the skeevy old men who leave the money on the nightstand on their way out the door."

Never, in a million years, would I ever think to discover this startling revelation about one of my good friends. Then again, we didn't often talk about such things. Meaning relationships. Which, I suppose this would fall into that category. My fraternization with Meghan seemed to be the catalyst to jar that particular topic of interest. Their desire to know the dirty details of our interactions only made their own love interests fair game. Already startling truths were being revealed.

"So, you've actually… with her?"

"Done the dirty? Sure." Seth admitted it so casually, like it was no big deal for a 15-year-old kid to have sex with a lady of the night. Like it wasn't illegal, forget about immoral. But, when put it into the perspective of where we were and why we were there, I really shouldn't be as stunned as I was.

Still, I fell into contemplative silence, mulling over this idea of my friend – who was younger than me – having done more with a grown woman than some guys older than us have done. Than I've done. And I thought I was hot shit for hitting the sexual milestones I had. But my contemplation over Seth's sexual escapades took a dark turn when I considered Meghan being the one subject to those things with the skeevy old men Maisie dealt with. The thought of them touching her in places I never dared sent an explosion of rage through my veins. I couldn't bear being inside my own head anymore with this knowledge of Meghan working this very street. With what little I knew of the situation, I was able to conjure up every filthy scenario of her being groped, abused, assaulted, molested, and even raped. It scared me to death while at the same time fueling my protective instinct that used to be solely reserved for my mother. That uninhibited need to prevent the bad things from happening or to go head to head with them when just stealing her away wasn't an option. I felt that familiar tension building in my shoulders now.

"Ty. Hey, man." Seth nudged my hand. "Your go."

"I'm done playing." I said, my tone implying I didn't just mean our card game.

"Look. I know it's not right, but we're two consenting people and I don't appreciate you judging me for it." Seth said, his voice clipped as he gathered up the cards.

I realized then that he thought my abrupt change in demeanor was because I didn't approve of his lifestyle. "I'm not. It's none of my business. I appreciate you looking into Meghan for me, but now that I know… I just can't stop thinking up all of these terrible things happening to her. She's not like you, or Maisie. I can guarantee her consent is not given freely."

Seth visibly relaxed, his defensive expression softening. "I just hope we can do something to actually help her. "

"Me too." I ran a hand anxiously through my hair. I wasn't sure how much longer I could wait before succumbing to my own imagination and losing it completely.

"Hey, watch this." Shuffling through the cards, Seth selected three then set the rest aside. Settling himself on the edge of the sidewalk he laid the cards out before him. Lifting each in turn he showed them to me. Queen of hearts, five of diamonds, and ten of spades. "Follow the lady." With the dexterity of a casino dealer he shuffled the cards around and around until satisfied then gestured for me to choose.

Huffing a sigh, I humored him and pointed to the center. His mouth quirked as he lifted the card to reveal the ten of spades. "I made two hundred bucks one afternoon playing this game downtown. You'd be amazed how flustered people get when they think they are being clever. They just kept throwing money at me to best themselves." He revealed the Queen then set her back down to shuffle again.

I didn't bother to wager any actual currency, knowing full well I was not in any state of mind to follow a fake lady when my thoughts were reaching toward a real one. My attention wandered to every vehicle and person that came our way. It didn't take Seth long to get bored of my half-hearted guesses.

"You gotta stop looking so suspicious," he commented, picking up the rest of the cards and giving them a hard shuffle.

"Aren't we suspicious enough loitering on this bench at this time of night?" I was waiting for the cops to pull up and ask just that. What answer could we even give them?

Seth shrugged. "No one really asks questions this part of town. But you looking around like that will for sure draw some unwanted attention."

"I can't help it." I leaned back to stare down at my shoes.

"There you go; that's better. Down on our luck and despondent is what we're going for."

I shot my friend a glance in the form of an eye roll. The click of heels drew our attention then as Maisie sauntered up with another young woman – not Meghan, to my dismay. She brushed Seth aside to sit between us, gesturing to her companion. "This is Clara. She's another novitiate." I hoped she meant to use that particular term ironically.

Clara smiled softly at me, not sparing Seth a glance. I smiled back to be polite, but my attention wandered to Maisie. "Have you seen Meghan?"

"You're Ty." It was Clara that spoke, commandeering my focus. I assumed she learned that from Seth, or from Maisie who learned it from Seth.

"Yeah." I curbed the rest of that sentence. They all knew why I was there; it seemed like a waste of breathe to ask again about Meghan. If I took away anything from that evening it was to be as discreet and cryptic as possible. Anyhow, my impatient expression was sure to speak for me well enough.

Clara's smile only widened at the affirmation. "Come with me." She stood, grabbing my hand as she did to pull me up with her.

I threw a confused glance over my shoulder to Seth, allowing myself to be pulled to my feet but no further. My friend only nodded in encouragement and tossed me his deck of cards that I caught against my side. "Follow the lady."

Unsure what to make of his double entendre, I figured I trusted Seth this far, I might as well go all the way. Pocketing the cards, I let Clara pull me down the street.

"Put your arm around me," she insisted when we paused at the corner to cross.

"What?" Startled, I tried to pull my hand from her grasp but she tightened her grip.

She finagled my arm to drape across her shoulders, tugging me closer into her side. She wrapped her arm around my waist as we crossed the street, ducking her head against my chest as she laughed. "Look like you mean to be here. We're going to meet your lady friend, but we can't look conspicuous. Pretend we're headed some place for a good time." Despite the giggle in her voice, her words were firm. Understanding, I let my rigid posture melt, leaning into her a bit and even fabricating a stumble to feign intoxication. This made Clara laugh for real. "That'll do, Pig."

I let her guide me, trying to pry what bit of information I could through slurred murmurs into her ear. But she was hesitant to divulge the plan in open space where anyone could be lurking. The most I got was that we were going to a motel. The sight of it made my stomach clench. I'd been in motels like this one before where nefarious activities were being conducted right beneath the nose of the greasy-palmed night managers.

I watched, eyes wide, as Clara dug into her cleavage to extract a key and unlock one of the rooms. She didn't explain. I didn't ask.

Immediately, I scanned the room hoping the door would open to Meghan sitting on the bed waiting for me but the room was empty. Clara tugged me in, roughly shoving me down on the bed with a giggle and nudged the door closed with her foot. Utterly stunned, I caught her at arm's length before she could dive on top of me. If this was Seth's way of trying to make me get over Meghan, I was going to be sincerely pissed off. But Clara was pulling out of my grasp to approach a door within the room I initially assumed was the closet. She knocked twice with her ear pressed to it before there was a click and it opened a crack. I jumped up, craning to see who she was speaking to in hushed tones when the door opened wider and she stepped through. My heart jumped into my throat when Meghan came from the other side, her back to me as she eased the door quietly shut and locked it.

I stood frozen, staring at her back. I refused to allow my eyes to trail away from the bare skin of her shoulders. She was wearing a halter top and a skirt so short I was frantically trying to erase the slight curves of her ass cheeks peeking through the bottom of my vision. That same male part of me I was loath to admit reacted to such atrocities came to life as it had before. I swallowed hard, wishing for once I wasn't such a hormonal teenager and willing it away before Meghan could turn around.

Too late.

I stood straighter, clasping my hands in front of me to try and hide my shame as not to make her feel any worse about herself than she surely did. My eyes widened at the sight of her. I'd never seen her in make up before, except for concealer. But even that couldn't cover the black and blue painting the side of her jaw.

"What do you want?" Her voice shook and just like that I had nothing left to hide as I let my hands fall to my sides.

"You look…" I wasn't sure how to finish that sentence without sounding like an asshole. She didn't look like the Meghan I remember. Not just the skimpy attire but her hair so tightly curled and half knotted onto her head while the rest brushed her bare shoulders. Gold hoops hung from her ears, but it was the purple smoky eye shadow that drew my attention to her light eyes. I had to choke down the word "hot" pretty hard when Meghan's expression steeled.

"Like a floozy," she finished.

I blinked. "Um. I was going to say older."

"Same difference." She crossed her arms, waiting for me to answer her initial question.

I moved closer, pausing when she stiffened. My heart sank. Were we back to that now? "I was worried about you. I came to make sure you were okay."

Meghan's jaw popped. "Does it look like I'm okay?" She snapped, making me wince. Of course she wasn't okay. I knew even before seeing her she wasn't going to be okay. Nothing about this was okay.

"I needed to see you," I continued, desperate to find some bit of the relationship we tried so hard to hold together. "I was scared when I hadn't heard from you for so long and I knew better than to try to make direct contact after what happened last time."

"Okay. You've seen me. Now, if you'll excuse me I have a client." She turned to go and in a burst of panic I lunged for her arm to prevent her from doing so. Unfortunately, I hadn't thought about what I was doing until it was too late and Meghan was wrenching herself from my grasp, reeling away from me in utter fear.

I let her go, throwing my hands in the air. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. Just, please, don't leave."

Folding her hands around her arms, Meghan closed in around herself, breathing heavily and not meeting my eye. "Please. I-If you're afraid of losing money I'll pay for your time."

Once again I realized my error too late as Meghan flashed me a scathing look. "Fuck you, Ty."

I didn't think my heart could sink lower, but was still insulted she would even consider I thought that way. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

She breathed out a sigh. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just if I don't leave this motel with payment this time Daddy will turn my whole face purple."

"Daddy?" I asked, assuming she meant her stepfather but still finding the new title for him rather disturbing.

Meghan's face reddened as she dropped her gaze and shifted uncomfortably. "That's what he demanded I call him when I'm... working."

I tried not to let my nausea show too plainly as I reached for my wallet, pulling it out along with the deck of cards. Digging through the folds I took out all the cash I had, counting it quickly. "I've got thirty-six dollars." I glanced up cautiously to meet her dismayed expression.

"That won't be enough." She shook her head, glancing toward the door where clearly a bigger pay day awaited her. Or rather Daddy.

Suddenly, Seth's parting "follow the lady" popped back into my head as I fingered the deck of cards. Flipping open the top I pulled them out to find two hundred dollar bills next to the Queen of hearts.

I held up the cash, silently thanking Seth for his master planning. "How about two hundred and thirty-six dollars?"

Slowly, a small, dare I say relieved, smile crept across Meghan's blood red lips.

[goldheartofsteel]

coffee: the drink of love - A Creativisleepality & Analogical fanfic  

(Chapter 2: How Unexpected of You)

Fandom: Sanders Sides (Web Series)

Characters: Morality | Patton Sanders, Sleep | Remy Sanders, Creativity | Roman “Princey” Sanders Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Logic | Logan Sanders,

Category: Multi, M/M

Relationship: Eventual Romantic Creativisleepality, Eventual Romantic Analogical, Platonic Prinxiety, Platonic Logicality

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Summary:  Roman and Virgil have a friendly chat about their respective love lives and things spiral out from there.

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Human, Pre-Relationship, Misunderstandings, Pining, Disaster Gays

Tagging: @notveryglittery

Warnings: Remus mention, 1 swear word

Link on Ao3

“Yeah, Princey here prefers guys who wear polos, have glasses and lots of freckles that he wants to count then kiss.”

Patton looks up at Roman, eyes wide and hope reflecting on his face.

“Do you really?” he asks.

Roman glares at Virgil for a couple seconds before focusing on Patton.

“Well yeah, padre. Why wouldn’t I?” he answers.

Patton blushes then let’s himself lean into Roman’s side causing the man to grin brightly in response.

“I feel like a real idiot,” comments Patton.

Moving so he’s standing in front of Patton, Roman cups his face with both of his hands to make him look at him as he talks.

“Hey now, you’re a lot of things but an idiot is not one of them. Looking back to when I’m assuming you first saw me with Virgil, I can see where you’d get that idea of us. You had my full attention from the moment I winked at you,” says Roman softly.

Patton tears up at Roman’s words.

“Oh Roman….”

Pushing himself up on his toes, Patton places his hands on Roman’s shoulders then kissed him – softly, gently and like how’s he always imagined kissing Roman. It didn’t Roman long to move one hand to Patton’s waist as the other found a more comfortable position on Patton’s face.

They pull away after a few moments and smile.

“This deserves Remy’s special hot chocolate to celebrate the two oblivious dorks finally working things out!” interrupts Remy.

Virgil smirks.

“I’ll drink to that,” he says.

Roman gives them the bird.

“Be nice, Roman.”

“Only for you, puffball.”

Patton pulls himself out of Roman’s grasp long enough to grab his hand and lead him over to the plush couches in the corner with Virgil following them. They make themselves comfortable on the two-seater while Virgil chooses one of the chairs.

“So, Virgil…how long have you known Roman?” asks Patton.

Virgil’s clearly important to Roman so Patton wants to get to know the other man better and he’s of the philosophy that a person can never have too many friends.

Meeting Roman’s gaze, Virgil picks up on the subtle panic his best friend is feeling then smirks. He’s gonna enjoy getting to know Patton.

“Since before we were born. Our moms met in college and became close then stayed close through out the years. It was only natural that we’d have a close bond to,” answers Virgil.

“Aww, that’s so cute!” Patton squeals, clapping his hands.

As annoyed Roman wants to be at Virgil, he can’t help smiling dopily at Patton’s reaction. He really is the personification of the sun.

“Alright babes! Hot chocolate is here! Enjoy it while it’s hot!” interrupts Remy bring over a tray with four mugs on it.

“Here are two for our love birds,” he hands over the mugs in a quick and fluid motion, “one for the Verge,” he passes one over to Virgil, “and the last one is for the coffee shop owner in town.”

Remy sets the trail down to the side then claims the other seat for himself.

Frowning slightly, Patton expected Remy to sit on his other side.

Conversation drops in favor of drinking the hot chocolate, the only sounds heard are sipping sounds.

“This is really great Remy! But then again, it always is when you make anything,” gushes Patton, shooting a bright smile at Remy.

Remy ducks his head to hide a pleased smiled.

Next to him, Virgil stares back and forth between the two men as he senses something going on.

Patton snuggles close to Roman then smiles up at him while holding the warm mug between his hands causing the other man to lean down and kiss him on the forehead. This is nice though he felt bad about wasting time over a stupid mistake. Wincing internally, he could almost feel Logan smacking him upside the head.

OH!

That’s an idea, Patton!

“Hey Roman, since I met your best friend, it’s only fair that you meet mine, well besides Remy, you already know him,” suggests Patton.

“That’s a brilliant idea, padre! I’d be delighted to,” replies Roman.

----------

Getting Logan to agree to meet Roman proves more challenging than Patton anticipates but he’s stubborn. He really wants his best friend and boyfriend to meet and Logan gives in eventually.

“I do not understand why you insist that I meet Roman,” Logan comments.

“Lo, you’re both super important to me,” answers Patton.

Logan tries to smother a smile at the notion of Patton thinking he’s important. It makes him feel warm, for some reason.

“Who is-who is that with Roman?” he asks trying to maintain his composure.

Patton looks at him for a moment then follows his gaze, spotting Virgil standing with Roman. Then he looks back at Logan and spots a slight blush on his cheeks.

“Virgil, he’s Roman’s best friend. I didn’t know he was coming. We can do this some other time if you’re uncomfortable, Lo.”

Shaking his head, Logan swallows twice before speaking.

“Nonsense. It’s more practical to conduct the meeting this way,” Logan responds.

Patton beams.

Three of his favorite people are spending time with him, this is gonna be great!

They walk up to Roman and Virgil, who’re chatting lightly.

“Hey Roman!” greets Patton before kissing his cheek.

“Hello love. Sorry about Virgil – he was bored so he decided to gate-crash our outing,” replies Roman.

Patton claps his hands.

“Don’t be. The more, the merrier!”

Roman smiles softly at him, pleased his boyfriend likes his best friend.

“Logan, I’d like to introduce you to Roman, my boyfriend and his best friend, Virgil,” says Patton.

Logan opens his mouth to say something but shakes his head.

“It is indeed good to meet you in person, Roman. Patton speaks highly of you,” greets Logan.

“The feeling’s mutual,” responds Roman.

“Hi! Nice to Virgil, I’m meet you,” Virgil shakes his head, “I mean, it’s nice to meet you and I’m Virgil.”

Logan smiles.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," he replies.

Roman raises an eyebrow at his best friend's behavior then looks over at Patton, who's watching them as well. He meets Roman's gaze and nods his head.

"Well, if you two wanna get more acquainted out here then Patton and I'll go inside if you wanna join us," comments Roman.

Logan and Virgil blush at his comment.

Taking Roman's hand before he can get punched, Patton pulls him after him into the restaurant where he gets a table for four because he knows Logan's impeccable manners wouldn't allow for him to ditch Patton and Roman even if that's what he wants.

Sliding into one side of the booth next to Patton, Roman drapes his arm across his boyfriend's shoulders lightly with a pleased smirk on his face when Virgil notices he'll be sitting close to Logan.

This should be interesting.

From the look on Virge's face, Roman knows he's gonna get shit for this later but it's so worth it; he believes his best friend deserves to be as happy as he is and by looking at Specs, Virgil could be just what he needs.

----

After the first lunch together, the quartet begins to hang out regularly -- mostly at Logan and Patton's apartment.

It seems like things are working out for the best.

He steps into the coffee shop and looks around before spotting Remy wiping down a table.

"Hey Remy! It's good to see you," he says cheerfully.

Remy continues cleaning instead of giving Patton a hug like usual.

"Is it though?" he asks sardonically.

Patton frowns.

"Remy? What's wrong?"

He brushes past Patton roughly, ignoring the question entirely and leaving Patton to watch him walk away.

Patton shakes his head before heading to the counter to order his drink then finds a table so he can keep an eye out for his friend. By the time his drink is gone, Patton hasn't seen Remy once and it leaves a hollow sensation in his chest. He returns the mug to the counter before sighing and leaving the cafe.

Unknown to him, Remy watches from nearby before wiping away a tear that's fallen.

---

Roman holds Patton close while Virgil and Logan sit nearby and wearing matching concerned looks on their faces ever since Patton returned to the apartment far later than he said he would be. Yet, they haven't been able to get anything out of him about the source of his unusual mood.

“How about we watch a movie?” suggests Virgil.

Logan nods approvingly, not noticing the blush on Virgil’s face.

“Brilliant idea, Virgil. While I don’t usually encourage the consumption of pizza, it is the only suitable food besides popcorn for a movie night and since we’re out of popcorn, I’ll order a pizza for us while everyone else decides on the movie,” comments Logan.

While Logan takes care of ordering the pizza and gathering beverages for everyone, Virgil takes stock of their options. His eyes land on one Disney movie in particular and smirks.

Oh, this is rather fitting.

He turns back to the duo on the couch.

“Either of you have suggestions for movies?” he asks.

Patton shakes his head then presses his face into Roman’s shoulder as his boyfriend strokes his back gently.

“Normally, I have opinions on the matter but this one time, I’ll trust you with finding a movie. I know your tastes are at least better than Remus’,” he says firmly.

Virgil snorts at the mention of Roman’s twin.

“Ain’t that the truth. I don’t think Patton’s ready for that; hell, I’ve known Remus for years and I’m not ready for that,” replies Virgil.

Roman laughs.

His brother has a rather unique taste in movies, that’s for sure.

Virgil grabs the DVD and pops into the player before setting the tv up but not starting it until Logan joins them and the pizza has arrived.

The Princess and the Frog appears on the title screen.

Roman’s jaw drops open while Virgil and Logan laugh; he knows exactly why Virgil picked this movie though its worth it when he hears Patton giggle.

The men settle in to enjoy a delightful Disney movie though none of them make it through the whole thing.

The sound of the tv shutting off wakes Patton and he looks up from where he’s cuddling Roman to see Logan holding the remote while trying his best to not wake up Virgil, asleep on his chest. He meets Logan’s gaze and grins knowingly causing Logan to shake his head really fast in response. Patton’s smile softens which Logan returns, the relief of seeing Patton smiling clear on his face.

As if knowing Patton’s awake, Roman squeezes him tightly for a few moments in his sleep.

“Go. To. Sleep,” mouths Logan.

“Only if you do too,” responds Patton softly.

Logan rolls his eyes but adjusts his position so he and Virgil are comfortable before closing his eyes.

An impromptu sleepover is just what the doctor ordered.

Maybe, tomorrow Patton will find the courage to talk about Remy’s strange behavior.

[hiddenfangirllife-blog]

Back to the Beginning - Chapter Two

I was extremely nervous as I stood in front of the arena, along with the other three hundred or so acts that had been put through to Bootcamp. Soon, a person with a megaphone came out and got us all to shut up as they explained what was about to happen.

“Okay, you're all going to go inside and pick a song off of the wall after you check in,” he said. “After you pick your song, it'll have an area of the arena to go to on the slip. Everyone you find there are the people you have to work with.”

After he said that, he went back inside and the mass of people started moving. Fairly soon, I had my contestant number sticker and was browsing songs on the wall. As my eyes scanned the titles, I saw one that I loved - Shape of You by Ed Sheeran. I grabbed it quickly, and saw that it said to go to the “Main hallway, area 145.”

I had seen that on my way from check-in, so I headed back. Once I got there, I was thrilled to see that there were two boys there. “Hey!” I said as I walked up. “I'm Kayla.”

“I guess you're our team member now!” one of them said. “Nice to meet you, I'm James.”

“And I'm Taylor,” the other one said. “So, I have a question. Do you play guitar?”

I smiled. “Yeah, I do. Do either of you?” I asked, and they both nodded.

“Yeah, we were hoping that our third team member would so we could do a guitar trio with it,” Taylor said.

“I'm down for that,” I said. “We have to perform this tomorrow, right?”

James nodded. “Yeah. Hope you weren't planning on getting a lot of sleep.”

“Let's go ahead and get started,” Taylor chipped in. “We've only got so much time.”

We spent the rest of the day and a good portion of the night working out harmonies, parts, and the guitar trio. We had to borrow guitars from the X Factor people, and so we were also having to get used to new, unfamiliar guitars.

At around 3:00 am, we decided to crash out for a little bit, and five hours later, we were hitting up the breakfast bar, stuffing our faces with muffins and drinking coffee like it was our lifeblood. The same guy from yesterday came out with his megaphone and announced that the performance schedule had just been posted, and that we were free to go check it.

James, Taylor, and I all decided that we would wait a few minutes and let the crowd clear before we checked. So, as we sat sipping our coffee, I decided to drop the bomb on them. “So, there's something kind of important that I haven't  told you guys yet,” I said.

James looked intrigued as he took another sip of his coffee. “Do tell, Kayla,” he responded.

“Yes please,” Taylor added, putting the spotlight on me.

“So, you know Liam Payne, right?” I asked, holding out on the news about myself just yet.

“Judge Liam, yeah? Who doesn't?” Taylor replied.

“Well...I'm kinda his little sister,” I said hesitantly, bracing myself for their reactions.

Their faces were so similar to Simon’s when he found out that I couldn't help but laugh. “You look exactly like Simon did when he found out at my Room Audition,” I remarked.

“This isn't funny, Kayla!” James exclaimed. After I had given him the Seriously? look, he added, “Okay, it is a little bit. But NOT COOL, girl, not cool.”

“Well, I just didn't want you to go in there and be completely blindsided,” I said, defending my choice to tell them. “Speaking of going in, do you want to go check our time?”

They nodded, and we stood from our comfortable place on the floor and walked over to the performance schedule that had been posted. As we searched for our names among the pages, Taylor called out from my left that he had found us, and that we were at roughly 12:30, right after a group of two girls singing Closer by The Chainsmokers.

We spent the remaining few hours smoothing over our performance, and when it was time for us to perform, we climbed the stairs from backstage and went to stand behind the microphones that were set up. “Hello,” Tulisa said.

“Hi,” we all managed to say at once before bursting out into laughter. I guess the many hours we'd spent in the last two days had managed to merge our personalities a bit.

“So, what will you be singing for us today?” Tulisa continued.

“We’ll be singing Shape of You by Ed Sheeran,” James said.

“Well then, whenever you're ready,” she said, smiling, and we all let our fingers find our first notes before starting.

James took the first verse and when the higher line came in at “Boy, let's not talk too much” I joined in. Then Taylor took the majority of the lead in the chorus, with James and I falling to the “oh I” part. The three of us traded off on which guitar part we played, with all of us sampling the lead guitar, percussive line, and synth line that we'd transposed to guitar.

When we finished, there was a rather awkward group hug that made us all laugh and then we turned to face our fates. “Well,” Louis started, “that was a great arrangement of that song, and I think that you all did very well both individually and as a group. However, I felt that maybe Kayla and Taylor put in a little bit more passion and effort than you, James, and I think that might've been because you were maybe the most comfortable with the song? Either way, great job to all three of you.”

“Thank you,” we all said as Liam began his comments.

“Hi Kayla,” he said. “Um, Happy Birthday. Hope you enjoy being seventeen. Right now, onto the performance. I have to agree with Louis, I don't think that James was giving everything as much as the other two of you were. I don't know why, it just...didn't come off as strong. I loved the guitar parts, really ingenious you guys, but yeah...It was really great.”

“Simon?” Tulisa prompted, causing him to clear his throat.

“So, I thought that the arrangement was really ambitious, and I liked that you took that risk. However, the parts without Kayla on vocal felt really flat to me. You two could be there singing, but I would just be looking at her over there playing her guitar. It sounded great, and it would sell if you released it, but live it was just a bit too flat for me,” Simon said, which caused us all to look at each other with worried looks in our eyes.

“Yeah, I have to agree with the guys,” Tulisa said sadly. “It would sell, and girls would go crazy, but it was flat from the two of you, James especially. Kayla stealing the performance didn't really have anything to do with her, it was just that you two were a bit stiffer and not as relaxed as she was, so our eyes just kind of...gravitated.”

Then they whispered among themselves and pointed at some pictures on the table before turning back to us. “Well, we've made our decision,” Simon said. “And I honestly can't believe I have to say this to you, but...you're all through.”

I turned to James and Taylor and there was a much less awkward group hug.

“We did it,” I whispered. “We did it.” As we opened out of the hug, we thanked the judges and then walked offstage, arms wrapped around each other.

We spent the rest of the day just kind of walking around and hanging out with each other. Plenty of people went into the room, and after we had been put through and were able to relax, we began to realize just how lucky we were, all three of us going through. Some groups would come out and only one person would be through, or nobody.

At the end of the day, there were only 115 acts left, and the majority of us were reeling from the quick, brutal eliminations that had taken place. Our number had been more than halved in one day, and this wasn't the last time it would happen. The guy from this morning came out with his megaphone again.

“Okay, can I get everyone's attention please? Can I please have everyone's attention?” he asked, and we got quiet so that we could hear what he had to say. “So, you're going to sleep where you did last night, and then tomorrow the judges are going to deliberate and you'll be free to just kind of do whatever. Day after tomorrow, the judges will call you in by category and then tell you who they're putting through to six chair challenge, okay? Great. You can go back to doing whatever you were doing now.”

We all seemed to turn back to our conversations, and James leaned back into his seat. “I love how this is supposed to change our lives, yet they act like they don't care. I mean, the judges do, and we do, but I'm not getting it from the production staff just yet,” he commented.

“I get it. I think they're just saving their energy for the live shows, though, since there are only going to be twelve of us that make it to those. Trying to put a ton of effort into, what, a hundred acts? Not gonna happen,” Taylor defended.

“I see both of your points, but I've gotta go with Taylor on this one,” I said. “It makes a lot of sense.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright,” James replied, sighing in defeat. “So, what would you guys be doing if you weren't on X Factor?”

“Playing gigs in bars and going to university,” Taylor said. “I deferred a term to come audition.”

“Probably starting college to get my A-levels,” I said. “In what, I don't know. I was going to pick them this summer.”

“Nerds,” James muttered, snorting.

“How do you call playing gigs in bars being a nerd?” Taylor asked. “Please, explain.”

“I don't,” James defended. “I call going to school being a nerd.”

“So what, you weren't going to go to school?” Taylor fired back.

“Nope, I was going to submit demos to record labels until one of them signed me,” James admitted. “And I was going to play gigs in bars and travel the world.”

“Wait, how old are you guys? I just realized we never said our ages,” I exclaimed.

“I'm twenty two,” James offered.

“I'm twenty,” Taylor followed.

“And you guys know I'm seventeen,” I finished. “Sorry, just...tangents, I guess.”

“It's fine, Kayla,” James said, and then he got a kind of evil glint in his eye. “There is this box of streamers over there, it's open, and nobody's doing anything with it.”

The three of us exchanged glances before getting up and sneaking over to the box before grabbing it and bringing it back over to where we were sitting. “Okay, we've got the streamers, now what do we do with them?” I asked.

“Hit up the bathrooms, then start randomly throwing them around the room,” James ordered. “Generally, cause mass chaos.”

I saw the glint appear in Taylor’s eyes, and then I knew mine were carrying it as well. “We got this,” he said as we began grabbing rolls of streamers out of the box.

“Of course we do,” I confirmed with a hair flip. “Now let's go.”

We ran off in different directions and started to cause the mass chaos we'd decided to. I knew the cameras were getting this, and I knew it would be hilarious television. People were running around and shrieking when they got hit, and nobody seemed to be able to pinpoint that it was us.

When we ran out of streamers, we returned to our spot on the floor, laughing so hard we were crying. The production staff quickly noticed and came over and grabbed us before taking us over to a bench and sitting us on it. “We're you guys the ones to pull that little stunt?” a man asked, and we nodded. “Okay, when the red light comes on, feel free to tell the story.” Seconds later, the light was on, and James kicked us off, recounting how he'd seen the open box.

We filled in the parts he left out, or that only we knew, and ten minutes later, the camera had the entire story, complete with all the tiny little details that made the prank work. “You're free to go,” the man said, and we got up and returned to our area.

We went to the buffet that had been set up and ate dinner, before returning to our spot on the floor and talking until we fell asleep.

We woke up the next morning and then remembered we had nothing to do. That illusion was quickly shattered when production began grabbing us at random to do introductions for auditions. So that's how they pick the people that do them, I thought.

I was grabbed around three in the afternoon after randomly wandering around all day, eating and talking to some of the other contestants that weren't being interviewed by the production people, and led to a bench. “So, Kayla,” the production girl started. “Introduce yourself to the camera.

I looked at the camera and said, “Hi, my name is Kayla Payne, and I'm sixteen years old.”

She looked at me, seemingly to try to decide what questions she should be asking. “So, why did you audition for the X Factor?”

“I auditioned for the X Factor because I believe it can truly change lives,” I answered. “I love music, and I've seen X Factor winners get to live lives full of it. I really, really want that.”

“You're doing great. Now, how long have you been singing?” she continued.

“I've been singing for a couple of years now, but I've never played any gigs. I just sing around my house and stuff,” I answered.

“I think we've got enough,” she said. “Thanks, and now just go back to what you were doing before we called you over.”

I got up and walked over to where James and Taylor were. “That was weird,” I said.

“What was weird?” James replied.

“Filming the little audition intro thing,” I clarified. “It was like an interrogation, not a ‘Hi, I'm so and so and this is my life story!’ thing.”

“Once again, I don't think production cares,” James said. He'd been talking a lot today. “If they did, we wouldn't be sleeping on floors in the O2. We'd be in hotels, or at least on mats. They just want their paychecks.”

“Hey, Taylor, you're quiet,” I said, segueing into a new conversation. “What's up?”

“I'm just thinking about this,” he said. “How much I want it, why I want it. Might as well do it while I've got the time, right?” He laughed humorlessly, and an ominous mood settled over us.

“So...what's the answer to those questions? Like, why do you want it?” I asked.

“Most I can come up with is that I'm slowly going crazy in my very monotonous life, and I love music,” he answered.

“Well, if you're looking for an escape from monotony, you've come to the right place,” I replied. “Trust me, I'd know.”

“You would, wouldn't you?” James responded. “You've got a brother who's been through this. But you know, when I first saw you, it didn't seem like you'd have a famous brother or an amazing voice or be fucking awesome at guitar or want this so much. I thought you'd be quiet, shy, and get sent home because you wouldn't put anything in.”

“I have to agree with James,” Taylor said. “You're probably the biggest surprise here. And I know that even now, when it looks like you're sitting there relaxed, you're fighting with everything in you to stay.”

“Okay, you two are officially my new best friends,” I said, wiping my eyes to keep tears from falling. “Nobody except my family’s ever said something like that to me.”

“Aww, don't cry!” Taylor said. “Group hug!” They immediately engulfed me in a hug, and I smiled. I stood at 5’9”, and they were both taller than me, so I was about level with their shoulders. It was really nice.

“You guys are more affectionate than my boyfriend, I swear,” I laughed, enjoying the warmth in the slightly cool arena.

Letting go, they sat back down before Taylor said, “You've got a boyfriend?” I nodded, and he spoke again. “Well, when this entire thing is over, I want to meet him!”

“You can, if we're still together at that point,” I assured them.

“What? You don't know if you'll still be together? Kay, any guy crazy enough to let you go needs to be committed,” Taylor joked.

“Yeah, take it from a guy: if I weren't five years older than you and very happily single, I'd be interested in you, definitely,” James confirmed.

“Wow, high praise, you guys,” I returned, in my way of thanking them.

“So, why might you not be together when this is over?” James demanded.

“I don't know, it's just that the last few times I've seen him, he's been really distant,” I explained. “It scares me, because I don't even know why. This might sound silly, but...I'm scared to lose him.”

Taylor wrapped his arm around me. “Trust me, it doesn't sound silly. I see why you're scared, though. Just...give him some time, yeah? He's probably going through something at home, he'll come around. Don't worry about it,” he advised.

I leaned into his side. “I won't, and thanks for listening, you guys,” I said.

“Anytime, girl,” James said.

[lindafrancois]

The Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet. Opa!

If there was a high school yearbook of diets, The Mediterranean Diet would certainly win “most popular:”

U.S. News tied it #1 in their “Best Overall Diet” category.

They also ranked it #1 in the “Easiest Diet to Follow” race[1].

Fitness Magazine calls it the “The World’s Healthiest Diet” [2].

WebMD flat out said they “love” the Mediterranean Diet [3].

As far as mainstream media goes, you can’t get much better coverage than that.

Impressive? Absolutely.

Accurate? Maybe.

Here at Nerd Fitness, we love nothing better than digging into popular trends to give you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And LEGO photos and cute animal gifs.

So you’re here full of questions, which I bet go something like:

Steve, what is the Mediterranean Diet?

Can I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Why is this diet so popular?

Can I do the Mediterranean Diet wrong?

Can I eat pasta and pizza on the Mediterranean Diet?

Will you buy me a plane ticket to Santorini?

These are all great questions (though maybe not the last one), and I have no doubt I can help you make sense of this and start changing your nutrition today.

Let’s get weird.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is a way of life that involves eating real food: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans), some fish, and a whole lotta “healthy” fat. Plus a little red wine.

It gets its name from a few key countries on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and studying the dietary patterns of the people who live long lives in that area.

When experts discuss the Mediterranean Diet, the words “heart-healthy” will almost certainly be attached. It’s the reason the Mediterranean Diet shines like a crazy diamond, because who DOESN’T want a healthy heart?

So why does this diet make your heart healthy, and why do people tend to lose weight on it?

Simple: Every item listed above falls into the REAL food category. When I say real food, I mean stuff that came from the ground, grew on a tree, grazed on a field, flew through the air, or swam in the water.

Here’s another way to put it: If your great grandma from the old country wouldn’t recognize it as food, it probably doesn’t fit into the Mediterranean Diet.

Sorry Pop-Tarts, Big Macs, and Coca-Cola.

Logically, the reason this diet gets good grades makes sense. Of COURSE a diet composed of REAL food like the Mediterranean Diet would have REAL health benefits.

And those benefits are awesome! The diet has been linked to a plethora of benefits, including a reduced risk of heart attack[4], and even the retention of cognitive abilities to help stave off dementia[5].

At this point you might be wondering:

“Steve, I like the cut of your jib, and this diet sounds pretty good. So, just eat real food, got it. But what about all these benefits I hear about olive oil? And I thought pasta was unhealthy. That’s a crucial part of the Mediterranean Diet too, right? Tell me more.”

I got you, boo.

Where did the Mediterranean Diet Come From?

Believe it or not, this diet wasn’t created by a goat herder in the Greek countryside.

It was actually theorized  by an American scientist back in the 50s, and started gaining popularity in the 90s.

Have you heard the name, Ancel Keys?

He’s a doctor from back in the day (think 1950s) often credited with popularizing the idea that saturated fat leads to deadly heart attacks, a la high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. We went in-depth on this very controversial subject in “A Beginner’s Guide to Cholesterol,” so I won’t rehash it here.

The reason I bring Keys up is because he was one of the early founders of the Mediterranean Diet.

Keys formulated this diet after pouring over data and research and identified that people in Greece and Italy statistically lived longer than other populations he studied. Farmers working until the age of 100 wasn’t uncommon on the Greek island of Crete.

So what was the big secret?

Are the people of Crete actual descendants of Atlantis with special DNA and olive oil running through their veins?

Not really.

Keys noted these Mediterraneans had low saturated fat intake, getting fat instead from olives and fresh fish. He also noted low instances of heart disease, and thus declared something like, “low saturated fat consumption causes fewer instances of heart disease and leads to a longer life.”

Now, if you’re a nerd like me, you are hopefully aware that “correlation does not prove causation,” that even though two variables are correlated, it doesn’t mean that one causes the other.

But it was a great story, backed up by logically sounding data from an accomplished researcher, and the hypothesis became “fact.” Thus, the hypothesis of the “Mediterranean Diet equals long life” continued to gain steam, and Keys work went on to define a huge portion of America’s nutritional guidance over the past 60 years.

Fast forward to the 1990s, and the Mediterranean Diet story reached the mainstream media with the help of a group of researchers, who decided it was time to popularize and proselytize its benefits.

In a controversial and complicated part of the story that’s much lesser known, these researchers focused on Greece and Italy, ignoring data from any other Mediterranean population that didn’t fit their narrative. Together, under Walter C. Willett from Harvard School of Public Health, they came up with the ‘Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.”

©2009 Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, this DOES look just like the food pyramid you were taught in grade school! But with more real food. And wine. And dancing.

I told you Keys’s work was very influential in the guidelines we all grew up with! So that concludes today’s history portion of the article.

Back to getting weird:

What can I eat on the Mediterranean Diet?

As I already pointed out, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on REAL food that’s found in the Mediterranean (duh).

It’s one of the things I love about it!

Below are our recommended types of food, examples of each, and substitutes in case you don’t happen to live on Sicily or Santorini:

Vegetables. Common Mediterranean Diet staples are artichokes, arugula, Brussels sprouts, celery, and peas, but seriously any vegetable you enjoy is good enough! So go wild. Hate veggies? I got you.

Fruit. Figs, mandarins, tomatoes (yeah it’s a fruit), and pomegranate are common to the area, but fruit like apples and oranges works too. Just don’t eat 5,000 calories of sugar-filled fruit and wonder why you’re not losing weight!

Whole Grains. Barley, buckwheat, oats, rice, and wheat, in the form of fresh made wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and pitas. Whole grains are encouraged in just about every article on the Mediterranean Diet. When we say “whole” we mean minimally processed, and are consumed in significantly smaller portions than you’re probably used to.

Legumes. Think beans and lentils: a great sources of protein and fiber that also happen to be delicious. Hummus, a dish from the Mediterranean, is made out of the chickpeas (a legume).

Dairy. Remember that pyramid from a moment ago? You’ll see that dairy is higher up, meaning to consume in smaller quantities. Why? because researchers were concerned about saturated fat. With the Mediterranean Diet, dairy tends to comes from cheese like brie, feta and parmesan, and Greek yogurt (though I assume there they just call it “yoghurt,”).

Fish. Fish are packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids (good!), which tends to be deficient in most American/Western diets and has been linked to health ailments[6]. Fish like cod are found in the Mediterranean, though you could go with options like tuna or salmon too.

Poultry. Factoid: Did you know there are roughly three chickens on Earth to every person? Roughly 20 billion fowl share the planet with us. I’ve been sitting on that statistic for a while and was antsy to share. Anyways! Go ahead and eat your preferred poultry, which could also include turkey and duck.

Healthy Oils. Olive oil. If there is one specific food linked to the Mediterranean Diet, it’s olive oil. Olive oil is touted for its monounsaturated fat, unlike the saturated fat of say butter. Personally, I think both are fine. But I encourage people to eat plenty of healthy fat, as demonstrated by our “Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet.” So go ahead and use olive oil.

How much of each category should you eat? That’s a good question, and depending on your quantity of each categories, you may or may not lose weight (I’ll cover all of this in a section below).

In addition to that, everybody does the Mediterranean Diet differently:

Some argue that dairy shouldn’t be in the Mediterranean Diet at all, because it contains saturated fat.

Others would say red meat should be listed above, because Mediterranean dishes often include lamb.

Depending on which country in the Mediterranean you pick, your “diet” will be very different.

You’re never going to get a straight answer on this, and that’s okay! This diet is loosely based on a region, in a moment in time, as interpreted by researchers with an agenda.

The reason I’m telling you this: I don’t care where the diet came from, or the story told around it. The same is true for Paleo (I don’t care about cavepeople!) – we don’t care about the story; we only care if the story helps people make healthier food choices.

Don’t get bogged down in the details or the dogma or the history, Instead, look at the list of food above. Shift your eating and go for big wins, by eating protein and real food as listed above, and you’ll be much better off than you are currently.

Which brings me to my next point…

What foods should I avoid on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yup, there are definitely “you’re doing it wrong” foods when it comes to the Mediterranean Diet. I know, easier said than done. If you’re gonna go Mediterranean, please cut wayyyy back on the following:

Added sugar. This. If all you did to improve your diet was cut out added sugar, you’d be well on your way to improved health. Ditch the candy, soda, and ice cream and you’ll make me very happy. I’m generally pretty happy, but this will really put things over the top.

Refined grain. Oh Mediterranean Diet, you do get me. The second thing I would tell people to do to improve their diet would be to cut out refined and processed grains. Your body’s blood sugar can react to it almost the same way it does to sugar.

Refined oils. Dump out all rapeseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. When they’re heated, like they do when undergoing refinement, they create free radicals. Which aren’t as fun as they tend to sound, because of the whole “not good for your health” thing[7]. Science, you should really think of a less awesome name here.

Processed meat. High quality meat will have better nutrients and fatty acid profiles than its processed counterparts. So cut back on uber processed deli meats and hot dogs. As for bacon, that’s your judgment call, partner.

Now, the above shouldn’t too much of a shocker. Are you starting to see why the Mediterranean Diet is popular and reputable? It keeps things simple!

Eat real food.

Avoid unhealthy food.

Use olive oil.

Of course, this is ALL easier said than done, and whether or not you’ll lose weight on the diet is juuuuust a bit more complex than the above.

Will I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Short answer: It’s certainly possible.

Longer answer: If you currently eat a standard American diet full of processed food and sugar, the Mediterranean Diet will probably help you shed body fat if you can stick with it consistently and follow it intelligently.

I’ve talked about this extensively in our “Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating,” but the trick of any self respectable diet rests on eating REAL food and eliminating the bad food.

That’s it.

It’s why the Keto Diet and the Paleo Diet both work – for people that can stick it. The same goes for Intermittent Fasting. These diets all focus on cutting out all the processed garbage, consuming real food, and keeping total calorie consumption under control. They just do it with different rules to follow.

The Mediterranean Diet is no different.

It focuses on real food that people in Mediterranean Europe have been eating for generations. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish are nothing new to the people of Greece! If you went back into the days of antiquity, after slaying a minotaur, you’d bask in a feast of fish, olives, and berries.

Of course, ALLLLL diets come with a big fat caveat: 

Knowing you should eat fresh veggies, fruit, and fish is VERY different than actually sticking with it when life gets in the way, your kid gets sick, and you have to pick up a second job.

We all know we should eat better. But HOW to eat better, consistently, permanently: that’s where lasting weight loss and decades of healthy living happen.

This is the big reason why we put such an emphasis on nutritional planning for each person in our 1-on-1 coaching program: you have to make the diet work for YOUR specific life situation!

So, the reason the Mediterranean Diet works is the same reason other diets work: eating real food makes you more likely to consume fewer calories on a consistent basis, and you can’t defeat thermodynamics. Eating 5,000 calories of pasta and fish, though technically allowed on the Mediterranean Diet, will still result in weight gain.

So yes, if your current eating habits aren’t great, moving towards a Mediterranean Diet would be a solid move, especially if it helps you change your relationship with food and teaches you about portion sizes!

I’ll admit there’s controversy on how the Mediterranean Diet was formulated, but it ALSO encourages people to eat more real food, in smaller quantities, and has a good chance of weight loss if your changes are permanent.

Just remember: temporary changes create temporary results. If you follow a Mediterranean Diet to lose a few pounds and then go back to how you eat now, you’ll end up right back where you started!

We want small wins, permanent changes, and momentum!

Should I eat whole grains, dairy, and legumes on the Mediterranean Diet?

I have absolutely no problem if you choose to eat grains, dairy, or legumes. I certainly do, and I consider myself a healthy, well-informed individual.

So what gives? For starters, we’re not a Paleo Blog – we’re a “help people get results in the way that works for them” blog.

For some people, that’s Paleo – their stomach doesn’t process dairy well, they have gluten intolerances, or they like the idea of eating like a caveperson.

For others, it’s Keto. They eat a LOT of cheese and healthy fat but minimize carb consumption.

For the majority of the planet, however, these diets are FAR too restrictive, so they instead are looking for a strategy that fits into their healthy lifestyle. That’s cool.

So should you eat grains, pasta, rice, etc, as allowed on the Mediterranean Diet? If you can keep your portions under control, sure. Just be careful, as grains can cause issues:

Grains are high in carbohydrates and calories. Somebody could technically be “Mediterranean” and consume 5,000 calories of whole grains every day. They’ll gain weight and wonder why it’s not working.

Some people have gluten intolerances. Grains have only been consumed for the past few thousand years of our existence as a species, and some people have challenges consuming them, or feel bloated afterward.

You don’t actually need grains. Yes, you need vitamins like B1 and B2, plus magnesium and potassium. But vegetables have these too, with less carbs and for some, less digestive issues. When you start to calculate the risk to reward ratio of grains, you need to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze for your situation.

You can apply similar “concerns” to both legumes and dairy. Both can be high in caloric content or introduce digestive problems for certain people.

My recommendation: treat yourself like a scientist and treat this like an experiment:

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet and consuming dairy, grains, and legumes and you’re getting results and a clean bill of health from your doctor, GREAT! Keep doing what you’re doing.

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet with dairy, grains, and legumes and NOT losing weight, try minimizing your consumption of some/all of these things to see if that changes things.

I know how tough it can be to eat just HALF of something on your plate, or eat a smaller portion of a food you really enjoy, so I’m gonna share with you a diet that is picking up some steam, and might be a good experiment for you to consider.

Should I Consider a Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet?

What happens when you cut out the grains and dairy from a Mediterranean Diet?

You end up with a low-carb Mediterranean Diet.

This diet has actually been tested and named, in what is referred to as the Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet or Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet (SKMD). The fat mostly comes from olive oil, there’s still red wine (I swear I’m getting to this), with plenty of green vegetables and salads for carbohydrates. Plus fish for protein. Lot’s of fish. In Spain, fish is a main component of diet, hence the Spanish in the SKMD.

And who would have thunk it, it works!

The SKMD has been shown to help improve fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome[8]. Not to mention the SKMD is effective for weight loss and waist circumference shrinkage[9].

I’ve already covered the ketogenic diet extensively, so I won’t get into it (seriously, go read that post – it also has cute animal gifs) here. If you are going to pick a modified version of the Mediterranean Diet, the SKMD would be the optimal choice in my opinion.

Overwhelmed with Mediterranean, saturated fats, keto, or SKMD?

I hear ya.

Navigating all of these diets can be really tough. And maybe you’ve even tried the Mediterranean Diet before and couldn’t get the results to stick. That’s because diets are challenging, and life gets in the way.

If this is you, and you don’t have time to figure out how to make food work for your busy lifestyle, Nerd Fitness has a pretty sweet 1-on-1 Coaching Program to create custom solutions for each client that fits their life!

You can schedule a free call with our team to learn more by clicking on the image below!

Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Need some help figuring out what all this will actually look like on a plate?

After all, just having a list of foods is like having the ingredients of a cake. It’s definitely not the same as having a cake.

Sorry for making you think about cake. I’ll go do 10 push-ups as punishment.

And I’m back.

Because I like you as a person, I did some research and found some super simple recipes for the “standard” Mediterranean Diet:

Arugula salad with chicken

Avocado hummus

Egg and Brown Rice Breakfast Bowl

Pasta with Tuna and Tomatoes

Tomatoes Stuffed with Peanut Quinoa

If you are an overachiever, here are some recipes for the Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet:

Greek Shrimp Salad

Greek Fish Foil Packets

Rosemary Roasted Brussel Sprouts

That should get you started.

If you have other favorite recipes or resources, leave a comment below so I can add them here to this list!

Other Key Reasons Why Mediterranean People Live Longer

So far in this article, we’ve only focused on what to eat. Which is logical, because the Mediterranean Diet is first and foremost an eating regiment.

Whether you live in midwestern Ohio or Timbuktu, you can mimic the nutritional strategies of a centenarian Mediterranean (a 100 year old Mediterranean woman!) thanks to global markets.

However, I’d be an idiot if I didn’t also mention all the other lifestyle benefits certain Mediterranean people have that ALSO factor into their longevity:

Meal time as a social event. In a traditional Mediterranean household, friends and family come together over food as an experience. This allows conversation to integrate into the meal, which extends the amount of time spent consuming food. The faster you scarf down food, the more of an insulin response you’ll create, and the more likely you’ll be to overeat when more food is available[10]. It takes your body time to realize it’s full, which happens too late when you are scarfing down food mindlessly in front of a screen.

Smaller servings. When comparing Western meals to those of Europe, one thing becomes plainly obvious in most situations: we tend to eat more food than our friends across the pond. Our plates are bigger and our servings are larger. And all other things being equal, the bigger the portion placed in front of you, the more you’ll probably eat[10]. Want to eat less to help drop some body fat? Eat smaller servings by using smaller plates! You can trick your brain into eating less food. Here’s the study where they demonstrated just that[11]. Boom, science.

Move naturally. Think of life in the Greek islands back in 1950s – how many of these people spent an hour in a car commuting to a desk job where they worked 60 hours a week? Probably not many! Instead, it was a LOT more walking and local living. You can replicate this by spending more time walking and less time sitting! Every step starts to add up to a lot of physical activity. Plus, wine can add to spontaneous dancing like Zorba the Greek (seriously, the next section is about wine, you’re almost there).

Take a nap. It’s not uncommon for people in the Mediterranean to take a nap after lunch. This could help with their waistline. I know this is common knowledge, but getting plenty of sleep is important in your weight loss journey. Lack of shuteye has been shown to interfere with insulin responses after meals[12]. That’s right, you could be eating well, but still wreak havoc on your blood sugar by sleeping poorly.

Okay. You made it.

I’m proud of you.

You waited patiently, through this whole article and now we are at….

Can I drink wine and alcohol on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yes, you can enjoy a little wine on the Mediterranean Diet.

Hip hip hooray!

But seriously, let’s chat about this because I too enjoy adult beverages.

Drinking wine is customary throughout the Mediterranean: it’s served during dinner, to be paired with food and to encourage good conversation. Is it the wine itself that leads to better health? Or does wine add to the experience of dinner, creating an event to be remembered?

(It’s totally the latter.)

Real talk on alcohol: so many people consume alcohol that any diet that says “you cannot drink any alcohol ever” is doomed and nobody would stick with it. So in this made-up diet that claims to mimic old ways of eating, it recommends consuming wine in moderation.

I see this in every diet:

Paleo dieters drink tequila.

Keto dieters drink whiskey.

And Mediterranean dieters drink red wine.

We’ve talked about alcohol extensively here at Nerd Fitness, and one of our preferred drink recommendations is red wine. As long as you are keeping your calorie consumption under control, occasionally enjoying adult beverages can be part of your strategy.

We cool? Cool.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Mediterranean Diet

1) “Steve, I had a grand father who grew up on the Mediterranean and he ate differently than this. Henceforth, this diet is null and void. GOOD DAY, SIR.”

Okay that’s not really a question. And kind of rude. But I’ll address it. I want to stress again that the Mediterranean Diet may or may not be exactly what people in the Mediterranean back in the 1950s actually ate.

And I also want to stress again that it DOESN’T matter!

We only care about results, and that comes from permanent changes to somebody’s relationship and decision making with food.

So if the idea of “Eating like a Mediterranean person” makes sense to you, great!

And if your grandfather ate differently, great! Eat like him and let me know how it goes!

2) “Steve, Italy is on the Mediterranean. Pasta and pizza come from from Italy. So I can stuff my face with pasta and I’m gonna lose weight and be really good looking, right?”

Solid question. Sure. Consume whole grain pasta while on the Mediterranean Diet, but do so in a MUCH smaller quantity than you’re used to consuming if you are trying to lose weight.

Pasta is generally a side dish in the Mediterranean. It won’t be served to you in a huge giant bowl like it is in the United States. If you do decide to eat things like pasta, do what they do in the Mediterranean, and use it to complement a dish, not BE the dish.

3) “What’s up with goat milk?”

Goats are badasses in the Mediterranean, with their ability to travel over rocky terrain. Sorry cows, step up your game. This explains why goat dairy is quite common in the Mediterranean.

If you are deciding to consume dairy, a goat might be your new friend[13]. The milk generally contains more fat than from a cow, which fits into our SKMD strategy. Also less lactose, ie sugar. Structurally, some people have an easier time processing goat’s milk than traditional dairy.

Granted, some people find the flavor of goat’s milk off and don’t like it. But Steve can only solve so many problems. I try.

4) “Will olive oil make me live forever? The future is gonna be rad.”

Yes. It will also give you superpowers. Okay, not really. But extra virgin olive oil is great. It’s my go to for salads. Add in some vinegar and you’re crushing it in the “flavorful, healthy salad” department.

However, I don’t think it’s the secret ingredient of the Mediterranean Diet. Most praise of olive oil comes from the fact that in contains no saturated fat. Which is one of the main reasons the Mediterranean Diet became so popular. But it’s still very high in calories, so pouring tons of healthy olive oil on everything could be the reason why you’re not losing any weight!

I personally enjoy and use olive oil, grass fed butter, and/or coconut oil depending on the meal. So, if you love olive oil and put it on everything, great. Just know that it won’t do your laundry, wash your dishes, or tuck you in at night. Or make you live forever. It’s oil from olives.

5) “Steve, can I use canola oil instead of olive oil?”

Despite what other sites suggest with the Mediterranean Diet, I would advise minimizing canola oil consumption and seek out other solutions where possible. Canola oil is a vegetable oil mostly derived from rapeseed, it’s often heavily processed, and actually creates a small amount of trans fat. Bad news bears. If you need a substitute for olive oil, go with avocado or coconut oil.

6) “Do I HAVE to eat seafood? I don’t enjoy the taste of fish, and I believe that “fish are friends, not food.”

I get it. Fish isn’t for everyone. I actually don’t like fish myself, despite growing up in a fishing town on Cape Cod.

I know, sacriligious.

No, you do not need to eat fish to follow the Mediterranean Diet. The reason seafood is recommended on the Mediterranean Diet is because it’s generally low in saturated fat and plentiful in that region. But again, I’m not a big supporter of reducing saturated fat intake at all costs. So if consuming fish makes you gag, don’t torture yourself. Stick with chicken or turkey. Or…

7) “Should I really limit red meat on the Mediterranean Diet?”

I may be summoning the wrath of the Mediterranean gods with this one (forgive me Zeus), but limiting red meat may be a goal without merit. I know. I can see the clouds and lighting bolts forming now.

But as Rule #8 of the Rebellion states, question everything. Even “wisdom” from the old countries.

And that includes the conventional wisdom of limiting red meat. Yes, I remember that Harvard study that says red meat causes cancer, and I disagree with the fear-mongering that resulted [14].

If you do decide to partake, go with good quality sources for your red meat (grass fed wherever possible).

Also, as we’ve mentioned earlier, diet differs quite a bit throughout the Mediterranean, and meat can actually be pretty prominent in the form of lamb, goat, and beef. Even pork. Again, the Mediterranean Diet as opposed to what people in the Mediterranean actually eat.

So be true to yourself and do what feels right for you.

My advice: everything in moderation. Including moderation.

However, I apologize in advance if you get struck by lighting after eating lamb chops.

Resources to help you start the Mediterranean Diet

You’re convinced you want to start the Mediterranean Diet today – congratulations!

Need more help?

William Willett, who helped create the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid I showed above, has a book where he lays out all his thoughts on why the diet works. Check out Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy for his argument.

The organization Oldways is more or less responsible for the modern way we understand the Mediterranean Diet, and you’ll never run out of their recipes. I’m still not entirely convinced the organization doesn’t solely exist to sell more olive oil, but that could be paranoid Steve being paranoid. Let me adjust my tinfoil hat…

Also, I’d be remiss not to mention our own Nerd Fitness Academy. 6+ months of at-home workout routines, a whole nutrition model, and a mindset model to help you make sense of everything. If you’ve never stepped foot in a kitchen outside of grabbing milk from the fridge to drink out of the jug, we’ll help!

And if you’re just looking for basic nutritional guidance, we have a free 10-level nutritional blueprint that you can download, print, stick on your fridge, and start leveling up right now.

You can get it when join our Rebellion mailing list below:

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Want To Try the Mediterranean Diet? Here is your mission

Just in case you skipped to the end of this article, or you’re looking for a quick recap, I hear you.

Pros of the Mediterranean Diet.

A focus on REAL food. All of the recommended food choices of the Mediterranean Diet are minimally processed. This is most of the battle on the war on diet. If you minimized the processed food on your plate, you’d be doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to healthy eating.

Plenty of veggies, fruit. Eating vegetables is the least controversial recommendation on diet that has ever existed. No one questions the advice. This is less true on fruit, but come on. If all the sugar in your diet came from fruit, you’d be in rockstar mode.

Lots of healthy fats. The Mediterranean Diet is not a low fat diet. This is great. You need fat in your diet. Olive oil and fish are a great way to get there.

Cons of the Mediterranean Diet:

Saturated fat may be limited unnecessarily. Without saturated fat, there’s really only a handful of sources left to get fat intake. Granted, as addressed a few sentences ago, fish and olive oil are solid choices. But still, meals will need to be quickly rotated without saturated fat as an option.

Grains, even whole, might not be the greatest idea for some. They are high in calories and can derail even the best laid plans, so only eat if it fits your goals and lifestyle. 

Dairy isn’t exactly a homerun if you over consume. Like I mentioned earlier, not everyone handles dairy well, it can contain plenty of lactose (sugar), and calories.

Doesn’t address portion size or calorie amounts. People can DEFINITELY gain weight on the Mediterranean Diet if they eat 5000 calories worth of pasta each day. You have to be smart about portion sizes and not just eat all day every day (which is true of every diet).

It doesn’t address overall lifestyle changes or human psychology. We all know we need to eat healthier – the problem is actually sticking with it! So having a list of food to eat is great. But learning how to make it fit into your lifestyle is even more important.

If you have been nodding your head at the Mediterranean Diet and are planning on going all in with it – you have my permission!

If you are already eating a keto or paleo-ish diet and were wondering if you should switch to this diet, I’d only suggest it if you were struggling with compliance, not losing weight, and not getting results.

YOUR MISSION THIS WEEK: cook a Mediterranean meal for a friend or loved one this week, and make the dinner an event!

Send them this article and explain that Steve gave you direct marching orders to make a meal for a friend or loved one. Together, you can complete this mission. You can even have a little wine if it suits you. And make a toast. OPA!

I suggest making the Avocado Hummus referenced earlier. It’s seriously just cutting up three ingredients, adding lemon juice and olive oil and mixing them in a bowl. Serve them with whole grain pita chips, or sliced veggies if I scared you off grains forever.

If all of this is overwhelming, or you need help on making better food choices, you are not alone!

Like I said earlier, we have a community of people who are busy and looking to live better, and a whole team dedicated to helping those people!If you just want to be told what to do, and want help staying accountable, consider checking out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program if you want to take it to the next level.

You schedule a free call with our team to see how we can create a custom workout program and nutritional guidance for your specific situation by clicking on the button below!

So let’s hear from you: After you’ve completed your mission, leave a comment below and I’ll buy you a plane ticket to Santorini. Okay not really. But I will give you a high five if we ever meet on a fishing boat off of Crete. Deal?!

If you started the habit of cooking for company, you’d make Steve a happy camper.

Let me know if you have any more questions, and I hope you can get started on your Mediterranean lifestyle today.

Now pass me the corkscrew!

-Steve

PS: I want to give a shoutout to Nina Teicholz and her book The Big Fat Surprise, whose chapter “Selling the Mediterranean Diet” served as a reference for this post.

ALL Photos Sources can be found in this footnote here[14].

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

Yeah, I know the US News isn’t a scientific journal, but we’re dealing with reality here folks. Here’s the link to the best overall, and here’s the link for “easiest to follow.”

Here’s the link to Fitness Magazine

Here’s the link to WedMD

Here’s one study on the reduced risk of heart attack, and here’s another

Here’s the link to the dementia study

Here’s the link to the Omega-3 study

Here’s the link to the free radical study

Here’s the links to the fatty liver disease and the metabolic syndrome studies

Here’s the links to the weight loss and the waist circumference studies

Here’s the link to the insulin study

Here’s the link to the serving size study

Here’s the link to the smaller plates 

Here’s the link to the study on sleep

Seriously email me if you develop a friendship with a goat

If you’re curious, this article takes a closer look at that study in a way that I trust and respect

Photo: lego shark, Italian coast, lego scientist, mediterranean dish, bear lego, time to lose weight, Arugula Salad with Chicken, lego newspaper, bird with fish, avocado pasta,  greece, red wine, green hoodie lego, goat, bank robbers, mediterranean coast

The Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet. Opa! published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[joshuabradleyn]

The Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet

If there was a high school yearbook of diets, The Mediterranean Diet would certainly win “most popular:”

U.S. News tied it #1 in their “Best Overall Diet” category.

They also ranked it #1 in the “Easiest Diet to Follow” race[1].

Fitness Magazine calls it the “The World’s Healthiest Diet” [2].

WebMD flat out said they “love” the Mediterranean Diet [3].

As far as mainstream media goes, you can’t get much better coverage than that.

Impressive? Absolutely.

Accurate? Maybe.

Here at Nerd Fitness, we love nothing better than digging into popular trends to give you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And lego photos and cute animal gifs.

So you’re here full of questions, which I bet go something like:

Steve, what is the Mediterranean Diet?

Can I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Why is this Diet so popular?

Can I do the Mediterranean Diet wrong?

Can I eat pasta and pizza on the Mediterranean Diet?

Will you buy me a plane ticket to Santorini?

These are all great questions (though maybe not the last one), and I have no doubt I can help you make sense of this and start changing your nutrition today.

Let’s get weird.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is a way of life that involves eating real food: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans), some fish, and a whole lotta “healthy” fat. Plus a little red wine.

It gets its name from a few key countries on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and studying the dietary patterns of the people who live long lives in that area.

When experts discuss the Mediterranean Diet, the words “heart-healthy” will almost certainly be attached. It’s the reason the Mediterranean Diet shines like a crazy diamond, because who DOESN’T want a healthy heart?

So why does this diet make your heart healthy, and why do people tend to lose weight on it?

Simple: Every item listed above falls into the REAL food category. When I say real food, I mean stuff that came from the ground, grew on a tree, grazed on a field, flew through the air, or swam in the water.

Here’s another way to put it: If your great grandma from the old country wouldn’t recognize it as food, it probably doesn’t fit into the Mediterranean Diet.

Sorry Pop-Tarts, Big Macs, and Coca-Cola.

Logically, the reason this diet gets good grades makes sense. Of COURSE a diet composed of REAL food like the Mediterranean Diet would have REAL health benefits.

And those benefits are awesome! The diet has been linked to a plethora of benefits, including a reduced risk of heart attack[4], and even the retention of cognitive abilities to help stave off dementia[5].

At this point you might be wondering:

“Steve, I like the cut of your jib, and this diet sounds pretty good. So, just eat real food, got it. But what about all these benefits I hear about olive oil? And I thought pasta was unhealthy. That’s a crucial part of the Mediterranean Diet too, right? Tell me more.”

I got you, boo.

Where did the Mediterranean Diet Come From?

Believe it or not, this diet wasn’t created by a goat herder in the Greek countryside.

It was actually theorized  by an American scientist back in the 50s, and started gaining popularity in the 90s.

Have you heard the name, Ancel Keys?

He’s a doctor from back in the day (think 1950s) often credited with popularizing the idea that saturated fat leads to deadly heart attacks, a la high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. We went in-depth on this very controversial subject in “A Beginner’s Guide to Cholesterol,” so I won’t rehash it here.

The reason I bring Keys up is because he was one of the early founders of the Mediterranean Diet.

Keys formulated this diet after pouring over data and research and identified that people in Greece and Italy statistically lived longer than other populations he studied. Farmers working until the age of 100 wasn’t uncommon on the Greek island of Crete.

So what was the big secret?

Are the people of Crete actual descendants of Atlantis with special DNA and olive oil running through their veins?

Not really.

Keys noted these Mediterraneans had low saturated fat intake, getting fat instead from olives and fresh fish. He also noted low instances of heart disease, and thus declared something like, “low saturated fat consumption causes fewer instances of heart disease and leads to a longer life.”

Now, if you’re a nerd like me, you are hopefully aware that “correlation does not prove causation,” that even though two variables are correlated, it doesn’t mean that one causes the other.

But it was a great story, backed up by logically sounding data from an accomplished researcher, and the hypothesis became “fact.” Thus, the hypothesis of the “Mediterranean Diet equals long life” continued to gain steam, and Keys work went on to define a huge portion of America’s nutritional guidance over the past 60 years.

Fast forward to the 1990s, and the Mediterranean Diet story reached the mainstream media with the help of a group of researchers, who decided it was time to popularize and proselytize its benefits.

In a controversial and complicated part of the story that’s much lesser known, these researchers focused on Greece and Italy, ignoring data from any other Mediterranean population that didn’t fit their narrative. Together, under Walter C. Willett from Harvard School of Public Health, they came up with the ‘Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.”

©2009 Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, this DOES look just like the food pyramid you were taught in grade school! But with more real food. And wine. And dancing.

I told you Keys’s work was very influential in the guidelines we all grew up with! So that concludes today’s history portion of the article.

Back to getting weird:

What can I eat on the Mediterranean Diet?

As I already pointed out, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on REAL food that’s found in the Mediterranean (duh).

It’s one of the things I love about it!

Below are our recommended types of food, examples of each, and substitutes in case you don’t happen to live on Sicily or Santorini:

Vegetables. Common Mediterranean Diet staples are artichokes, arugula, Brussels sprouts, celery, and peas, but seriously any vegetable you enjoy is good enough! So go wild. Hate veggies? I got you.

Fruit. Figs, mandarins, tomatoes (yeah it’s a fruit), and pomegranate are common to the area, but fruit like apples and oranges works too. Just don’t eat 5,000 calories of sugar-filled fruit and wonder why you’re not losing weight!

Whole Grains. Barley, buckwheat, oats, rice, and wheat, in the form of fresh made wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and pitas. Whole grains are encouraged in just about every article on the Mediterranean Diet. When we say “whole” we mean minimally processed, and are consumed in significantly smaller portions than you’re probably used to.

Legumes. Think beans and lentils: a great sources of protein and fiber that also happen to be delicious. Hummus, a dish from the Mediterranean, is made out of the chickpeas (a legume).

Dairy. Remember that pyramid from a moment ago? You’ll see that dairy is higher up, meaning to consume in smaller quantities. Why? because researchers were concerned about saturated fat. With the Mediterranean Diet, dairy tends to comes from cheese like brie, feta and parmesan, and Greek yogurt (though I assume there they just call it “yoghurt,”).

Fish. Fish are packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids (good!), which tends to be deficient in most American/Western diets and has been linked to health ailments[6]. Fish like cod are found in the Mediterranean, though you could go with options like tuna or salmon too.

Poultry. Factoid: Did you know there are roughly three chickens on Earth to every person? Roughly 20 billion fowl share the planet with us. I’ve been sitting on that statistic for a while and was antsy to share. Anyways! Go ahead and eat your preferred poultry, which could also include turkey and duck.

Healthy Oils. Olive oil. If there is one specific food linked to the Mediterranean Diet, it’s olive oil. Olive oil is touted for its monounsaturated fat, unlike the saturated fat of say butter. Personally, I think both are fine. But I encourage people to eat plenty of healthy fat, as demonstrated by our “Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet.” So go ahead and use olive oil.

How much of each category should you eat? That’s a good question, and depending on your quantity of each categories, you may or may not lose weight (I’ll cover all of this in a section below).

In addition to that, everybody does the Mediterranean Diet differently:

Some argue that dairy shouldn’t be in the Mediterranean Diet at all, because it contains saturated fat.

Others would say red meat should be listed above, because Mediterranean dishes often include lamb.

Depending on which country in the Mediterranean you pick, your “diet” will be very different.

You’re never going to get a straight answer on this, and that’s okay! This diet is loosely based on a region, in a moment in time, as interpreted by researchers with an agenda.

The reason I’m telling you this: I don’t care where the diet came from, or the story told around it. The same is true for Paleo (I don’t care about cavepeople!) – we don’t care about the story; we only care if the story helps people make healthier food choices.

Don’t get bogged down in the details or the dogma or the history, Instead, look at the list of food above. Shift your eating and go for big wins, by eating protein and real food as listed above, and you’ll be much better off than you are currently.

Which brings me to my next point…

What foods should I avoid on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yup, there are definitely “you’re doing it wrong” foods when it comes to the Mediterranean Diet. I know, easier said than done. If you’re gonna go Mediterranean, please cut wayyyy back on the following:

Added sugar. This. If all you did to improve your diet was cut out added sugar, you’d be well on your way to improved health. Ditch the candy, soda, and ice cream and you’ll make me very happy. I’m generally pretty happy, but this will really put things over the top.

Refined grain. Oh Mediterranean Diet, you do get me. The second thing I would tell people to do to improve their diet would be to cut out refined and processed grains. Your body’s blood sugar can react to it almost the same way it does to sugar.

Refined oils. Dump out all rapeseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. When they’re heated, like they do when undergoing refinement, they create free radicals. Which aren’t as fun as they tend to sound, because of the whole “not good for your health” thing[7]. Science, you should really think of a less awesome name here.

Processed meat. High quality meat will have better nutrients and fatty acid profiles than its processed counterparts. So cut back on uber processed deli meats and hot dogs. As for bacon, that’s your judgment call, partner.

Now, the above shouldn’t too much of a shocker. Are you starting to see why the Mediterranean Diet is popular and reputable? It keeps things simple!

Eat real food.

Avoid unhealthy food.

Use olive oil.

Of course, this is ALL easier said than done, and whether or not you’ll lose weight on the diet is juuuuust a bit more complex than the above.

Will I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Short answer: It’s certainly possible.

Longer answer: If you currently eat a standard American diet full of processed food and sugar, the Mediterranean Diet will probably help you shed body fat if you can stick with it consistently and follow it intelligently.

I’ve talked about this extensively in our “Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating,” but the trick of any self respectable diet rests on eating REAL food and eliminating the bad food.

That’s it.

It’s why the Keto Diet and the Paleo Diet both work – for people that can stick it. The same goes for Intermittent Fasting. These diets all focus on cutting out all the processed garbage, consuming real food, and keeping total calorie consumption under control. They just do it with different rules to follow.

The Mediterranean Diet is no different.

It focuses on real food that people in Mediterranean Europe have been eating for generations. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish are nothing new to the people of Greece! If you went back into the days of antiquity, after slaying a minotaur, you’d bask in a feast of fish, olives, and berries.

Of course, ALLLLL diets come with a big fat caveat: 

Knowing you should eat fresh veggies, fruit, and fish is VERY different than actually sticking with it when life gets in the way, your kid gets sick, and you have to pick up a second job.

We all know we should eat better. But HOW to eat better, consistently, permanently: that’s where lasting weight loss and decades of healthy living happen.

This is the big reason why we put such an emphasis on nutritional planning for each person in our 1-on-1 coaching program: you have to make the diet work for YOUR specific life situation!

So, the reason the Mediterranean Diet works is the same reason other diets work: eating real food makes you more likely to consume fewer calories on a consistent basis, and you can’t defeat thermodynamics. Eating 5,000 calories of pasta and fish, though technically allowed on the Mediterranean Diet, will still result in weight gain.

So yes, if your current eating habits aren’t great, moving towards a Mediterranean Diet would be a solid move, especially if it helps you change your relationship with food and teaches you about portion sizes!

I’ll admit there’s controversy on how the Mediterranean Diet was formulated, but it ALSO encourages people to eat more real food, in smaller quantities, and has a good chance of weight loss if your changes are permanent.

Just remember: temporary changes create temporary results. If you follow a Mediterranean Diet to lose a few pounds and then go back to how you eat now, you’ll end up right back where you started!

We want small wins, permanent changes, and momentum!

Should I eat whole grains, dairy, and legumes on the Mediterranean Diet?

I have absolutely no problem if you choose to eat grains, dairy, or legumes. I certainly do, and I consider myself a healthy, well-informed individual.

So what gives? For starters, we’re not a Paleo Blog – we’re a “help people get results in the way that works for them” blog.

For some people, that’s Paleo – their stomach doesn’t process dairy well, they have gluten intolerances, or they like the idea of eating like a caveperson.

For others, it’s Keto. They eat a LOT of cheese and healthy fat but minimize carb consumption.

For the majority of the planet, however, these diets are FAR too restrictive, so they instead are looking for a strategy that fits into their healthy lifestyle. That’s cool.

So should you eat grains, pasta, rice, etc, as allowed on the Mediterranean Diet? If you can keep your portions under control, sure. Just be careful, as grains can cause issues:

Grains are high in carbohydrates and calories. Somebody could technically be “Mediterranean” and consume 5,000 calories of whole grains every day. They’ll gain weight and wonder why it’s not working.

Some people have gluten intolerances. Grains have only been consumed for the past few thousand years of our existence as a species, and some people have challenges consuming them, or feel bloated afterward.

You don’t actually need grains. Yes, you need vitamins like B1 and B2, plus magnesium and potassium. But vegetables have these too, with less carbs and for some, less digestive issues. When you start to calculate the risk to reward ratio of grains, you need to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze for your situation.

You can apply similar “concerns” to both legumes and dairy. Both can be high in caloric content or introduce digestive problems for certain people.

My recommendation: treat yourself like a scientist and treat this like an experiment:

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet and consuming dairy, grains, and legumes and you’re getting results and a clean bill of health from your doctor, GREAT! Keep doing what you’re doing.

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet with dairy, grains, and legumes and NOT losing weight, try minimizing your consumption of some/all of these things to see if that changes things.

I know how tough it can be to eat just HALF of something on your plate, or eat a smaller portion of a food you really enjoy, so I’m gonna share with you a diet that is picking up some steam, and might be a good experiment for you to consider.

Should I Consider a Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet?

https://ift.tt/2MpPUEY

[albertcaldwellne]

The Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet

If there was a high school yearbook of diets, The Mediterranean Diet would certainly win “most popular:”

U.S. News tied it #1 in their “Best Overall Diet” category.

They also ranked it #1 in the “Easiest Diet to Follow” race[1].

Fitness Magazine calls it the “The World’s Healthiest Diet” [2].

WebMD flat out said they “love” the Mediterranean Diet [3].

As far as mainstream media goes, you can’t get much better coverage than that.

Impressive? Absolutely.

Accurate? Maybe.

Here at Nerd Fitness, we love nothing better than digging into popular trends to give you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And lego photos and cute animal gifs.

So you’re here full of questions, which I bet go something like:

Steve, what is the Mediterranean Diet?

Can I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Why is this Diet so popular?

Can I do the Mediterranean Diet wrong?

Can I eat pasta and pizza on the Mediterranean Diet?

Will you buy me a plane ticket to Santorini?

These are all great questions (though maybe not the last one), and I have no doubt I can help you make sense of this and start changing your nutrition today.

Let’s get weird.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is a way of life that involves eating real food: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans), some fish, and a whole lotta “healthy” fat. Plus a little red wine.

It gets its name from a few key countries on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and studying the dietary patterns of the people who live long lives in that area.

When experts discuss the Mediterranean Diet, the words “heart-healthy” will almost certainly be attached. It’s the reason the Mediterranean Diet shines like a crazy diamond, because who DOESN’T want a healthy heart?

So why does this diet make your heart healthy, and why do people tend to lose weight on it?

Simple: Every item listed above falls into the REAL food category. When I say real food, I mean stuff that came from the ground, grew on a tree, grazed on a field, flew through the air, or swam in the water.

Here’s another way to put it: If your great grandma from the old country wouldn’t recognize it as food, it probably doesn’t fit into the Mediterranean Diet.

Sorry Pop-Tarts, Big Macs, and Coca-Cola.

Logically, the reason this diet gets good grades makes sense. Of COURSE a diet composed of REAL food like the Mediterranean Diet would have REAL health benefits.

And those benefits are awesome! The diet has been linked to a plethora of benefits, including a reduced risk of heart attack[4], and even the retention of cognitive abilities to help stave off dementia[5].

At this point you might be wondering:

“Steve, I like the cut of your jib, and this diet sounds pretty good. So, just eat real food, got it. But what about all these benefits I hear about olive oil? And I thought pasta was unhealthy. That’s a crucial part of the Mediterranean Diet too, right? Tell me more.”

I got you, boo.

Where did the Mediterranean Diet Come From?

Believe it or not, this diet wasn’t created by a goat herder in the Greek countryside.

It was actually theorized  by an American scientist back in the 50s, and started gaining popularity in the 90s.

Have you heard the name, Ancel Keys?

He’s a doctor from back in the day (think 1950s) often credited with popularizing the idea that saturated fat leads to deadly heart attacks, a la high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. We went in-depth on this very controversial subject in “A Beginner’s Guide to Cholesterol,” so I won’t rehash it here.

The reason I bring Keys up is because he was one of the early founders of the Mediterranean Diet.

Keys formulated this diet after pouring over data and research and identified that people in Greece and Italy statistically lived longer than other populations he studied. Farmers working until the age of 100 wasn’t uncommon on the Greek island of Crete.

So what was the big secret?

Are the people of Crete actual descendants of Atlantis with special DNA and olive oil running through their veins?

Not really.

Keys noted these Mediterraneans had low saturated fat intake, getting fat instead from olives and fresh fish. He also noted low instances of heart disease, and thus declared something like, “low saturated fat consumption causes fewer instances of heart disease and leads to a longer life.”

Now, if you’re a nerd like me, you are hopefully aware that “correlation does not prove causation,” that even though two variables are correlated, it doesn’t mean that one causes the other.

But it was a great story, backed up by logically sounding data from an accomplished researcher, and the hypothesis became “fact.” Thus, the hypothesis of the “Mediterranean Diet equals long life” continued to gain steam, and Keys work went on to define a huge portion of America’s nutritional guidance over the past 60 years.

Fast forward to the 1990s, and the Mediterranean Diet story reached the mainstream media with the help of a group of researchers, who decided it was time to popularize and proselytize its benefits.

In a controversial and complicated part of the story that’s much lesser known, these researchers focused on Greece and Italy, ignoring data from any other Mediterranean population that didn’t fit their narrative. Together, under Walter C. Willett from Harvard School of Public Health, they came up with the ‘Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.”

©2009 Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, this DOES look just like the food pyramid you were taught in grade school! But with more real food. And wine. And dancing.

I told you Keys’s work was very influential in the guidelines we all grew up with! So that concludes today’s history portion of the article.

Back to getting weird:

What can I eat on the Mediterranean Diet?

As I already pointed out, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on REAL food that’s found in the Mediterranean (duh).

It’s one of the things I love about it!

Below are our recommended types of food, examples of each, and substitutes in case you don’t happen to live on Sicily or Santorini:

Vegetables. Common Mediterranean Diet staples are artichokes, arugula, Brussels sprouts, celery, and peas, but seriously any vegetable you enjoy is good enough! So go wild. Hate veggies? I got you.

Fruit. Figs, mandarins, tomatoes (yeah it’s a fruit), and pomegranate are common to the area, but fruit like apples and oranges works too. Just don’t eat 5,000 calories of sugar-filled fruit and wonder why you’re not losing weight!

Whole Grains. Barley, buckwheat, oats, rice, and wheat, in the form of fresh made wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and pitas. Whole grains are encouraged in just about every article on the Mediterranean Diet. When we say “whole” we mean minimally processed, and are consumed in significantly smaller portions than you’re probably used to.

Legumes. Think beans and lentils: a great sources of protein and fiber that also happen to be delicious. Hummus, a dish from the Mediterranean, is made out of the chickpeas (a legume).

Dairy. Remember that pyramid from a moment ago? You’ll see that dairy is higher up, meaning to consume in smaller quantities. Why? because researchers were concerned about saturated fat. With the Mediterranean Diet, dairy tends to comes from cheese like brie, feta and parmesan, and Greek yogurt (though I assume there they just call it “yoghurt,”).

Fish. Fish are packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids (good!), which tends to be deficient in most American/Western diets and has been linked to health ailments[6]. Fish like cod are found in the Mediterranean, though you could go with options like tuna or salmon too.

Poultry. Factoid: Did you know there are roughly three chickens on Earth to every person? Roughly 20 billion fowl share the planet with us. I’ve been sitting on that statistic for a while and was antsy to share. Anyways! Go ahead and eat your preferred poultry, which could also include turkey and duck.

Healthy Oils. Olive oil. If there is one specific food linked to the Mediterranean Diet, it’s olive oil. Olive oil is touted for its monounsaturated fat, unlike the saturated fat of say butter. Personally, I think both are fine. But I encourage people to eat plenty of healthy fat, as demonstrated by our “Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet.” So go ahead and use olive oil.

How much of each category should you eat? That’s a good question, and depending on your quantity of each categories, you may or may not lose weight (I’ll cover all of this in a section below).

In addition to that, everybody does the Mediterranean Diet differently:

Some argue that dairy shouldn’t be in the Mediterranean Diet at all, because it contains saturated fat.

Others would say red meat should be listed above, because Mediterranean dishes often include lamb.

Depending on which country in the Mediterranean you pick, your “diet” will be very different.

You’re never going to get a straight answer on this, and that’s okay! This diet is loosely based on a region, in a moment in time, as interpreted by researchers with an agenda.

The reason I’m telling you this: I don’t care where the diet came from, or the story told around it. The same is true for Paleo (I don’t care about cavepeople!) – we don’t care about the story; we only care if the story helps people make healthier food choices.

Don’t get bogged down in the details or the dogma or the history, Instead, look at the list of food above. Shift your eating and go for big wins, by eating protein and real food as listed above, and you’ll be much better off than you are currently.

Which brings me to my next point…

What foods should I avoid on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yup, there are definitely “you’re doing it wrong” foods when it comes to the Mediterranean Diet. I know, easier said than done. If you’re gonna go Mediterranean, please cut wayyyy back on the following:

Added sugar. This. If all you did to improve your diet was cut out added sugar, you’d be well on your way to improved health. Ditch the candy, soda, and ice cream and you’ll make me very happy. I’m generally pretty happy, but this will really put things over the top.

Refined grain. Oh Mediterranean Diet, you do get me. The second thing I would tell people to do to improve their diet would be to cut out refined and processed grains. Your body’s blood sugar can react to it almost the same way it does to sugar.

Refined oils. Dump out all rapeseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. When they’re heated, like they do when undergoing refinement, they create free radicals. Which aren’t as fun as they tend to sound, because of the whole “not good for your health” thing[7]. Science, you should really think of a less awesome name here.

Processed meat. High quality meat will have better nutrients and fatty acid profiles than its processed counterparts. So cut back on uber processed deli meats and hot dogs. As for bacon, that’s your judgment call, partner.

Now, the above shouldn’t too much of a shocker. Are you starting to see why the Mediterranean Diet is popular and reputable? It keeps things simple!

Eat real food.

Avoid unhealthy food.

Use olive oil.

Of course, this is ALL easier said than done, and whether or not you’ll lose weight on the diet is juuuuust a bit more complex than the above.

Will I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Short answer: It’s certainly possible.

Longer answer: If you currently eat a standard American diet full of processed food and sugar, the Mediterranean Diet will probably help you shed body fat if you can stick with it consistently and follow it intelligently.

I’ve talked about this extensively in our “Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating,” but the trick of any self respectable diet rests on eating REAL food and eliminating the bad food.

That’s it.

It’s why the Keto Diet and the Paleo Diet both work – for people that can stick it. The same goes for Intermittent Fasting. These diets all focus on cutting out all the processed garbage, consuming real food, and keeping total calorie consumption under control. They just do it with different rules to follow.

The Mediterranean Diet is no different.

It focuses on real food that people in Mediterranean Europe have been eating for generations. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish are nothing new to the people of Greece! If you went back into the days of antiquity, after slaying a minotaur, you’d bask in a feast of fish, olives, and berries.

Of course, ALLLLL diets come with a big fat caveat: 

Knowing you should eat fresh veggies, fruit, and fish is VERY different than actually sticking with it when life gets in the way, your kid gets sick, and you have to pick up a second job.

We all know we should eat better. But HOW to eat better, consistently, permanently: that’s where lasting weight loss and decades of healthy living happen.

This is the big reason why we put such an emphasis on nutritional planning for each person in our 1-on-1 coaching program: you have to make the diet work for YOUR specific life situation!

So, the reason the Mediterranean Diet works is the same reason other diets work: eating real food makes you more likely to consume fewer calories on a consistent basis, and you can’t defeat thermodynamics. Eating 5,000 calories of pasta and fish, though technically allowed on the Mediterranean Diet, will still result in weight gain.

So yes, if your current eating habits aren’t great, moving towards a Mediterranean Diet would be a solid move, especially if it helps you change your relationship with food and teaches you about portion sizes!

I’ll admit there’s controversy on how the Mediterranean Diet was formulated, but it ALSO encourages people to eat more real food, in smaller quantities, and has a good chance of weight loss if your changes are permanent.

Just remember: temporary changes create temporary results. If you follow a Mediterranean Diet to lose a few pounds and then go back to how you eat now, you’ll end up right back where you started!

We want small wins, permanent changes, and momentum!

Should I eat whole grains, dairy, and legumes on the Mediterranean Diet?

I have absolutely no problem if you choose to eat grains, dairy, or legumes. I certainly do, and I consider myself a healthy, well-informed individual.

So what gives? For starters, we’re not a Paleo Blog – we’re a “help people get results in the way that works for them” blog.

For some people, that’s Paleo – their stomach doesn’t process dairy well, they have gluten intolerances, or they like the idea of eating like a caveperson.

For others, it’s Keto. They eat a LOT of cheese and healthy fat but minimize carb consumption.

For the majority of the planet, however, these diets are FAR too restrictive, so they instead are looking for a strategy that fits into their healthy lifestyle. That’s cool.

So should you eat grains, pasta, rice, etc, as allowed on the Mediterranean Diet? If you can keep your portions under control, sure. Just be careful, as grains can cause issues:

Grains are high in carbohydrates and calories. Somebody could technically be “Mediterranean” and consume 5,000 calories of whole grains every day. They’ll gain weight and wonder why it’s not working.

Some people have gluten intolerances. Grains have only been consumed for the past few thousand years of our existence as a species, and some people have challenges consuming them, or feel bloated afterward.

You don’t actually need grains. Yes, you need vitamins like B1 and B2, plus magnesium and potassium. But vegetables have these too, with less carbs and for some, less digestive issues. When you start to calculate the risk to reward ratio of grains, you need to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze for your situation.

You can apply similar “concerns” to both legumes and dairy. Both can be high in caloric content or introduce digestive problems for certain people.

My recommendation: treat yourself like a scientist and treat this like an experiment:

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet and consuming dairy, grains, and legumes and you’re getting results and a clean bill of health from your doctor, GREAT! Keep doing what you’re doing.

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet with dairy, grains, and legumes and NOT losing weight, try minimizing your consumption of some/all of these things to see if that changes things.

I know how tough it can be to eat just HALF of something on your plate, or eat a smaller portion of a food you really enjoy, so I’m gonna share with you a diet that is picking up some steam, and might be a good experiment for you to consider.

Should I Consider a Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet?

https://ift.tt/2MpPUEY

[almajonesnjna]

The Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet

If there was a high school yearbook of diets, The Mediterranean Diet would certainly win “most popular:”

U.S. News tied it #1 in their “Best Overall Diet” category.

They also ranked it #1 in the “Easiest Diet to Follow” race[1].

Fitness Magazine calls it the “The World’s Healthiest Diet” [2].

WebMD flat out said they “love” the Mediterranean Diet [3].

As far as mainstream media goes, you can’t get much better coverage than that.

Impressive? Absolutely.

Accurate? Maybe.

Here at Nerd Fitness, we love nothing better than digging into popular trends to give you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And lego photos and cute animal gifs.

So you’re here full of questions, which I bet go something like:

Steve, what is the Mediterranean Diet?

Can I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Why is this Diet so popular?

Can I do the Mediterranean Diet wrong?

Can I eat pasta and pizza on the Mediterranean Diet?

Will you buy me a plane ticket to Santorini?

These are all great questions (though maybe not the last one), and I have no doubt I can help you make sense of this and start changing your nutrition today.

Let’s get weird.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is a way of life that involves eating real food: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans), some fish, and a whole lotta “healthy” fat. Plus a little red wine.

It gets its name from a few key countries on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and studying the dietary patterns of the people who live long lives in that area.

When experts discuss the Mediterranean Diet, the words “heart-healthy” will almost certainly be attached. It’s the reason the Mediterranean Diet shines like a crazy diamond, because who DOESN’T want a healthy heart?

So why does this diet make your heart healthy, and why do people tend to lose weight on it?

Simple: Every item listed above falls into the REAL food category. When I say real food, I mean stuff that came from the ground, grew on a tree, grazed on a field, flew through the air, or swam in the water.

Here’s another way to put it: If your great grandma from the old country wouldn’t recognize it as food, it probably doesn’t fit into the Mediterranean Diet.

Sorry Pop-Tarts, Big Macs, and Coca-Cola.

Logically, the reason this diet gets good grades makes sense. Of COURSE a diet composed of REAL food like the Mediterranean Diet would have REAL health benefits.

And those benefits are awesome! The diet has been linked to a plethora of benefits, including a reduced risk of heart attack[4], and even the retention of cognitive abilities to help stave off dementia[5].

At this point you might be wondering:

“Steve, I like the cut of your jib, and this diet sounds pretty good. So, just eat real food, got it. But what about all these benefits I hear about olive oil? And I thought pasta was unhealthy. That’s a crucial part of the Mediterranean Diet too, right? Tell me more.”

I got you, boo.

Where did the Mediterranean Diet Come From?

Believe it or not, this diet wasn’t created by a goat herder in the Greek countryside.

It was actually theorized  by an American scientist back in the 50s, and started gaining popularity in the 90s.

Have you heard the name, Ancel Keys?

He’s a doctor from back in the day (think 1950s) often credited with popularizing the idea that saturated fat leads to deadly heart attacks, a la high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. We went in-depth on this very controversial subject in “A Beginner’s Guide to Cholesterol,” so I won’t rehash it here.

The reason I bring Keys up is because he was one of the early founders of the Mediterranean Diet.

Keys formulated this diet after pouring over data and research and identified that people in Greece and Italy statistically lived longer than other populations he studied. Farmers working until the age of 100 wasn’t uncommon on the Greek island of Crete.

So what was the big secret?

Are the people of Crete actual descendants of Atlantis with special DNA and olive oil running through their veins?

Not really.

Keys noted these Mediterraneans had low saturated fat intake, getting fat instead from olives and fresh fish. He also noted low instances of heart disease, and thus declared something like, “low saturated fat consumption causes fewer instances of heart disease and leads to a longer life.”

Now, if you’re a nerd like me, you are hopefully aware that “correlation does not prove causation,” that even though two variables are correlated, it doesn’t mean that one causes the other.

But it was a great story, backed up by logically sounding data from an accomplished researcher, and the hypothesis became “fact.” Thus, the hypothesis of the “Mediterranean Diet equals long life” continued to gain steam, and Keys work went on to define a huge portion of America’s nutritional guidance over the past 60 years.

Fast forward to the 1990s, and the Mediterranean Diet story reached the mainstream media with the help of a group of researchers, who decided it was time to popularize and proselytize its benefits.

In a controversial and complicated part of the story that’s much lesser known, these researchers focused on Greece and Italy, ignoring data from any other Mediterranean population that didn’t fit their narrative. Together, under Walter C. Willett from Harvard School of Public Health, they came up with the ‘Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.”

©2009 Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, this DOES look just like the food pyramid you were taught in grade school! But with more real food. And wine. And dancing.

I told you Keys’s work was very influential in the guidelines we all grew up with! So that concludes today’s history portion of the article.

Back to getting weird:

What can I eat on the Mediterranean Diet?

As I already pointed out, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on REAL food that’s found in the Mediterranean (duh).

It’s one of the things I love about it!

Below are our recommended types of food, examples of each, and substitutes in case you don’t happen to live on Sicily or Santorini:

Vegetables. Common Mediterranean Diet staples are artichokes, arugula, Brussels sprouts, celery, and peas, but seriously any vegetable you enjoy is good enough! So go wild. Hate veggies? I got you.

Fruit. Figs, mandarins, tomatoes (yeah it’s a fruit), and pomegranate are common to the area, but fruit like apples and oranges works too. Just don’t eat 5,000 calories of sugar-filled fruit and wonder why you’re not losing weight!

Whole Grains. Barley, buckwheat, oats, rice, and wheat, in the form of fresh made wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and pitas. Whole grains are encouraged in just about every article on the Mediterranean Diet. When we say “whole” we mean minimally processed, and are consumed in significantly smaller portions than you’re probably used to.

Legumes. Think beans and lentils: a great sources of protein and fiber that also happen to be delicious. Hummus, a dish from the Mediterranean, is made out of the chickpeas (a legume).

Dairy. Remember that pyramid from a moment ago? You’ll see that dairy is higher up, meaning to consume in smaller quantities. Why? because researchers were concerned about saturated fat. With the Mediterranean Diet, dairy tends to comes from cheese like brie, feta and parmesan, and Greek yogurt (though I assume there they just call it “yoghurt,”).

Fish. Fish are packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids (good!), which tends to be deficient in most American/Western diets and has been linked to health ailments[6]. Fish like cod are found in the Mediterranean, though you could go with options like tuna or salmon too.

Poultry. Factoid: Did you know there are roughly three chickens on Earth to every person? Roughly 20 billion fowl share the planet with us. I’ve been sitting on that statistic for a while and was antsy to share. Anyways! Go ahead and eat your preferred poultry, which could also include turkey and duck.

Healthy Oils. Olive oil. If there is one specific food linked to the Mediterranean Diet, it’s olive oil. Olive oil is touted for its monounsaturated fat, unlike the saturated fat of say butter. Personally, I think both are fine. But I encourage people to eat plenty of healthy fat, as demonstrated by our “Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet.” So go ahead and use olive oil.

How much of each category should you eat? That’s a good question, and depending on your quantity of each categories, you may or may not lose weight (I’ll cover all of this in a section below).

In addition to that, everybody does the Mediterranean Diet differently:

Some argue that dairy shouldn’t be in the Mediterranean Diet at all, because it contains saturated fat.

Others would say red meat should be listed above, because Mediterranean dishes often include lamb.

Depending on which country in the Mediterranean you pick, your “diet” will be very different.

You’re never going to get a straight answer on this, and that’s okay! This diet is loosely based on a region, in a moment in time, as interpreted by researchers with an agenda.

The reason I’m telling you this: I don’t care where the diet came from, or the story told around it. The same is true for Paleo (I don’t care about cavepeople!) – we don’t care about the story; we only care if the story helps people make healthier food choices.

Don’t get bogged down in the details or the dogma or the history, Instead, look at the list of food above. Shift your eating and go for big wins, by eating protein and real food as listed above, and you’ll be much better off than you are currently.

Which brings me to my next point…

What foods should I avoid on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yup, there are definitely “you’re doing it wrong” foods when it comes to the Mediterranean Diet. I know, easier said than done. If you’re gonna go Mediterranean, please cut wayyyy back on the following:

Added sugar. This. If all you did to improve your diet was cut out added sugar, you’d be well on your way to improved health. Ditch the candy, soda, and ice cream and you’ll make me very happy. I’m generally pretty happy, but this will really put things over the top.

Refined grain. Oh Mediterranean Diet, you do get me. The second thing I would tell people to do to improve their diet would be to cut out refined and processed grains. Your body’s blood sugar can react to it almost the same way it does to sugar.

Refined oils. Dump out all rapeseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. When they’re heated, like they do when undergoing refinement, they create free radicals. Which aren’t as fun as they tend to sound, because of the whole “not good for your health” thing[7]. Science, you should really think of a less awesome name here.

Processed meat. High quality meat will have better nutrients and fatty acid profiles than its processed counterparts. So cut back on uber processed deli meats and hot dogs. As for bacon, that’s your judgment call, partner.

Now, the above shouldn’t too much of a shocker. Are you starting to see why the Mediterranean Diet is popular and reputable? It keeps things simple!

Eat real food.

Avoid unhealthy food.

Use olive oil.

Of course, this is ALL easier said than done, and whether or not you’ll lose weight on the diet is juuuuust a bit more complex than the above.

Will I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Short answer: It’s certainly possible.

Longer answer: If you currently eat a standard American diet full of processed food and sugar, the Mediterranean Diet will probably help you shed body fat if you can stick with it consistently and follow it intelligently.

I’ve talked about this extensively in our “Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating,” but the trick of any self respectable diet rests on eating REAL food and eliminating the bad food.

That’s it.

It’s why the Keto Diet and the Paleo Diet both work – for people that can stick it. The same goes for Intermittent Fasting. These diets all focus on cutting out all the processed garbage, consuming real food, and keeping total calorie consumption under control. They just do it with different rules to follow.

The Mediterranean Diet is no different.

It focuses on real food that people in Mediterranean Europe have been eating for generations. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish are nothing new to the people of Greece! If you went back into the days of antiquity, after slaying a minotaur, you’d bask in a feast of fish, olives, and berries.

Of course, ALLLLL diets come with a big fat caveat: 

Knowing you should eat fresh veggies, fruit, and fish is VERY different than actually sticking with it when life gets in the way, your kid gets sick, and you have to pick up a second job.

We all know we should eat better. But HOW to eat better, consistently, permanently: that’s where lasting weight loss and decades of healthy living happen.

This is the big reason why we put such an emphasis on nutritional planning for each person in our 1-on-1 coaching program: you have to make the diet work for YOUR specific life situation!

So, the reason the Mediterranean Diet works is the same reason other diets work: eating real food makes you more likely to consume fewer calories on a consistent basis, and you can’t defeat thermodynamics. Eating 5,000 calories of pasta and fish, though technically allowed on the Mediterranean Diet, will still result in weight gain.

So yes, if your current eating habits aren’t great, moving towards a Mediterranean Diet would be a solid move, especially if it helps you change your relationship with food and teaches you about portion sizes!

I’ll admit there’s controversy on how the Mediterranean Diet was formulated, but it ALSO encourages people to eat more real food, in smaller quantities, and has a good chance of weight loss if your changes are permanent.

Just remember: temporary changes create temporary results. If you follow a Mediterranean Diet to lose a few pounds and then go back to how you eat now, you’ll end up right back where you started!

We want small wins, permanent changes, and momentum!

Should I eat whole grains, dairy, and legumes on the Mediterranean Diet?

I have absolutely no problem if you choose to eat grains, dairy, or legumes. I certainly do, and I consider myself a healthy, well-informed individual.

So what gives? For starters, we’re not a Paleo Blog – we’re a “help people get results in the way that works for them” blog.

For some people, that’s Paleo – their stomach doesn’t process dairy well, they have gluten intolerances, or they like the idea of eating like a caveperson.

For others, it’s Keto. They eat a LOT of cheese and healthy fat but minimize carb consumption.

For the majority of the planet, however, these diets are FAR too restrictive, so they instead are looking for a strategy that fits into their healthy lifestyle. That’s cool.

So should you eat grains, pasta, rice, etc, as allowed on the Mediterranean Diet? If you can keep your portions under control, sure. Just be careful, as grains can cause issues:

Grains are high in carbohydrates and calories. Somebody could technically be “Mediterranean” and consume 5,000 calories of whole grains every day. They’ll gain weight and wonder why it’s not working.

Some people have gluten intolerances. Grains have only been consumed for the past few thousand years of our existence as a species, and some people have challenges consuming them, or feel bloated afterward.

You don’t actually need grains. Yes, you need vitamins like B1 and B2, plus magnesium and potassium. But vegetables have these too, with less carbs and for some, less digestive issues. When you start to calculate the risk to reward ratio of grains, you need to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze for your situation.

You can apply similar “concerns” to both legumes and dairy. Both can be high in caloric content or introduce digestive problems for certain people.

My recommendation: treat yourself like a scientist and treat this like an experiment:

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet and consuming dairy, grains, and legumes and you’re getting results and a clean bill of health from your doctor, GREAT! Keep doing what you’re doing.

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet with dairy, grains, and legumes and NOT losing weight, try minimizing your consumption of some/all of these things to see if that changes things.

I know how tough it can be to eat just HALF of something on your plate, or eat a smaller portion of a food you really enjoy, so I’m gonna share with you a diet that is picking up some steam, and might be a good experiment for you to consider.

Should I Consider a Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet?

https://ift.tt/2MpPUEY

[neilmillerne]

The Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet

If there was a high school yearbook of diets, The Mediterranean Diet would certainly win “most popular:”

U.S. News tied it #1 in their “Best Overall Diet” category.

They also ranked it #1 in the “Easiest Diet to Follow” race[1].

Fitness Magazine calls it the “The World’s Healthiest Diet” [2].

WebMD flat out said they “love” the Mediterranean Diet [3].

As far as mainstream media goes, you can’t get much better coverage than that.

Impressive? Absolutely.

Accurate? Maybe.

Here at Nerd Fitness, we love nothing better than digging into popular trends to give you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And lego photos and cute animal gifs.

So you’re here full of questions, which I bet go something like:

Steve, what is the Mediterranean Diet?

Can I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Why is this Diet so popular?

Can I do the Mediterranean Diet wrong?

Can I eat pasta and pizza on the Mediterranean Diet?

Will you buy me a plane ticket to Santorini?

These are all great questions (though maybe not the last one), and I have no doubt I can help you make sense of this and start changing your nutrition today.

Let’s get weird.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is a way of life that involves eating real food: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans), some fish, and a whole lotta “healthy” fat. Plus a little red wine.

It gets its name from a few key countries on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and studying the dietary patterns of the people who live long lives in that area.

When experts discuss the Mediterranean Diet, the words “heart-healthy” will almost certainly be attached. It’s the reason the Mediterranean Diet shines like a crazy diamond, because who DOESN’T want a healthy heart?

So why does this diet make your heart healthy, and why do people tend to lose weight on it?

Simple: Every item listed above falls into the REAL food category. When I say real food, I mean stuff that came from the ground, grew on a tree, grazed on a field, flew through the air, or swam in the water.

Here’s another way to put it: If your great grandma from the old country wouldn’t recognize it as food, it probably doesn’t fit into the Mediterranean Diet.

Sorry Pop-Tarts, Big Macs, and Coca-Cola.

Logically, the reason this diet gets good grades makes sense. Of COURSE a diet composed of REAL food like the Mediterranean Diet would have REAL health benefits.

And those benefits are awesome! The diet has been linked to a plethora of benefits, including a reduced risk of heart attack[4], and even the retention of cognitive abilities to help stave off dementia[5].

At this point you might be wondering:

“Steve, I like the cut of your jib, and this diet sounds pretty good. So, just eat real food, got it. But what about all these benefits I hear about olive oil? And I thought pasta was unhealthy. That’s a crucial part of the Mediterranean Diet too, right? Tell me more.”

I got you, boo.

Where did the Mediterranean Diet Come From?

Believe it or not, this diet wasn’t created by a goat herder in the Greek countryside.

It was actually theorized  by an American scientist back in the 50s, and started gaining popularity in the 90s.

Have you heard the name, Ancel Keys?

He’s a doctor from back in the day (think 1950s) often credited with popularizing the idea that saturated fat leads to deadly heart attacks, a la high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. We went in-depth on this very controversial subject in “A Beginner’s Guide to Cholesterol,” so I won’t rehash it here.

The reason I bring Keys up is because he was one of the early founders of the Mediterranean Diet.

Keys formulated this diet after pouring over data and research and identified that people in Greece and Italy statistically lived longer than other populations he studied. Farmers working until the age of 100 wasn’t uncommon on the Greek island of Crete.

So what was the big secret?

Are the people of Crete actual descendants of Atlantis with special DNA and olive oil running through their veins?

Not really.

Keys noted these Mediterraneans had low saturated fat intake, getting fat instead from olives and fresh fish. He also noted low instances of heart disease, and thus declared something like, “low saturated fat consumption causes fewer instances of heart disease and leads to a longer life.”

Now, if you’re a nerd like me, you are hopefully aware that “correlation does not prove causation,” that even though two variables are correlated, it doesn’t mean that one causes the other.

But it was a great story, backed up by logically sounding data from an accomplished researcher, and the hypothesis became “fact.” Thus, the hypothesis of the “Mediterranean Diet equals long life” continued to gain steam, and Keys work went on to define a huge portion of America’s nutritional guidance over the past 60 years.

Fast forward to the 1990s, and the Mediterranean Diet story reached the mainstream media with the help of a group of researchers, who decided it was time to popularize and proselytize its benefits.

In a controversial and complicated part of the story that’s much lesser known, these researchers focused on Greece and Italy, ignoring data from any other Mediterranean population that didn’t fit their narrative. Together, under Walter C. Willett from Harvard School of Public Health, they came up with the ‘Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.”

©2009 Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, this DOES look just like the food pyramid you were taught in grade school! But with more real food. And wine. And dancing.

I told you Keys’s work was very influential in the guidelines we all grew up with! So that concludes today’s history portion of the article.

Back to getting weird:

What can I eat on the Mediterranean Diet?

As I already pointed out, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on REAL food that’s found in the Mediterranean (duh).

It’s one of the things I love about it!

Below are our recommended types of food, examples of each, and substitutes in case you don’t happen to live on Sicily or Santorini:

Vegetables. Common Mediterranean Diet staples are artichokes, arugula, Brussels sprouts, celery, and peas, but seriously any vegetable you enjoy is good enough! So go wild. Hate veggies? I got you.

Fruit. Figs, mandarins, tomatoes (yeah it’s a fruit), and pomegranate are common to the area, but fruit like apples and oranges works too. Just don’t eat 5,000 calories of sugar-filled fruit and wonder why you’re not losing weight!

Whole Grains. Barley, buckwheat, oats, rice, and wheat, in the form of fresh made wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and pitas. Whole grains are encouraged in just about every article on the Mediterranean Diet. When we say “whole” we mean minimally processed, and are consumed in significantly smaller portions than you’re probably used to.

Legumes. Think beans and lentils: a great sources of protein and fiber that also happen to be delicious. Hummus, a dish from the Mediterranean, is made out of the chickpeas (a legume).

Dairy. Remember that pyramid from a moment ago? You’ll see that dairy is higher up, meaning to consume in smaller quantities. Why? because researchers were concerned about saturated fat. With the Mediterranean Diet, dairy tends to comes from cheese like brie, feta and parmesan, and Greek yogurt (though I assume there they just call it “yoghurt,”).

Fish. Fish are packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids (good!), which tends to be deficient in most American/Western diets and has been linked to health ailments[6]. Fish like cod are found in the Mediterranean, though you could go with options like tuna or salmon too.

Poultry. Factoid: Did you know there are roughly three chickens on Earth to every person? Roughly 20 billion fowl share the planet with us. I’ve been sitting on that statistic for a while and was antsy to share. Anyways! Go ahead and eat your preferred poultry, which could also include turkey and duck.

Healthy Oils. Olive oil. If there is one specific food linked to the Mediterranean Diet, it’s olive oil. Olive oil is touted for its monounsaturated fat, unlike the saturated fat of say butter. Personally, I think both are fine. But I encourage people to eat plenty of healthy fat, as demonstrated by our “Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet.” So go ahead and use olive oil.

How much of each category should you eat? That’s a good question, and depending on your quantity of each categories, you may or may not lose weight (I’ll cover all of this in a section below).

In addition to that, everybody does the Mediterranean Diet differently:

Some argue that dairy shouldn’t be in the Mediterranean Diet at all, because it contains saturated fat.

Others would say red meat should be listed above, because Mediterranean dishes often include lamb.

Depending on which country in the Mediterranean you pick, your “diet” will be very different.

You’re never going to get a straight answer on this, and that’s okay! This diet is loosely based on a region, in a moment in time, as interpreted by researchers with an agenda.

The reason I’m telling you this: I don’t care where the diet came from, or the story told around it. The same is true for Paleo (I don’t care about cavepeople!) – we don’t care about the story; we only care if the story helps people make healthier food choices.

Don’t get bogged down in the details or the dogma or the history, Instead, look at the list of food above. Shift your eating and go for big wins, by eating protein and real food as listed above, and you’ll be much better off than you are currently.

Which brings me to my next point…

What foods should I avoid on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yup, there are definitely “you’re doing it wrong” foods when it comes to the Mediterranean Diet. I know, easier said than done. If you’re gonna go Mediterranean, please cut wayyyy back on the following:

Added sugar. This. If all you did to improve your diet was cut out added sugar, you’d be well on your way to improved health. Ditch the candy, soda, and ice cream and you’ll make me very happy. I’m generally pretty happy, but this will really put things over the top.

Refined grain. Oh Mediterranean Diet, you do get me. The second thing I would tell people to do to improve their diet would be to cut out refined and processed grains. Your body’s blood sugar can react to it almost the same way it does to sugar.

Refined oils. Dump out all rapeseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. When they’re heated, like they do when undergoing refinement, they create free radicals. Which aren’t as fun as they tend to sound, because of the whole “not good for your health” thing[7]. Science, you should really think of a less awesome name here.

Processed meat. High quality meat will have better nutrients and fatty acid profiles than its processed counterparts. So cut back on uber processed deli meats and hot dogs. As for bacon, that’s your judgment call, partner.

Now, the above shouldn’t too much of a shocker. Are you starting to see why the Mediterranean Diet is popular and reputable? It keeps things simple!

Eat real food.

Avoid unhealthy food.

Use olive oil.

Of course, this is ALL easier said than done, and whether or not you’ll lose weight on the diet is juuuuust a bit more complex than the above.

Will I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Short answer: It’s certainly possible.

Longer answer: If you currently eat a standard American diet full of processed food and sugar, the Mediterranean Diet will probably help you shed body fat if you can stick with it consistently and follow it intelligently.

I’ve talked about this extensively in our “Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating,” but the trick of any self respectable diet rests on eating REAL food and eliminating the bad food.

That’s it.

It’s why the Keto Diet and the Paleo Diet both work – for people that can stick it. The same goes for Intermittent Fasting. These diets all focus on cutting out all the processed garbage, consuming real food, and keeping total calorie consumption under control. They just do it with different rules to follow.

The Mediterranean Diet is no different.

It focuses on real food that people in Mediterranean Europe have been eating for generations. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish are nothing new to the people of Greece! If you went back into the days of antiquity, after slaying a minotaur, you’d bask in a feast of fish, olives, and berries.

Of course, ALLLLL diets come with a big fat caveat: 

Knowing you should eat fresh veggies, fruit, and fish is VERY different than actually sticking with it when life gets in the way, your kid gets sick, and you have to pick up a second job.

We all know we should eat better. But HOW to eat better, consistently, permanently: that’s where lasting weight loss and decades of healthy living happen.

This is the big reason why we put such an emphasis on nutritional planning for each person in our 1-on-1 coaching program: you have to make the diet work for YOUR specific life situation!

So, the reason the Mediterranean Diet works is the same reason other diets work: eating real food makes you more likely to consume fewer calories on a consistent basis, and you can’t defeat thermodynamics. Eating 5,000 calories of pasta and fish, though technically allowed on the Mediterranean Diet, will still result in weight gain.

So yes, if your current eating habits aren’t great, moving towards a Mediterranean Diet would be a solid move, especially if it helps you change your relationship with food and teaches you about portion sizes!

I’ll admit there’s controversy on how the Mediterranean Diet was formulated, but it ALSO encourages people to eat more real food, in smaller quantities, and has a good chance of weight loss if your changes are permanent.

Just remember: temporary changes create temporary results. If you follow a Mediterranean Diet to lose a few pounds and then go back to how you eat now, you’ll end up right back where you started!

We want small wins, permanent changes, and momentum!

Should I eat whole grains, dairy, and legumes on the Mediterranean Diet?

I have absolutely no problem if you choose to eat grains, dairy, or legumes. I certainly do, and I consider myself a healthy, well-informed individual.

So what gives? For starters, we’re not a Paleo Blog – we’re a “help people get results in the way that works for them” blog.

For some people, that’s Paleo – their stomach doesn’t process dairy well, they have gluten intolerances, or they like the idea of eating like a caveperson.

For others, it’s Keto. They eat a LOT of cheese and healthy fat but minimize carb consumption.

For the majority of the planet, however, these diets are FAR too restrictive, so they instead are looking for a strategy that fits into their healthy lifestyle. That’s cool.

So should you eat grains, pasta, rice, etc, as allowed on the Mediterranean Diet? If you can keep your portions under control, sure. Just be careful, as grains can cause issues:

Grains are high in carbohydrates and calories. Somebody could technically be “Mediterranean” and consume 5,000 calories of whole grains every day. They’ll gain weight and wonder why it’s not working.

Some people have gluten intolerances. Grains have only been consumed for the past few thousand years of our existence as a species, and some people have challenges consuming them, or feel bloated afterward.

You don’t actually need grains. Yes, you need vitamins like B1 and B2, plus magnesium and potassium. But vegetables have these too, with less carbs and for some, less digestive issues. When you start to calculate the risk to reward ratio of grains, you need to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze for your situation.

You can apply similar “concerns” to both legumes and dairy. Both can be high in caloric content or introduce digestive problems for certain people.

My recommendation: treat yourself like a scientist and treat this like an experiment:

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet and consuming dairy, grains, and legumes and you’re getting results and a clean bill of health from your doctor, GREAT! Keep doing what you’re doing.

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet with dairy, grains, and legumes and NOT losing weight, try minimizing your consumption of some/all of these things to see if that changes things.

I know how tough it can be to eat just HALF of something on your plate, or eat a smaller portion of a food you really enjoy, so I’m gonna share with you a diet that is picking up some steam, and might be a good experiment for you to consider.

Should I Consider a Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet?

https://ift.tt/2MpPUEY

[denisalvney]

The Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet

If there was a high school yearbook of diets, The Mediterranean Diet would certainly win “most popular:”

U.S. News tied it #1 in their “Best Overall Diet” category.

They also ranked it #1 in the “Easiest Diet to Follow” race[1].

Fitness Magazine calls it the “The World’s Healthiest Diet” [2].

WebMD flat out said they “love” the Mediterranean Diet [3].

As far as mainstream media goes, you can’t get much better coverage than that.

Impressive? Absolutely.

Accurate? Maybe.

Here at Nerd Fitness, we love nothing better than digging into popular trends to give you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And lego photos and cute animal gifs.

So you’re here full of questions, which I bet go something like:

Steve, what is the Mediterranean Diet?

Can I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Why is this Diet so popular?

Can I do the Mediterranean Diet wrong?

Can I eat pasta and pizza on the Mediterranean Diet?

Will you buy me a plane ticket to Santorini?

These are all great questions (though maybe not the last one), and I have no doubt I can help you make sense of this and start changing your nutrition today.

Let’s get weird.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is a way of life that involves eating real food: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans), some fish, and a whole lotta “healthy” fat. Plus a little red wine.

It gets its name from a few key countries on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and studying the dietary patterns of the people who live long lives in that area.

When experts discuss the Mediterranean Diet, the words “heart-healthy” will almost certainly be attached. It’s the reason the Mediterranean Diet shines like a crazy diamond, because who DOESN’T want a healthy heart?

So why does this diet make your heart healthy, and why do people tend to lose weight on it?

Simple: Every item listed above falls into the REAL food category. When I say real food, I mean stuff that came from the ground, grew on a tree, grazed on a field, flew through the air, or swam in the water.

Here’s another way to put it: If your great grandma from the old country wouldn’t recognize it as food, it probably doesn’t fit into the Mediterranean Diet.

Sorry Pop-Tarts, Big Macs, and Coca-Cola.

Logically, the reason this diet gets good grades makes sense. Of COURSE a diet composed of REAL food like the Mediterranean Diet would have REAL health benefits.

And those benefits are awesome! The diet has been linked to a plethora of benefits, including a reduced risk of heart attack[4], and even the retention of cognitive abilities to help stave off dementia[5].

At this point you might be wondering:

“Steve, I like the cut of your jib, and this diet sounds pretty good. So, just eat real food, got it. But what about all these benefits I hear about olive oil? And I thought pasta was unhealthy. That’s a crucial part of the Mediterranean Diet too, right? Tell me more.”

I got you, boo.

Where did the Mediterranean Diet Come From?

Believe it or not, this diet wasn’t created by a goat herder in the Greek countryside.

It was actually theorized  by an American scientist back in the 50s, and started gaining popularity in the 90s.

Have you heard the name, Ancel Keys?

He’s a doctor from back in the day (think 1950s) often credited with popularizing the idea that saturated fat leads to deadly heart attacks, a la high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. We went in-depth on this very controversial subject in “A Beginner’s Guide to Cholesterol,” so I won’t rehash it here.

The reason I bring Keys up is because he was one of the early founders of the Mediterranean Diet.

Keys formulated this diet after pouring over data and research and identified that people in Greece and Italy statistically lived longer than other populations he studied. Farmers working until the age of 100 wasn’t uncommon on the Greek island of Crete.

So what was the big secret?

Are the people of Crete actual descendants of Atlantis with special DNA and olive oil running through their veins?

Not really.

Keys noted these Mediterraneans had low saturated fat intake, getting fat instead from olives and fresh fish. He also noted low instances of heart disease, and thus declared something like, “low saturated fat consumption causes fewer instances of heart disease and leads to a longer life.”

Now, if you’re a nerd like me, you are hopefully aware that “correlation does not prove causation,” that even though two variables are correlated, it doesn’t mean that one causes the other.

But it was a great story, backed up by logically sounding data from an accomplished researcher, and the hypothesis became “fact.” Thus, the hypothesis of the “Mediterranean Diet equals long life” continued to gain steam, and Keys work went on to define a huge portion of America’s nutritional guidance over the past 60 years.

Fast forward to the 1990s, and the Mediterranean Diet story reached the mainstream media with the help of a group of researchers, who decided it was time to popularize and proselytize its benefits.

In a controversial and complicated part of the story that’s much lesser known, these researchers focused on Greece and Italy, ignoring data from any other Mediterranean population that didn’t fit their narrative. Together, under Walter C. Willett from Harvard School of Public Health, they came up with the ‘Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.”

©2009 Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, this DOES look just like the food pyramid you were taught in grade school! But with more real food. And wine. And dancing.

I told you Keys’s work was very influential in the guidelines we all grew up with! So that concludes today’s history portion of the article.

Back to getting weird:

What can I eat on the Mediterranean Diet?

As I already pointed out, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on REAL food that’s found in the Mediterranean (duh).

It’s one of the things I love about it!

Below are our recommended types of food, examples of each, and substitutes in case you don’t happen to live on Sicily or Santorini:

Vegetables. Common Mediterranean Diet staples are artichokes, arugula, Brussels sprouts, celery, and peas, but seriously any vegetable you enjoy is good enough! So go wild. Hate veggies? I got you.

Fruit. Figs, mandarins, tomatoes (yeah it’s a fruit), and pomegranate are common to the area, but fruit like apples and oranges works too. Just don’t eat 5,000 calories of sugar-filled fruit and wonder why you’re not losing weight!

Whole Grains. Barley, buckwheat, oats, rice, and wheat, in the form of fresh made wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and pitas. Whole grains are encouraged in just about every article on the Mediterranean Diet. When we say “whole” we mean minimally processed, and are consumed in significantly smaller portions than you’re probably used to.

Legumes. Think beans and lentils: a great sources of protein and fiber that also happen to be delicious. Hummus, a dish from the Mediterranean, is made out of the chickpeas (a legume).

Dairy. Remember that pyramid from a moment ago? You’ll see that dairy is higher up, meaning to consume in smaller quantities. Why? because researchers were concerned about saturated fat. With the Mediterranean Diet, dairy tends to comes from cheese like brie, feta and parmesan, and Greek yogurt (though I assume there they just call it “yoghurt,”).

Fish. Fish are packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids (good!), which tends to be deficient in most American/Western diets and has been linked to health ailments[6]. Fish like cod are found in the Mediterranean, though you could go with options like tuna or salmon too.

Poultry. Factoid: Did you know there are roughly three chickens on Earth to every person? Roughly 20 billion fowl share the planet with us. I’ve been sitting on that statistic for a while and was antsy to share. Anyways! Go ahead and eat your preferred poultry, which could also include turkey and duck.

Healthy Oils. Olive oil. If there is one specific food linked to the Mediterranean Diet, it’s olive oil. Olive oil is touted for its monounsaturated fat, unlike the saturated fat of say butter. Personally, I think both are fine. But I encourage people to eat plenty of healthy fat, as demonstrated by our “Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet.” So go ahead and use olive oil.

How much of each category should you eat? That’s a good question, and depending on your quantity of each categories, you may or may not lose weight (I’ll cover all of this in a section below).

In addition to that, everybody does the Mediterranean Diet differently:

Some argue that dairy shouldn’t be in the Mediterranean Diet at all, because it contains saturated fat.

Others would say red meat should be listed above, because Mediterranean dishes often include lamb.

Depending on which country in the Mediterranean you pick, your “diet” will be very different.

You’re never going to get a straight answer on this, and that’s okay! This diet is loosely based on a region, in a moment in time, as interpreted by researchers with an agenda.

The reason I’m telling you this: I don’t care where the diet came from, or the story told around it. The same is true for Paleo (I don’t care about cavepeople!) – we don’t care about the story; we only care if the story helps people make healthier food choices.

Don’t get bogged down in the details or the dogma or the history, Instead, look at the list of food above. Shift your eating and go for big wins, by eating protein and real food as listed above, and you’ll be much better off than you are currently.

Which brings me to my next point…

What foods should I avoid on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yup, there are definitely “you’re doing it wrong” foods when it comes to the Mediterranean Diet. I know, easier said than done. If you’re gonna go Mediterranean, please cut wayyyy back on the following:

Added sugar. This. If all you did to improve your diet was cut out added sugar, you’d be well on your way to improved health. Ditch the candy, soda, and ice cream and you’ll make me very happy. I’m generally pretty happy, but this will really put things over the top.

Refined grain. Oh Mediterranean Diet, you do get me. The second thing I would tell people to do to improve their diet would be to cut out refined and processed grains. Your body’s blood sugar can react to it almost the same way it does to sugar.

Refined oils. Dump out all rapeseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. When they’re heated, like they do when undergoing refinement, they create free radicals. Which aren’t as fun as they tend to sound, because of the whole “not good for your health” thing[7]. Science, you should really think of a less awesome name here.

Processed meat. High quality meat will have better nutrients and fatty acid profiles than its processed counterparts. So cut back on uber processed deli meats and hot dogs. As for bacon, that’s your judgment call, partner.

Now, the above shouldn’t too much of a shocker. Are you starting to see why the Mediterranean Diet is popular and reputable? It keeps things simple!

Eat real food.

Avoid unhealthy food.

Use olive oil.

Of course, this is ALL easier said than done, and whether or not you’ll lose weight on the diet is juuuuust a bit more complex than the above.

Will I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Short answer: It’s certainly possible.

Longer answer: If you currently eat a standard American diet full of processed food and sugar, the Mediterranean Diet will probably help you shed body fat if you can stick with it consistently and follow it intelligently.

I’ve talked about this extensively in our “Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating,” but the trick of any self respectable diet rests on eating REAL food and eliminating the bad food.

That’s it.

It’s why the Keto Diet and the Paleo Diet both work – for people that can stick it. The same goes for Intermittent Fasting. These diets all focus on cutting out all the processed garbage, consuming real food, and keeping total calorie consumption under control. They just do it with different rules to follow.

The Mediterranean Diet is no different.

It focuses on real food that people in Mediterranean Europe have been eating for generations. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish are nothing new to the people of Greece! If you went back into the days of antiquity, after slaying a minotaur, you’d bask in a feast of fish, olives, and berries.

Of course, ALLLLL diets come with a big fat caveat: 

Knowing you should eat fresh veggies, fruit, and fish is VERY different than actually sticking with it when life gets in the way, your kid gets sick, and you have to pick up a second job.

We all know we should eat better. But HOW to eat better, consistently, permanently: that’s where lasting weight loss and decades of healthy living happen.

This is the big reason why we put such an emphasis on nutritional planning for each person in our 1-on-1 coaching program: you have to make the diet work for YOUR specific life situation!

So, the reason the Mediterranean Diet works is the same reason other diets work: eating real food makes you more likely to consume fewer calories on a consistent basis, and you can’t defeat thermodynamics. Eating 5,000 calories of pasta and fish, though technically allowed on the Mediterranean Diet, will still result in weight gain.

So yes, if your current eating habits aren’t great, moving towards a Mediterranean Diet would be a solid move, especially if it helps you change your relationship with food and teaches you about portion sizes!

I’ll admit there’s controversy on how the Mediterranean Diet was formulated, but it ALSO encourages people to eat more real food, in smaller quantities, and has a good chance of weight loss if your changes are permanent.

Just remember: temporary changes create temporary results. If you follow a Mediterranean Diet to lose a few pounds and then go back to how you eat now, you’ll end up right back where you started!

We want small wins, permanent changes, and momentum!

Should I eat whole grains, dairy, and legumes on the Mediterranean Diet?

I have absolutely no problem if you choose to eat grains, dairy, or legumes. I certainly do, and I consider myself a healthy, well-informed individual.

So what gives? For starters, we’re not a Paleo Blog – we’re a “help people get results in the way that works for them” blog.

For some people, that’s Paleo – their stomach doesn’t process dairy well, they have gluten intolerances, or they like the idea of eating like a caveperson.

For others, it’s Keto. They eat a LOT of cheese and healthy fat but minimize carb consumption.

For the majority of the planet, however, these diets are FAR too restrictive, so they instead are looking for a strategy that fits into their healthy lifestyle. That’s cool.

So should you eat grains, pasta, rice, etc, as allowed on the Mediterranean Diet? If you can keep your portions under control, sure. Just be careful, as grains can cause issues:

Grains are high in carbohydrates and calories. Somebody could technically be “Mediterranean” and consume 5,000 calories of whole grains every day. They’ll gain weight and wonder why it’s not working.

Some people have gluten intolerances. Grains have only been consumed for the past few thousand years of our existence as a species, and some people have challenges consuming them, or feel bloated afterward.

You don’t actually need grains. Yes, you need vitamins like B1 and B2, plus magnesium and potassium. But vegetables have these too, with less carbs and for some, less digestive issues. When you start to calculate the risk to reward ratio of grains, you need to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze for your situation.

You can apply similar “concerns” to both legumes and dairy. Both can be high in caloric content or introduce digestive problems for certain people.

My recommendation: treat yourself like a scientist and treat this like an experiment:

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet and consuming dairy, grains, and legumes and you’re getting results and a clean bill of health from your doctor, GREAT! Keep doing what you’re doing.

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet with dairy, grains, and legumes and NOT losing weight, try minimizing your consumption of some/all of these things to see if that changes things.

I know how tough it can be to eat just HALF of something on your plate, or eat a smaller portion of a food you really enjoy, so I’m gonna share with you a diet that is picking up some steam, and might be a good experiment for you to consider.

Should I Consider a Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet?

What happens when you cut out the grains and dairy from a Mediterranean Diet?

You end up with a low-carb Mediterranean Diet.

This diet has actually been tested and named, in what is referred to as the Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet or Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet (SKMD). The fat mostly comes from olive oil, there’s still red wine (I swear I’m getting to this), with plenty of green vegetables and salads for carbohydrates. Plus fish for protein. Lot’s of fish. In Spain, fish is a main component of diet, hence the Spanish in the SKMD.

And who would have thunk it, it works!

The SKMD has been shown to help improve fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome[8]. Not to mention the SKMD is effective for weight loss and waist circumference shrinkage[9].

I’ve already covered the ketogenic diet extensively, so I won’t get into it (seriously, go read that post – it also has cute animal gifs) here. If you are going to pick a modified version of the Mediterranean Diet, the SKMD would be the optimal choice in my opinion.

Overwhelmed with Mediterranean, saturated fats, keto, or SKMD?

I hear ya.

Navigating all of these diets can be really tough. And maybe you’ve even tried the Mediterranean Diet before and couldn’t get the results to stick. That’s because diets are challenging, and life gets in the way.

If this is you, and you don’t have time to figure out how to make food work for your busy lifestyle, Nerd Fitness has a pretty sweet 1-on-1 Coaching Program to create custom solutions for each client that fits their life!

You can schedule a free call with our team to learn more by clicking on the image below!

Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Need some help figuring out what all this will actually look like on a plate?

After all, just having a list of foods is like having the ingredients of a cake. It’s definitely not the same as having a cake.

Sorry for making you think about cake. I’ll go do 10 push-ups as punishment.

And I’m back.

Because I like you as a person, I did some research and found some super simple recipes for the “standard” Mediterranean Diet:

Arugula salad with chicken

Avocado hummus

Egg and Brown Rice Breakfast Bowl

Pasta with Tuna and Tomatoes

Tomatoes Stuffed with Peanut Quinoa

If you are an overachiever, here are some recipes for the Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet:

Greek Shrimp Salad

Greek Fish Foil Packets

Rosemary Roasted Brussel Sprouts

That should get you started.

If you have other favorite recipes or resources, leave a comment below so I can add them here to this list!

Other Key Reasons Why Mediterranean People Live Longer

So far in this article, we’ve only focused on what to eat. Which is logical, because the Mediterranean Diet is first and foremost an eating regiment.

Whether you live in midwestern Ohio or Timbuktu, you can mimic the nutritional strategies of a centenarian Mediterranean (a 100 year old Mediterranean woman!) thanks to global markets.

However, I’d be an idiot if I didn’t also mention all the other lifestyle benefits certain Mediterranean people have that ALSO factor into their longevity:

Meal time as a social event. In a traditional Mediterranean household, friends and family come together over food as an experience. This allows conversation to integrate into the meal, which extends the amount of time spent consuming food. The faster you scarf down food, the more of an insulin response you’ll create, and the more likely you’ll be to overeat when more food is available[10]. It takes your body time to realize it’s full, which happens too late when you are scarfing down food mindlessly in front of a screen.

Smaller servings. When comparing Western meals to those of Europe, one thing becomes plainly obvious in most situations: we tend to eat more food than our friends across the pond. Our plates are bigger and our servings are larger. And all other things being equal, the bigger the portion placed in front of you, the more you’ll probably eat[10]. Want to eat less to help drop some body fat? Eat smaller servings by using smaller plates! You can trick your brain into eating less food. Here’s the study where they demonstrated just that[11]. Boom, science.

Move naturally. Think of life in the Greek islands back in 1950s – how many of these people spent an hour in a car commuting to a desk job where they worked 60 hours a week? Probably not many! Instead, it was a LOT more walking and local living. You can replicate this by spending more time walking and less time sitting! Every step starts to add up to a lot of physical activity. Plus, wine can add to spontaneous dancing like Zorba the Greek (seriously, the next section is about wine, you’re almost there).

Take a nap. It’s not uncommon for people in the Mediterranean to take a nap after lunch. This could help with their waistline. I know this is common knowledge, but getting plenty of sleep is important in your weight loss journey. Lack of shuteye has been shown to interfere with insulin responses after meals[12]. That’s right, you could be eating well, but still wreak havoc on your blood sugar by sleeping poorly.

Okay. You made it.

I’m proud of you.

You waited patiently, through this whole article and now we are at….

Can I drink wine and alcohol on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yes, you can enjoy a little wine on the Mediterranean Diet.

Hip hip hooray!

But seriously, let’s chat about this because I too enjoy adult beverages.

Drinking wine is customary throughout the Mediterranean: it’s served during dinner, to be paired with food and to encourage good conversation. Is it the wine itself that leads to better health? Or does wine add to the experience of dinner, creating an event to be remembered?

(It’s totally the latter.)

Real talk on alcohol: so many people consume alcohol that any diet that says “you cannot drink any alcohol ever” is doomed and nobody would stick with it. So in this made-up diet that claims to mimic old ways of eating, it recommends consuming wine in moderation.

I see this in every diet:

Paleo dieters drink tequila.

Keto dieters drink whiskey.

And Mediterranean dieters drink red wine.

We’ve talked about alcohol extensively here at Nerd Fitness, and one of our preferred drink recommendations is red wine. As long as you are keeping your calorie consumption under control, occasionally enjoying adult beverages can be part of your strategy.

We cool? Cool.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Mediterranean Diet

1) “Steve, I had a grand father who grew up on the Mediterranean and he ate differently than this. Henceforth, this diet is null and void. GOOD DAY, SIR.”

Okay that’s not really a question. And kind of rude. But I’ll address it. I want to stress again that the Mediterranean Diet may or may not be exactly what people in the Mediterranean back in the 1950s actually ate.

And I also want to stress again that it DOESN’T matter!

We only care about results, and that comes from permanent changes to somebody’s relationship and decision making with food.

So if the idea of “Eating like a Mediterranean person” makes sense to you, great!

And if your grandfather ate differently, great! Eat like him and let me know how it goes!

2) “Steve, Italy is on the mediterranean. Pasta and pizza come from from Italy. So I can stuff my face with pasta and I’m gonna lose weight and be really good looking, right?”

Solid question. Sure. Consume whole grain pasta while on the Mediterranean Diet, but do so in a MUCH smaller quantity than you’re used to consuming if you are trying to lose weight.

Pasta is generally a side dish in the Mediterranean. It won’t be served to you in a huge giant bowl like it is in the United States. If you do decide to eat things like pasta, do what they do in the Mediterranean, and use it to complement a dish, not BE the dish.

3) “What’s up with goat milk?”

Goats are badasses in the Mediterranean, with their ability to travel over rocky terrain. Sorry cows, step up your game. This explains why goat dairy is quite common in the Mediterranean.

If you are deciding to consume dairy, a goat might be your new friend[13]. The milk generally contains more fat than from a cow, which fits into our SKMD strategy. Also less lactose, ie sugar. Structurally, some people have an easier time processing goat’s milk than traditional dairy.

Granted, some people find the flavor of goat’s milk off and don’t like it. But Steve can only solve so many problems. I try.

4) “Will olive oil make me live forever? The future is gonna be rad.”

Yes. It will also give you superpowers. Okay, not really. But extra virgin olive oil is great. It’s my go to for salads. Add in some vinegar and you’re crushing it in the “flavorful, healthy salad” department.

However, I don’t think it’s the secret ingredient of the Mediterranean Diet. Most praise of olive oil comes from the fact that in contains no saturated fat. Which is one of the main reasons the Mediterranean Diet became so popular. But it’s still very high in calories, so pouring tons of healthy olive oil on everything could be the reason why you’re not losing any weight!

I personally enjoy and use olive oil, grass fed butter, and/or coconut oil depending on the meal. So, if you love olive oil and put it on everything, great. Just know that it won’t do your laundry, wash your dishes, or tuck you in at night. Or make you live forever. It’s oil from olives.

5) “Steve, can I use canola oil instead of olive oil?”

Despite what other sites suggest with the Mediterranean Diet, I would advise minimizing canola oil consumption and seek out other solutions where possible. Canola oil is a vegetable oil mostly derived from rapeseed, it’s often heavily processed, and actually creates a small amount of trans fat. Bad news bears. If you need a substitute for olive oil, go with avocado or coconut oil.

6) “Do I HAVE to eat seafood? I don’t enjoy the taste of fish, and I believe that “fish are friends, not food.”

I get it. Fish isn’t for everyone. I actually don’t like fish myself, despite growing up in a fishing town on Cape Cod.

I know, sacriligious.

No, you do not need to eat fish to follow the Mediterranean Diet. The reason seafood is recommended on the Mediterranean Diet is because it’s generally low in saturated fat and plentiful in that region. But again, I’m not a big supporter of reducing saturated fat intake at all costs. So if consuming fish makes you gag, don’t torture yourself. Stick with chicken or turkey. Or…

7) “Should I really limit red meat on the Mediterranean Diet?”

I may be summoning the wrath of the Mediterranean gods with this one (forgive me Zeus), but limiting red meat may be a goal without merit. I know. I can see the clouds and lighting bolts forming now.

But as Rule #8 of the Rebellion states, question everything. Even “wisdom” from the old countries.

And that includes the conventional wisdom of limiting red meat. Yes, I remember that Harvard study that says red meat causes cancer, and I disagree with the fear-mongering that resulted [13].

If you do decide to partake, go with good quality sources for your red meat (grass fed wherever possible).

Also, as we’ve mentioned earlier, diet differs quite a bit throughout the Mediterranean, and meat can actually be pretty prominent in the form of lamb, goat, and beef. Even pork. Again, the Mediterranean Diet as opposed to what people in the Mediterranean actually eat.

So be true to yourself and do what feels right for you.

My advice: everything in moderation. Including moderation.

However, I apologize in advance if you get struck by lighting after eating lamb chops.

Resources to help you start the Mediterranean Diet

You’re convinced you want to start the Mediterranean Diet today – congratulations!

Need more help?

William Willett, who helped create the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid I showed above, has a book where he lays out all his thoughts on why the diet works. Check out Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy for his argument.

The organization Oldways is more or less responsible for the modern way we understand the Mediterranean Diet, and you’ll never run out of their recipes. I’m still not entirely convinced the organization doesn’t solely exist to sell more olive oil, but that could be paranoid Steve being paranoid. Let me adjust my tinfoil hat…

Also, I’d be remiss not to mention our own Nerd Fitness Academy. 6+ months of at-home workout routines, a whole nutrition model, and a mindset model to help you make sense of everything. If you’ve never stepped foot in a kitchen outside of grabbing milk from the fridge to drink out of the jug, we’ll help!

And if you’re just looking for basic nutritional guidance, we have a free 10-level nutritional blueprint that you can download, print, stick on your fridge, and start leveling up right now.

You can get it when join our Rebellion mailing list below:

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Want To Try the Mediterranean Diet? Here is your mission

Just in case you skipped to the end of this article, or you’re looking for a quick recap, I hear you.

Pros of the Mediterranean Diet.

A focus on REAL food. All of the recommended food choices of the Mediterranean Diet are minimally processed. This is most of the battle on the war on diet. If you minimized the processed food on your plate, you’d be doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to healthy eating.

Plenty of veggies, fruit. Eating vegetables is the least controversial recommendation on diet that has ever existed. No one questions the advice. This is less true on fruit, but come on. If all the sugar in your diet came from fruit, you’d be in rockstar mode.

Lots of healthy fats. The Mediterranean Diet is not a low fat diet. This is great. You need fat in your diet. Olive oil and fish are a great way to get there.

Cons of the Mediterranean Diet:

Saturated fat may be limited unnecessarily. Without saturated fat, there’s really only a handful of sources left to get fat intake. Granted, as addressed a few sentences ago, fish and olive oil are solid choices. But still, meals will need to be quickly rotated without saturated fat as an option.

Grains, even whole, might not be the greatest idea for some. They are high in calories and can derail even the best laid plans, so only eat if it fits your goals and lifestyle. 

Dairy isn’t exactly a homerun if you over consume. Like I mentioned earlier, not everyone handles dairy well, it can contain plenty of lactose (sugar), and calories.

Doesn’t address portion size or calorie amounts. People can DEFINITELY gain weight on the Mediterranean Diet if they eat 5000 calories worth of pasta each day. You have to be smart about portion sizes and not just eat all day every day (which is true of every diet).

It doesn’t address overall lifestyle changes or human psychology. We all know we need to eat healthier – the problem is actually sticking with it! So having a list of food to eat is great. But learning how to make it fit into your lifestyle is even more important.

If you have been nodding your head at the Mediterranean Diet and are planning on going all in with it – you have my permission!

If you are already eating a keto or paleo-ish diet and were wondering if you should switch to this diet, I’d only suggest it if you were struggling with compliance, not losing weight, and not getting results.

YOUR MISSION THIS WEEK: cook a Mediterranean meal for a friend or loved one this week, and make the dinner an event!

Send them this article and explain that Steve gave you direct marching orders to make a meal for a friend or loved one. Together, you can complete this mission. You can even have a little wine if it suits you. And make a toast. OPA!

I suggest making the Avocado Hummus referenced earlier. It’s seriously just cutting up three ingredients, adding lemon juice and olive oil and mixing them in a bowl. Serve them with whole grain pita chips, or sliced veggies if I scared you off grains forever.

If all of this is overwhelming, or you need help on making better food choices, you are not alone!

Like I said earlier, we have a community of people who are busy and looking to live better, and a whole team dedicated to helping those people!If you just want to be told what to do, and want help staying accountable, consider checking out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program if you want to take it to the next level.

You schedule a free call with our team to see how we can create a custom workout program and nutritional guidance for your specific situation by clicking on the button below!

So let’s hear from you: After you’ve completed your mission, leave a comment below and I’ll buy you a plane ticket to Santorini. Okay not really. But I will give you a high five if we ever meet on a fishing boat off of Crete. Deal?!

If you started the habit of cooking for company, you’d make Steve a happy camper.

Let me know if you have any more questions, and I hope you can get started on your Mediterranean lifestyle today.

Now pass me the corkscrew!

-Steve

PS: I want to give a shoutout to Nina Teicholz and her book The Big Fat Surprise, whose chapter “Selling the Mediterranean Diet” served as a reference for this post.

ALL Photos Sources can be found in this footnote here[14].

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

Yeah, I know the US News isn’t a scientific journal, but we’re dealing with reality here folks. Here’s the link to the best overall, and here’s the link for “easiest to follow.”

Here’s the link to Fitness Magazine

Here’s the link to WedMD

Here’s one study on the reduced risk of heart attack, and here’s another

Here’s the link to the dementia study

Here’s the link to the Omega-3 study

Here’s the link to the free radical study

Here’s the links to the fatty liver disease and the metabolic syndrome studies

Here’s the links to the weight loss and the waist circumference studies

Here’s the link to the insulin study

Here’s the link to the serving size study

Here’s the link to the smaller plates 

Here’s the link to the study on sleep

Seriously email me if you develop a friendship with a goat

If you’re curious, this article takes a closer look at that study in a way that I trust and respect

Photo: lego shark, Italian coast, lego scientist, mediterranean dish, bear lego, time to lose weight, Arugula Salad with Chicken, lego newspaper, bird with fish, avocado pasta,  greece, red wine, green hoodie lego, goat, bank robbers, mediterranean coast

The Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet published first on https://www.nerdfitness.com

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""(new driver) quoted 3600 /year for insurance, do they really expect me to pay that? lol?""

past my driving test about a month ago now, im insured on a family member's car as a 2nd temp driver which is pretty cheap but its short term insurance, im driving this car just fot more experience, i want to buy a Vauxhall Astra in about 2months and i did a check on the insurance and got a quote, heres the details 3,645.42 Instalments Deposit: 769.08 Monthly: 11 x 318.15 Total: 4,268.73 Do they really expect me to pay that? Im employed full time, i earn about 1000 a month, if i get the astra (on finance) thats about 200 /month for the car, 300 /month insurance, 80 /month parking and not to mention petrol, lets say 60 a month, Its way too much, MY QUESTION, Is there any other insurance options for me?""

17 Year Old Car Insurance?

Hi, I'm 17 male - just wanted to know how much would the insurances be if i bought a 1.2car""

I am 55 yrs old.Have lost my husband.Can I be covered under my daughter's health insurance thru her job?

I am 55 yrs old.Have lost my husband.Can I be covered under my daughter's health insurance thru her job?

Where i can get car insurance groups explain?

Where i can get car insurance groups explain?

Double up on individual health insurance?

Can you have more than one Health Insurance Plan for your self? I have to buy my own insurance, but even the best individual insurance is crappy and I wanted to now if people ever buy two insurance plans? The insurance i have now only lets me see the doctor twice a year. If I got another insurance plan would it pick up where the other left off?""

Why can't I change my health insurance plan?

I tried calling my health insurance this morning to change to a better plan (Blue Shield) and they won't let me. Why is this? They aren't the ones paying the monthly payment, copays etc.""

""Planned Parenthood, No insurance?""

What are the chances that if My girlfriend and I were to go to Planned Parenthood, and we both don't have insurance, and are under 18, we'd get some tests and things free or covered? Her family is both parents and 3 kids, but she doesn't know their income. And my family is just my mom and 3 kids. We want to know if Pregnancy tests, birth control, and maybe even Abortion could be possibly free. Please don't freak out that I threw abortion in there, it's only in the worse case scenario, and I want to know just in case, please don't go off on me, and please, just answer my question. Please and thanks. We're in california btw, for those who need that info.""

Whats the cheepest car on insurance for a 17 year old and how much?

whats the cheepest car on insurance for a 17 year old and how much

Car insurance Help for a 17 year old?

OK i'm not a troll to start off with i'm just have good bit of money, anyways i i'm 17 and i live in Ireland i have 7.500 euros to spent on my first car and car insurance anyways this is the car i want http://www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/Celica/1.8-VVTI/201203206625052/advert?channel=CARS so do u know a car insurance that would insure me and i can go up to 15.000 euros if need to""

Should everyone be required to buy healthcare insurance?

I say no. What if I can afford it? It should not be required but it should be AFFORDABLE!

Does any body know what is going on with Obama and the whole health insurance thing?

Okay so I live in California. I am young and can't afford health insurance rite now. Does any one know if Obama is going to follow through with this whole health insurance thing. If so when is it supposed to kick in? And how will it work exactly? Will every body have free health insurance? Some one please explain this becuase I am realy confused.

Motorcyle insurance ?

I just wanted to see what riders ages 17 between 21 pay for a year and for what kind of coverage with what kind of bike, and what insurance company people go with. also if you have taken an msf course or not.""

My daughters car insurance has more than doubled because she got 9 penalty points in the last year. she wants ?

me to get insurance on her car and then get her put on that insurance. if she gets more points while she is under my insurance would that affect the price of the insurance on my own cars or would only if she caused an accident make my insurance go up. i could get a years insurance on her car for less than the price of 1 monthly installment she would have to pay for her own insurance. what do you think. if she gets 3 more points she will be disqualified from driving . if that happened while she was on my insurance would that put my insurance prices up even though she would be off my insurance if she did get disqualified. what i have wrote might not make sense. i want to know if i do this for her and she gets disqualified while being on my insurance would that put my insurance prices up for all my cars or what or would it only effect my insurance if she causes an accident. while shes on my insurance. * 41 minutes ago * - 3 days left to answer. Additional Details 40 minutes ago we live in the UK. sorry this is very long i found it hard to write what i was really trying to ask. 33 minutes ago i know if she causes an accident while she is on my insurance ot would effect how much my insurance costs but if she was to get disqualified while she is on my insurance would that effect me inurances oin anyway. if she gets disqualified then she wont be on my insurance anymore. 14 minutes ago only 3 of her penalty points are for speeding. she told me the other 6 points are because there was a mix up with her insurance last time and she was uninured for 4 days and was caught by the police. she got 6 points for that in court a few months ago. she said she that she had phoned them and accepted the policy they sent her to renew it and thought it would continue automatically but she hadnt been to the office to sign for it so she got caught for that. she was only uninsured for 4 days because of her mistake that time. sorry if you already answerd this but i put it on US yahoo answers by a mistake and it didnt show up in UK yahoo answers so i needed answers from people who knows about car insurance in the UK

Can other people drive my car with my insurance?

I am going on a road trip with a friend but I don't want to drive the whole way. I have AAA insurance, will it cover my friend if she drives my car part of the way? She has state farm insurance if that makes any difference.""

Approximately how much does malpractice insurance cost for a Psychiatrist?

Just wondering about the average annual, or monthly, cost for the insurance. If anyone has a specific number for the state of Florida, that would be much appreciated as well.""

Average insurance price for a Speedfight 2 (16 year old male) ?

could anyone please tell me the average insurance price for a Peugeot Speedfight 2 red wrc 50cc moped 2006 ---- for 16 year old male, no modifications just 3rd party, locked up at night with the cheapest price?? any help/info is helpful -- thanks alot :)""

Should I file a claim with my car insurance or pay out of pocket?

I am making payments on my car and currently have full coverage car insurance. About a week ago, I was driving my car on the freeway. It had been raining earlier that morning. A car beside me switched lanes in front of me suddenly. (She did not hit my car) but she caused me to loose control, my car hydroplaned spun out and hit the center divder on the freeway. No other cars hit me. My car has damage to the tire, rim and the right rear of my car from the back door to the bumper has scrathes and damage. I did not file a claim at first because the cost of my insurance is already $108 (because of a ticket) and I did not want it tod go up. But after paying to replace the tire, the rim and some other issues with the axile for $606....and the tow service which was $125; I'd like to know if any one has an idea of which would be more beneficial. Should I pay the $1000 deductible and have my car fixed through the insurance company, even though my monthly payments will increase? Or should I just continue the repairs out of pocket?""

State funded autk insurance for low income?

just wondering if there is a texas program for low income disabled people to get auto insurance coverage

Affordable Dental Insurance in NY?

I live in Queens NY and I have no dental insurance. My mother works but she doesn't make a good amount and my father is unemployed. She has medical insurance, Aetna, but it doesn't cover dental and I need to have 1 stupid root canal done and it will cost 2000 w/o insurance. Anybody, I need help. I am also a student in college, so any help, I really need it.""

""Geico Car Insurance, help? what do i do?""

Hey guys, my parents have three cars and all have geico insurance, but we're about to be out of country for a month or two and not even going to be using the cars for one or two months.. Is there a way that we can cancel/pause the insurance, so we won't have to pay insurance for a month. I mean we're not even gonna be using the cars, so were losing 1,200 dollars for absolutely nothing.. And if you can, can you explain it or just give me a link? thanks""

18 Year Old Male's Car Insurance?

Hi, I passed my driving test in September 2010. I've been looking at insurance quotes for small run arounds like Renault Clios, Vauxhall Corsa's, Volkswagen Polo's etc but cant find anything lower than 6000, and thats without evening paying another 1400 for the car itself ! I've been thinking about getting insured on my dads Toyota Corolla, its a 1.4 diesel hatchback and he's had his license for 30 years and his premium is 400. If i were to get insured on it the price would be 2500, do you think thats worth it or is it better to shop around and get insured on my own name ? I just want to use the car now and then rather than using it regularly because i dont really need to right now..""

Car insurance before buying a car?

I live in Pennsylvania and am new to car buying. Do I need to have car insurance before buying a car from a dealer? And if yes, then would I be able to buy the car immediately after getting the insurance?""

insurance quote intact

insurance quote intact

How long will car insurance...?

I'm a learner driver and have my driving test today.If i pass my test, how long will it take for my learner driver insurance to finish after i cancel it for me to start another insurance policy?""

My auto insurance is almost $400?!?

Ok, I am a 21 year old female and I just bought MY first car. I got a 2012 Ford Focus. I've had 2 speeding tickets since I got my license years ago. Well once we got the car I got my own insurance as well. The lady told me it would be $380 a month for my insurance?! That's more than my car payment. I'm having a feeling that this is a little outrageous and I need some opinions on this. Thanks!""

Is there a time frame for insurance company's to issue check after vehical has been declared a total loss?

I live in California, and on July 17th my street bike was stolen(only means of transportation) i promptly filed a police report and claim.Here it is Late october and i am still bumming a ride and taking public transportation to work.I have been told 10 business days by my insurance adjuster(his reply to when i will get paid off) for the last 2 1/2 months.Is there a way i can check if he is telling the truth this time?Are there any laws that make an insurance claim be paid off in a reasonable amount of time?sorry if this comes across as a rant and not a question lol i am at my wits end.""

How to get cheap car insurance?

Hi guys, i really need your a good and effectivr advice about this, please if you know something that would help post it here! Im 20 year old, have a car Peugeot 206 1.1 litre - cheap market value (1000ish). I live in London. Since 17 years old im looking for insurance - unsuccessfully. The best quote i get is 4000ish. I have no criminal record, no accidents no claims - nothing! And im fed up with so many people driving at my age and I cant- i just dont understand why exactly mine is so bloody expensive! Ive tried every variation just to see what im missing - pass plus for example only helps to the extent of 100. Its just crazy - 3 years and i still cant drive - what the hell is wrong with this - home come everyone is showing off by how cheap insurance they have and i cant get anything? Whats the secret? Ive tried every combination - me as the main driver/named driver/owner/just user etc. cheapest is 4,000!! Whats wrong with me? Anybody knows whats the trick, how to solve this issue? Thanks!""

How much do most people pay per month for life insurance?

How much do most people pay per month for life insurance?

Cost of insurance for minor with acura rsx-s?

oh fyi I am not trying to get my own insurance plan I am adding on to my family's

Blue Cross/Shield health insurance?

Is this Insurance corporation a good one or a bad one to have as a health care plan?

Where can I find affordable health insurance in the state of New York?

Where can I find affordable health insurance in the state of New York?

What happens if I'm driving someone else's car and it doesnt have insurance?

I have insurance but the car I was in doesn't. Is there a way out of this?

Can your parents pay your car insurance?

Keep in mind, they don't have a car!! I know i sounds crazy""

Renters insurance?????

My landlord is asking me to get insurance for my dog but its not for like health and stuff its for something else. She told me about renters insurance. And i don't know what to do. Plz help

Is car insurance cheaper for used cars than new?

I hear a lot that when getting you're first car that you're supposed to buy a used car and not a new car because auto-insurance is going to be cheaper. Is there any truth behind this?

Insurance on a 1998 Toyota Camry 16 y/old about to be 17?

Ok so i need your help. I am 16 years old and about to be 17 im going back to the u.s. and have a old 1998 toyota camry waiting for me (btw yuck) ok and my parents said to drive this until my insurance lowers and theyll get me a new car by graduation which is next june. So my question is how much do you think my insurance will be? Its a fairly old car and not in a good condition and i have had 1 accident which was pretty big but not completly my fault like 60%

Car insurance in Florida?

Do i need to have a Florida license in order to have car insurance for a car registered in Florida?

Would insurance be cheaper then normal for this car?

Would insurance be cheaper then normal for this car, its a 1993 ford mustang 4 cylinder auto, because its old and a auto 4 cylinder? Plan is to insure it with the auto four banger in it, then do an engine swap imported v6 turbo, with manual transmission, new drive shaft, differential, exhaust, etc.. what they don't know.. they don't know lol""

Who provides cheap car insurance for young people?

I am 19 (nearly 20) and live in Leeds. I have a 2002 1.6 ford focus valued around 4000.00. My insurance at the mo is with Quinn and only 3rd party fire and theft and is 85.00 per month. I have 2 years no claims and want fully comp. Anyone got any idea's where I can get it cheaper? The price comparison sites aren't helping that much, any ideas?""

How much does insurance cost for a gas station in NH?

If I was to open up a gas station in NH how much would the insurance cost per month or year? Assuming I had an average amount of coverage and was running it as an LLC.

How much is insurance on a Chevy Camaro?

I'm 20, ill be on the car by myself.the camaro is a 1998, and in great condition.""

Insurance company denies the damages?

my car has been involved in an rear end crash and the insurance company of the other party denies some of the damages , that are actually done because of the accident. the auto body shop gave me an estimate of 4 to 5 000 $ . my car doesnot cost that much . the insurance company is offering only 633 $ and disagrees with me to total the car . there was no damage prior to the accident made to the car on the rear end side. they argue that the other car that hit me does not have even a dent then how come my car have this much damages. i know that my car did not had n e damage on the rear before the accidednt. based on the automobile source they think that the actual cash value of the car is 1900 , and they have didcted all other damges , that are not because of an accident. please guide me what i should do in this case.""

I need a cheap insurance company.?

My friends problem: Well my mom decides that im not going under her insurance today, meaning I have 4 days to find a cheap insurance company and get my car insured. If anyone could tell me what they drive and how much they pay and what company it would be greatly appreciated.""

Wht car insurance is better for full coverage and cheaper..... ?

car insurance help....

Looking for an insurance company to insure me using VIN/chassis number?

I have bought a beeline Veloce GT50 49cc scooter (still in shop till insured) i cant get plates on it until i give them my insurance documents but im finding it hard to get an insurer to insure me online using the VIN Number / Chassis Number. so im stuck in a loop. no bike untill insurance is had and no insurance untill licence plate number is inserted onto online forms. This is for uk provisional so no answers from outside of uk please. thanks

Is Future Generali(Future group) insurance good?

Hi, I am planning to take a life insurance policy, can I go for Future group's new venture Future Generali or is it safe to go with LIC.Kindly suggest me on the basis of how good they're in Service, and claims. Thanks, Jagadish""

Do I have to make a down payment on my auto insurance?

I am going to get insurance through State Farm and I was wondering if I will have to make a down payment on the insurance and if I do how much will it be?

Which auto insurance do you recommend?

I had a Scion XA 2006 and I just got a MINI Cooper 2007. I was insured under my parents insurance at AAA but with the change of cars our insurance would increase twice as much. I'm going to leave their policy and open my own. I'm 22 and I'm a full time student (GPA 3.5), which insurance do you recommend? I have road side assistance with AAA.""

insurance quote intact

insurance quote intact

How much is teen car insurance?

Im 16 and get my license next month. my parents are asking i pay car insurance so im looking for a rough estimate of what it would cost if i have my own car or not. im a girl with straight As and I've never been in any legal trouble. thanks!

""If I buy a car and plan to restore, is car insurance usually alot cheaper? Can I still drive it occasionally?""

I am planning on buying a 84 blazer and fixing it up, it runs and stuff, so I can a discount on insurance if I plan on restoring it?""

How much car insurance ?

Hi, i am a 17 year old. i am wondering how much could i realistically expect to pay for insurance on a Infiniti G35.. i understand it will be high.. but i will have a job , so im trying to play with the numbers to see if i can handle it. how much would it be a month? i understand the affects i have on it. 17 sports car foriegn car Male but i have a 3.0 gpa took drivers education. apparently these raise and the others deduct. how much could i realistically expect to pay a month.""

17 and HIP insurance?

Im 17 and I need some type of health insurance because my parents dont carry on me. My mom is applying again for HIP health insurance because she missed her reevaluation. So can I apply for HIP health insurance? thanks!

What if I don't want to have Obama's health insurance or any health insurance?

I have had health insurance through my employer for the past 10 years. It covers everyone in my family and I pay about $70 a month for it. It's very affordable and I hope to keep ...show more

How much do you guys pay for Honda S2000 car insurance?

I got a quote for 490 for 6 months. Full coverage from state farm for a 04 Honda s2000. Is this good?

How can I get car insurance?

I just turned 18, i'm going off too college but I have a stable part time job. I make about 500-800$ with a car payment of 300$ And i want to buy a policy for myself. Before i look into that I wanna know about how much should I expect to pay extra monthly?""

How much will my second speeding ticket make my insurance rates go up?

I received a speeding ticket in January for 90 in a 70 (I-5 on my way down to San Diego), and today I received another ticket for 86 in a 65 on Freeway 85 in Cupertino. The first ticket is being taken care of with traffic school right now, and since I can't go to traffic school again so soon I'm assuming the 2nd ticket will increase my insurance rates. Does anyone know how much they will increase? I'm 21 and am on my parents' insurance (USAA) because I'm in college, but I will be paying whatever the difference in premium is so I'm trying to get an idea of what the damage is here. Also, I know I messed up, so no need to tell me in the answers. I thought I'd learned my lesson after the first ticket but apparently I still haven't, so at this point I'm just afraid to get into a car.""

""What would insurance be for a 16 year old white male, clean driving record, good grades, and would be driving?""

What would insurance be for a 16 year old white male, clean driving record, good grades, and would be driving a 2000 Chrysler Sebring Limited? What if he got his parents to put it under there insurance that they were full time drivers, and he is a part time driver?""

What would insurance be for me with this car?

2004 nissan sentra se-r, silver, 4 door, manual transmission. I'm 17 years old and would drive the car to work and school about 5 days a week. I have never gotten a ticket or been in an accident.""

Whys my insurance suddenly so high?

right ive just turned 17 and yes i know blah blah blah but what ive been doing is on gocompare just looking for possible cars on ebay then checking the insurance to find the cheapest ones. now iv managed to go from over three grand to cars which were about 1800 but then today every single car iv check was over 3k even cars yesterday quoted 1800 i also noticed that elephant and admiral used to be the cheapest by thousands but now they dont cover me and when i went to admiral direct they quoted 4k i havent changed any details any ideas why this is :)

Which is the best homeowners insurance?

i live in california and im getting a home and now i need home insurance which is the best thanks

What is the most affordable life and health ?

What is the most affordable life and health ?

What is the cheapest car insurance company?

What is the cheapest car insurance company?

""Wat types of car insurances are there for a 18 year old in Canada, how much do they cost?""

Wat types of car insurances are there for a 18 year old in Canada, how much do they cost?""

What is the average employee portion of a health insurance policy?

What percentage of the health insurance costs do most companies cover (I recognize that this can vary greatly, but I am looking for general numbers)? For Cigna - what is the average monthly cost for a family consisting of parents and one child (likewise, I recognize that this can vary greatly - I am just trying to get a ballpark figure)? I ask these as my current employer (250+ people) is offering Cigna insurance for about $750 a month which covers my wife, myself and my daughter. They claim to be covering 50% of the health insurance plan, but I am having a hard time buying the explanation that health insurance is just expensive...especially as my sister and brother are paying $50-70 a month for individual insurance. I do not want to have to go and get a quote somewhere and can not find a site that has general information like this - any thoughts, advice, sources of information would be welcome!""

Is my son even covered under our car insurance?

My 21 year old son not only is no longer in college he also got married 3 months ago. I have not canceled him from our multi-car policy, I guess just so he will have car insurance (liability, required in our state), but I know he was supposed to be removed when he got married, as he is no longer in our household. I also would like to remove him so I can benefit from a lower premium. He keeps saying he can't afford it, so I keep paying the bill each month, that includes his car on it. I guess I am asking if he got into an accident would the insurance even be good, as he isn't even living in our house and he's married. I may have wasted my money these last 3 months anyway, but don't want him to get caught with what appears to be uninsured, without a valid insurance card in the glove box.""

What characteristics in a car make the insurance lower?

i am 19 year old male in Ontario buying my first car. and insurance prices are REALLY HIGH! i was just wondering when picking out a car, what i should be looking for that will result in less costlier insurance rates. for ex: certain makes? year? THANKS! also if you have any tips for me, that would be much appreciated!""

Classic mustang AAA insurance?

How much does it cost (annually or monthly) to insure a classic mustang (1964-1972) with AAA?

Car insurance question?

I am 16 years old and I will be getting my liscence soon. I am really excited to be able to drive and not to the bus to clas anymore and be able to meet my friends whenever but my parents are making me pay car insurance on my own and they will get me a car. Probably a toyota or something like that. How much will it cost I do have a good amount already saved up but i would like to get an idea of how much it will cost me thanks

Auto Insurance Coverage - How much coverage should I buy?

Next week, I'll be switching to another auto insurance. My previous limits with another company were: -minimum MD state 20/40/15 for Bodily Injury, Uninsured Motorist, and property damage -PIP $2500 -250/500 for Comprehensive/Collision, had road service, towing, and rental. I don't have many assets. I'm a renter and I live from paycheck to paycheck. I have no accidents, no tickets, and no violations for the last 8 years. I'm a cautious driver. I drive a 2003 Honda Civic. The new insurance company is offering me $759/year for the limits 100/300/100 Bodily Injury Liability and matching for Uninsured Motorist + Property Damage, 250/500 for Comp/Coll, road service, towing, and rentals, PIP 2500. I've seen different answers that say 100/300/100 would be better for those who own a house and have a better income. What do you think is a recommended coverage going?""

What kind of car has cheap insurance?

What kind of car has cheap insurance?

Which company has the best insurance leads?

Which company has the best insurance leads?

Does anyone know exactly what Car Insurance Quote is?

I just can't find the right answer on Google. Please help me if u know...This is really urgent...Thanks a lot.

Why do sompanies like State Farm require you to pass a credit check?

What are they looking for because I do have a few things like a medical bill here and there but nothing more than 5,000 total""

insurance quote intact

insurance quote intact

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/auto-insurance-claims-isaiah-mcgee-1/"

[lindafrancois]

The Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet

If there was a high school yearbook of diets, The Mediterranean Diet would certainly win “most popular:”

U.S. News tied it #1 in their “Best Overall Diet” category.

They also ranked it #1 in the “Easiest Diet to Follow” race[1].

Fitness Magazine calls it the “The World’s Healthiest Diet” [2].

WebMD flat out said they “love” the Mediterranean Diet [3].

As far as mainstream media goes, you can’t get much better coverage than that.

Impressive? Absolutely.

Accurate? Maybe.

Here at Nerd Fitness, we love nothing better than digging into popular trends to give you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And lego photos and cute animal gifs.

So you’re here full of questions, which I bet go something like:

Steve, what is the Mediterranean Diet?

Can I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Why is this Diet so popular?

Can I do the Mediterranean Diet wrong?

Can I eat pasta and pizza on the Mediterranean Diet?

Will you buy me a plane ticket to Santorini?

These are all great questions (though maybe not the last one), and I have no doubt I can help you make sense of this and start changing your nutrition today.

Let’s get weird.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is a way of life that involves eating real food: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans), some fish, and a whole lotta “healthy” fat. Plus a little red wine.

It gets its name from a few key countries on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and studying the dietary patterns of the people who live long lives in that area.

When experts discuss the Mediterranean Diet, the words “heart-healthy” will almost certainly be attached. It’s the reason the Mediterranean Diet shines like a crazy diamond, because who DOESN’T want a healthy heart?

So why does this diet make your heart healthy, and why do people tend to lose weight on it?

Simple: Every item listed above falls into the REAL food category. When I say real food, I mean stuff that came from the ground, grew on a tree, grazed on a field, flew through the air, or swam in the water.

Here’s another way to put it: If your great grandma from the old country wouldn’t recognize it as food, it probably doesn’t fit into the Mediterranean Diet.

Sorry Pop-Tarts, Big Macs, and Coca-Cola.

Logically, the reason this diet gets good grades makes sense. Of COURSE a diet composed of REAL food like the Mediterranean Diet would have REAL health benefits.

And those benefits are awesome! The diet has been linked to a plethora of benefits, including a reduced risk of heart attack[4], and even the retention of cognitive abilities to help stave off dementia[5].

At this point you might be wondering:

“Steve, I like the cut of your jib, and this diet sounds pretty good. So, just eat real food, got it. But what about all these benefits I hear about olive oil? And I thought pasta was unhealthy. That’s a crucial part of the Mediterranean Diet too, right? Tell me more.”

I got you, boo.

Where did the Mediterranean Diet Come From?

Believe it or not, this diet wasn’t created by a goat herder in the Greek countryside.

It was actually theorized  by an American scientist back in the 50s, and started gaining popularity in the 90s.

Have you heard the name, Ancel Keys?

He’s a doctor from back in the day (think 1950s) often credited with popularizing the idea that saturated fat leads to deadly heart attacks, a la high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. We went in-depth on this very controversial subject in “A Beginner’s Guide to Cholesterol,” so I won’t rehash it here.

The reason I bring Keys up is because he was one of the early founders of the Mediterranean Diet.

Keys formulated this diet after pouring over data and research and identified that people in Greece and Italy statistically lived longer than other populations he studied. Farmers working until the age of 100 wasn’t uncommon on the Greek island of Crete.

So what was the big secret?

Are the people of Crete actual descendants of Atlantis with special DNA and olive oil running through their veins?

Not really.

Keys noted these Mediterraneans had low saturated fat intake, getting fat instead from olives and fresh fish. He also noted low instances of heart disease, and thus declared something like, “low saturated fat consumption causes fewer instances of heart disease and leads to a longer life.”

Now, if you’re a nerd like me, you are hopefully aware that “correlation does not prove causation,” that even though two variables are correlated, it doesn’t mean that one causes the other.

But it was a great story, backed up by logically sounding data from an accomplished researcher, and the hypothesis became “fact.” Thus, the hypothesis of the “Mediterranean Diet equals long life” continued to gain steam, and Keys work went on to define a huge portion of America’s nutritional guidance over the past 60 years.

Fast forward to the 1990s, and the Mediterranean Diet story reached the mainstream media with the help of a group of researchers, who decided it was time to popularize and proselytize its benefits.

In a controversial and complicated part of the story that’s much lesser known, these researchers focused on Greece and Italy, ignoring data from any other Mediterranean population that didn’t fit their narrative. Together, under Walter C. Willett from Harvard School of Public Health, they came up with the ‘Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.”

©2009 Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, this DOES look just like the food pyramid you were taught in grade school! But with more real food. And wine. And dancing.

I told you Keys’s work was very influential in the guidelines we all grew up with! So that concludes today’s history portion of the article.

Back to getting weird:

What can I eat on the Mediterranean Diet?

As I already pointed out, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on REAL food that’s found in the Mediterranean (duh).

It’s one of the things I love about it!

Below are our recommended types of food, examples of each, and substitutes in case you don’t happen to live on Sicily or Santorini:

Vegetables. Common Mediterranean Diet staples are artichokes, arugula, Brussels sprouts, celery, and peas, but seriously any vegetable you enjoy is good enough! So go wild. Hate veggies? I got you.

Fruit. Figs, mandarins, tomatoes (yeah it’s a fruit), and pomegranate are common to the area, but fruit like apples and oranges works too. Just don’t eat 5,000 calories of sugar-filled fruit and wonder why you’re not losing weight!

Whole Grains. Barley, buckwheat, oats, rice, and wheat, in the form of fresh made wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and pitas. Whole grains are encouraged in just about every article on the Mediterranean Diet. When we say “whole” we mean minimally processed, and are consumed in significantly smaller portions than you’re probably used to.

Legumes. Think beans and lentils: a great sources of protein and fiber that also happen to be delicious. Hummus, a dish from the Mediterranean, is made out of the chickpeas (a legume).

Dairy. Remember that pyramid from a moment ago? You’ll see that dairy is higher up, meaning to consume in smaller quantities. Why? because researchers were concerned about saturated fat. With the Mediterranean Diet, dairy tends to comes from cheese like brie, feta and parmesan, and Greek yogurt (though I assume there they just call it “yoghurt,”).

Fish. Fish are packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids (good!), which tends to be deficient in most American/Western diets and has been linked to health ailments[6]. Fish like cod are found in the Mediterranean, though you could go with options like tuna or salmon too.

Poultry. Factoid: Did you know there are roughly three chickens on Earth to every person? Roughly 20 billion fowl share the planet with us. I’ve been sitting on that statistic for a while and was antsy to share. Anyways! Go ahead and eat your preferred poultry, which could also include turkey and duck.

Healthy Oils. Olive oil. If there is one specific food linked to the Mediterranean Diet, it’s olive oil. Olive oil is touted for its monounsaturated fat, unlike the saturated fat of say butter. Personally, I think both are fine. But I encourage people to eat plenty of healthy fat, as demonstrated by our “Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet.” So go ahead and use olive oil.

How much of each category should you eat? That’s a good question, and depending on your quantity of each categories, you may or may not lose weight (I’ll cover all of this in a section below).

In addition to that, everybody does the Mediterranean Diet differently:

Some argue that dairy shouldn’t be in the Mediterranean Diet at all, because it contains saturated fat.

Others would say red meat should be listed above, because Mediterranean dishes often include lamb.

Depending on which country in the Mediterranean you pick, your “diet” will be very different.

You’re never going to get a straight answer on this, and that’s okay! This diet is loosely based on a region, in a moment in time, as interpreted by researchers with an agenda.

The reason I’m telling you this: I don’t care where the diet came from, or the story told around it. The same is true for Paleo (I don’t care about cavepeople!) – we don’t care about the story; we only care if the story helps people make healthier food choices.

Don’t get bogged down in the details or the dogma or the history, Instead, look at the list of food above. Shift your eating and go for big wins, by eating protein and real food as listed above, and you’ll be much better off than you are currently.

Which brings me to my next point…

What foods should I avoid on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yup, there are definitely “you’re doing it wrong” foods when it comes to the Mediterranean Diet. I know, easier said than done. If you’re gonna go Mediterranean, please cut wayyyy back on the following:

Added sugar. This. If all you did to improve your diet was cut out added sugar, you’d be well on your way to improved health. Ditch the candy, soda, and ice cream and you’ll make me very happy. I’m generally pretty happy, but this will really put things over the top.

Refined grain. Oh Mediterranean Diet, you do get me. The second thing I would tell people to do to improve their diet would be to cut out refined and processed grains. Your body’s blood sugar can react to it almost the same way it does to sugar.

Refined oils. Dump out all rapeseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. When they’re heated, like they do when undergoing refinement, they create free radicals. Which aren’t as fun as they tend to sound, because of the whole “not good for your health” thing[7]. Science, you should really think of a less awesome name here.

Processed meat. High quality meat will have better nutrients and fatty acid profiles than its processed counterparts. So cut back on uber processed deli meats and hot dogs. As for bacon, that’s your judgment call, partner.

Now, the above shouldn’t too much of a shocker. Are you starting to see why the Mediterranean Diet is popular and reputable? It keeps things simple!

Eat real food.

Avoid unhealthy food.

Use olive oil.

Of course, this is ALL easier said than done, and whether or not you’ll lose weight on the diet is juuuuust a bit more complex than the above.

Will I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Short answer: It’s certainly possible.

Longer answer: If you currently eat a standard American diet full of processed food and sugar, the Mediterranean Diet will probably help you shed body fat if you can stick with it consistently and follow it intelligently.

I’ve talked about this extensively in our “Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating,” but the trick of any self respectable diet rests on eating REAL food and eliminating the bad food.

That’s it.

It’s why the Keto Diet and the Paleo Diet both work – for people that can stick it. The same goes for Intermittent Fasting. These diets all focus on cutting out all the processed garbage, consuming real food, and keeping total calorie consumption under control. They just do it with different rules to follow.

The Mediterranean Diet is no different.

It focuses on real food that people in Mediterranean Europe have been eating for generations. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish are nothing new to the people of Greece! If you went back into the days of antiquity, after slaying a minotaur, you’d bask in a feast of fish, olives, and berries.

Of course, ALLLLL diets come with a big fat caveat: 

Knowing you should eat fresh veggies, fruit, and fish is VERY different than actually sticking with it when life gets in the way, your kid gets sick, and you have to pick up a second job.

We all know we should eat better. But HOW to eat better, consistently, permanently: that’s where lasting weight loss and decades of healthy living happen.

This is the big reason why we put such an emphasis on nutritional planning for each person in our 1-on-1 coaching program: you have to make the diet work for YOUR specific life situation!

So, the reason the Mediterranean Diet works is the same reason other diets work: eating real food makes you more likely to consume fewer calories on a consistent basis, and you can’t defeat thermodynamics. Eating 5,000 calories of pasta and fish, though technically allowed on the Mediterranean Diet, will still result in weight gain.

So yes, if your current eating habits aren’t great, moving towards a Mediterranean Diet would be a solid move, especially if it helps you change your relationship with food and teaches you about portion sizes!

I’ll admit there’s controversy on how the Mediterranean Diet was formulated, but it ALSO encourages people to eat more real food, in smaller quantities, and has a good chance of weight loss if your changes are permanent.

Just remember: temporary changes create temporary results. If you follow a Mediterranean Diet to lose a few pounds and then go back to how you eat now, you’ll end up right back where you started!

We want small wins, permanent changes, and momentum!

Should I eat whole grains, dairy, and legumes on the Mediterranean Diet?

I have absolutely no problem if you choose to eat grains, dairy, or legumes. I certainly do, and I consider myself a healthy, well-informed individual.

So what gives? For starters, we’re not a Paleo Blog – we’re a “help people get results in the way that works for them” blog.

For some people, that’s Paleo – their stomach doesn’t process dairy well, they have gluten intolerances, or they like the idea of eating like a caveperson.

For others, it’s Keto. They eat a LOT of cheese and healthy fat but minimize carb consumption.

For the majority of the planet, however, these diets are FAR too restrictive, so they instead are looking for a strategy that fits into their healthy lifestyle. That’s cool.

So should you eat grains, pasta, rice, etc, as allowed on the Mediterranean Diet? If you can keep your portions under control, sure. Just be careful, as grains can cause issues:

Grains are high in carbohydrates and calories. Somebody could technically be “Mediterranean” and consume 5,000 calories of whole grains every day. They’ll gain weight and wonder why it’s not working.

Some people have gluten intolerances. Grains have only been consumed for the past few thousand years of our existence as a species, and some people have challenges consuming them, or feel bloated afterward.

You don’t actually need grains. Yes, you need vitamins like B1 and B2, plus magnesium and potassium. But vegetables have these too, with less carbs and for some, less digestive issues. When you start to calculate the risk to reward ratio of grains, you need to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze for your situation.

You can apply similar “concerns” to both legumes and dairy. Both can be high in caloric content or introduce digestive problems for certain people.

My recommendation: treat yourself like a scientist and treat this like an experiment:

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet and consuming dairy, grains, and legumes and you’re getting results and a clean bill of health from your doctor, GREAT! Keep doing what you’re doing.

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet with dairy, grains, and legumes and NOT losing weight, try minimizing your consumption of some/all of these things to see if that changes things.

I know how tough it can be to eat just HALF of something on your plate, or eat a smaller portion of a food you really enjoy, so I’m gonna share with you a diet that is picking up some steam, and might be a good experiment for you to consider.

Should I Consider a Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet?

What happens when you cut out the grains and dairy from a Mediterranean Diet?

You end up with a low-carb Mediterranean Diet.

This diet has actually been tested and named, in what is referred to as the Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet or Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet (SKMD). The fat mostly comes from olive oil, there’s still red wine (I swear I’m getting to this), with plenty of green vegetables and salads for carbohydrates. Plus fish for protein. Lot’s of fish. In Spain, fish is a main component of diet, hence the Spanish in the SKMD.

And who would have thunk it, it works!

The SKMD has been shown to help improve fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome[8]. Not to mention the SKMD is effective for weight loss and waist circumference shrinkage[9].

I’ve already covered the ketogenic diet extensively, so I won’t get into it (seriously, go read that post – it also has cute animal gifs) here. If you are going to pick a modified version of the Mediterranean Diet, the SKMD would be the optimal choice in my opinion.

Overwhelmed with Mediterranean, saturated fats, keto, or SKMD?

I hear ya.

Navigating all of these diets can be really tough. And maybe you’ve even tried the Mediterranean Diet before and couldn’t get the results to stick. That’s because diets are challenging, and life gets in the way.

If this is you, and you don’t have time to figure out how to make food work for your busy lifestyle, Nerd Fitness has a pretty sweet 1-on-1 Coaching Program to create custom solutions for each client that fits their life!

You can schedule a free call with our team to learn more by clicking on the image below!

Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Need some help figuring out what all this will actually look like on a plate?

After all, just having a list of foods is like having the ingredients of a cake. It’s definitely not the same as having a cake.

Sorry for making you think about cake. I’ll go do 10 push-ups as punishment.

And I’m back.

Because I like you as a person, I did some research and found some super simple recipes for the “standard” Mediterranean Diet:

Arugula salad with chicken

Avocado hummus

Egg and Brown Rice Breakfast Bowl

Pasta with Tuna and Tomatoes

Tomatoes Stuffed with Peanut Quinoa

If you are an overachiever, here are some recipes for the Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet:

Greek Shrimp Salad

Greek Fish Foil Packets

Rosemary Roasted Brussel Sprouts

That should get you started.

If you have other favorite recipes or resources, leave a comment below so I can add them here to this list!

Other Key Reasons Why Mediterranean People Live Longer

So far in this article, we’ve only focused on what to eat. Which is logical, because the Mediterranean Diet is first and foremost an eating regiment.

Whether you live in midwestern Ohio or Timbuktu, you can mimic the nutritional strategies of a centenarian Mediterranean (a 100 year old Mediterranean woman!) thanks to global markets.

However, I’d be an idiot if I didn’t also mention all the other lifestyle benefits certain Mediterranean people have that ALSO factor into their longevity:

Meal time as a social event. In a traditional Mediterranean household, friends and family come together over food as an experience. This allows conversation to integrate into the meal, which extends the amount of time spent consuming food. The faster you scarf down food, the more of an insulin response you’ll create, and the more likely you’ll be to overeat when more food is available[10]. It takes your body time to realize it’s full, which happens too late when you are scarfing down food mindlessly in front of a screen.

Smaller servings. When comparing Western meals to those of Europe, one thing becomes plainly obvious in most situations: we tend to eat more food than our friends across the pond. Our plates are bigger and our servings are larger. And all other things being equal, the bigger the portion placed in front of you, the more you’ll probably eat[10]. Want to eat less to help drop some body fat? Eat smaller servings by using smaller plates! You can trick your brain into eating less food. Here’s the study where they demonstrated just that[11]. Boom, science.

Move naturally. Think of life in the Greek islands back in 1950s – how many of these people spent an hour in a car commuting to a desk job where they worked 60 hours a week? Probably not many! Instead, it was a LOT more walking and local living. You can replicate this by spending more time walking and less time sitting! Every step starts to add up to a lot of physical activity. Plus, wine can add to spontaneous dancing like Zorba the Greek (seriously, the next section is about wine, you’re almost there).

Take a nap. It’s not uncommon for people in the Mediterranean to take a nap after lunch. This could help with their waistline. I know this is common knowledge, but getting plenty of sleep is important in your weight loss journey. Lack of shuteye has been shown to interfere with insulin responses after meals[12]. That’s right, you could be eating well, but still wreak havoc on your blood sugar by sleeping poorly.

Okay. You made it.

I’m proud of you.

You waited patiently, through this whole article and now we are at….

Can I drink wine and alcohol on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yes, you can enjoy a little wine on the Mediterranean Diet.

Hip hip hooray!

But seriously, let’s chat about this because I too enjoy adult beverages.

Drinking wine is customary throughout the Mediterranean: it’s served during dinner, to be paired with food and to encourage good conversation. Is it the wine itself that leads to better health? Or does wine add to the experience of dinner, creating an event to be remembered?

(It’s totally the latter.)

Real talk on alcohol: so many people consume alcohol that any diet that says “you cannot drink any alcohol ever” is doomed and nobody would stick with it. So in this made-up diet that claims to mimic old ways of eating, it recommends consuming wine in moderation.

I see this in every diet:

Paleo dieters drink tequila.

Keto dieters drink whiskey.

And Mediterranean dieters drink red wine.

We’ve talked about alcohol extensively here at Nerd Fitness, and one of our preferred drink recommendations is red wine. As long as you are keeping your calorie consumption under control, occasionally enjoying adult beverages can be part of your strategy.

We cool? Cool.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Mediterranean Diet

1) “Steve, I had a grand father who grew up on the Mediterranean and he ate differently than this. Henceforth, this diet is null and void. GOOD DAY, SIR.”

Okay that’s not really a question. And kind of rude. But I’ll address it. I want to stress again that the Mediterranean Diet may or may not be exactly what people in the Mediterranean back in the 1950s actually ate.

And I also want to stress again that it DOESN’T matter!

We only care about results, and that comes from permanent changes to somebody’s relationship and decision making with food.

So if the idea of “Eating like a Mediterranean person” makes sense to you, great!

And if your grandfather ate differently, great! Eat like him and let me know how it goes!

2) “Steve, Italy is on the mediterranean. Pasta and pizza come from from Italy. So I can stuff my face with pasta and I’m gonna lose weight and be really good looking, right?”

Solid question. Sure. Consume whole grain pasta while on the Mediterranean Diet, but do so in a MUCH smaller quantity than you’re used to consuming if you are trying to lose weight.

Pasta is generally a side dish in the Mediterranean. It won’t be served to you in a huge giant bowl like it is in the United States. If you do decide to eat things like pasta, do what they do in the Mediterranean, and use it to complement a dish, not BE the dish.

3) “What’s up with goat milk?”

Goats are badasses in the Mediterranean, with their ability to travel over rocky terrain. Sorry cows, step up your game. This explains why goat dairy is quite common in the Mediterranean.

If you are deciding to consume dairy, a goat might be your new friend[13]. The milk generally contains more fat than from a cow, which fits into our SKMD strategy. Also less lactose, ie sugar. Structurally, some people have an easier time processing goat’s milk than traditional dairy.

Granted, some people find the flavor of goat’s milk off and don’t like it. But Steve can only solve so many problems. I try.

4) “Will olive oil make me live forever? The future is gonna be rad.”

Yes. It will also give you superpowers. Okay, not really. But extra virgin olive oil is great. It’s my go to for salads. Add in some vinegar and you’re crushing it in the “flavorful, healthy salad” department.

However, I don’t think it’s the secret ingredient of the Mediterranean Diet. Most praise of olive oil comes from the fact that in contains no saturated fat. Which is one of the main reasons the Mediterranean Diet became so popular. But it’s still very high in calories, so pouring tons of healthy olive oil on everything could be the reason why you’re not losing any weight!

I personally enjoy and use olive oil, grass fed butter, and/or coconut oil depending on the meal. So, if you love olive oil and put it on everything, great. Just know that it won’t do your laundry, wash your dishes, or tuck you in at night. Or make you live forever. It’s oil from olives.

5) “Steve, can I use canola oil instead of olive oil?”

Despite what other sites suggest with the Mediterranean Diet, I would advise minimizing canola oil consumption and seek out other solutions where possible. Canola oil is a vegetable oil mostly derived from rapeseed, it’s often heavily processed, and actually creates a small amount of trans fat. Bad news bears. If you need a substitute for olive oil, go with avocado or coconut oil.

6) “Do I HAVE to eat seafood? I don’t enjoy the taste of fish, and I believe that “fish are friends, not food.”

I get it. Fish isn’t for everyone. I actually don’t like fish myself, despite growing up in a fishing town on Cape Cod.

I know, sacriligious.

No, you do not need to eat fish to follow the Mediterranean Diet. The reason seafood is recommended on the Mediterranean Diet is because it’s generally low in saturated fat and plentiful in that region. But again, I’m not a big supporter of reducing saturated fat intake at all costs. So if consuming fish makes you gag, don’t torture yourself. Stick with chicken or turkey. Or…

7) “Should I really limit red meat on the Mediterranean Diet?”

I may be summoning the wrath of the Mediterranean gods with this one (forgive me Zeus), but limiting red meat may be a goal without merit. I know. I can see the clouds and lighting bolts forming now.

But as Rule #8 of the Rebellion states, question everything. Even “wisdom” from the old countries.

And that includes the conventional wisdom of limiting red meat. Yes, I remember that Harvard study that says red meat causes cancer, and I disagree with the fear-mongering that resulted [13].

If you do decide to partake, go with good quality sources for your red meat (grass fed wherever possible).

Also, as we’ve mentioned earlier, diet differs quite a bit throughout the Mediterranean, and meat can actually be pretty prominent in the form of lamb, goat, and beef. Even pork. Again, the Mediterranean Diet as opposed to what people in the Mediterranean actually eat.

So be true to yourself and do what feels right for you.

My advice: everything in moderation. Including moderation.

However, I apologize in advance if you get struck by lighting after eating lamb chops.

Resources to help you start the Mediterranean Diet

You’re convinced you want to start the Mediterranean Diet today – congratulations!

Need more help?

William Willett, who helped create the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid I showed above, has a book where he lays out all his thoughts on why the diet works. Check out Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy for his argument.

The organization Oldways is more or less responsible for the modern way we understand the Mediterranean Diet, and you’ll never run out of their recipes. I’m still not entirely convinced the organization doesn’t solely exist to sell more olive oil, but that could be paranoid Steve being paranoid. Let me adjust my tinfoil hat…

Also, I’d be remiss not to mention our own Nerd Fitness Academy. 6+ months of at-home workout routines, a whole nutrition model, and a mindset model to help you make sense of everything. If you’ve never stepped foot in a kitchen outside of grabbing milk from the fridge to drink out of the jug, we’ll help!

And if you’re just looking for basic nutritional guidance, we have a free 10-level nutritional blueprint that you can download, print, stick on your fridge, and start leveling up right now.

You can get it when join our Rebellion mailing list below:

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

Want To Try the Mediterranean Diet? Here is your mission

Just in case you skipped to the end of this article, or you’re looking for a quick recap, I hear you.

Pros of the Mediterranean Diet.

A focus on REAL food. All of the recommended food choices of the Mediterranean Diet are minimally processed. This is most of the battle on the war on diet. If you minimized the processed food on your plate, you’d be doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to healthy eating.

Plenty of veggies, fruit. Eating vegetables is the least controversial recommendation on diet that has ever existed. No one questions the advice. This is less true on fruit, but come on. If all the sugar in your diet came from fruit, you’d be in rockstar mode.

Lots of healthy fats. The Mediterranean Diet is not a low fat diet. This is great. You need fat in your diet. Olive oil and fish are a great way to get there.

Cons of the Mediterranean Diet:

Saturated fat may be limited unnecessarily. Without saturated fat, there’s really only a handful of sources left to get fat intake. Granted, as addressed a few sentences ago, fish and olive oil are solid choices. But still, meals will need to be quickly rotated without saturated fat as an option.

Grains, even whole, might not be the greatest idea for some. They are high in calories and can derail even the best laid plans, so only eat if it fits your goals and lifestyle. 

Dairy isn’t exactly a homerun if you over consume. Like I mentioned earlier, not everyone handles dairy well, it can contain plenty of lactose (sugar), and calories.

Doesn’t address portion size or calorie amounts. People can DEFINITELY gain weight on the Mediterranean Diet if they eat 5000 calories worth of pasta each day. You have to be smart about portion sizes and not just eat all day every day (which is true of every diet).

It doesn’t address overall lifestyle changes or human psychology. We all know we need to eat healthier – the problem is actually sticking with it! So having a list of food to eat is great. But learning how to make it fit into your lifestyle is even more important.

If you have been nodding your head at the Mediterranean Diet and are planning on going all in with it – you have my permission!

If you are already eating a keto or paleo-ish diet and were wondering if you should switch to this diet, I’d only suggest it if you were struggling with compliance, not losing weight, and not getting results.

YOUR MISSION THIS WEEK: cook a Mediterranean meal for a friend or loved one this week, and make the dinner an event!

Send them this article and explain that Steve gave you direct marching orders to make a meal for a friend or loved one. Together, you can complete this mission. You can even have a little wine if it suits you. And make a toast. OPA!

I suggest making the Avocado Hummus referenced earlier. It’s seriously just cutting up three ingredients, adding lemon juice and olive oil and mixing them in a bowl. Serve them with whole grain pita chips, or sliced veggies if I scared you off grains forever.

If all of this is overwhelming, or you need help on making better food choices, you are not alone!

Like I said earlier, we have a community of people who are busy and looking to live better, and a whole team dedicated to helping those people!If you just want to be told what to do, and want help staying accountable, consider checking out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program if you want to take it to the next level.

You schedule a free call with our team to see how we can create a custom workout program and nutritional guidance for your specific situation by clicking on the button below!

So let’s hear from you: After you’ve completed your mission, leave a comment below and I’ll buy you a plane ticket to Santorini. Okay not really. But I will give you a high five if we ever meet on a fishing boat off of Crete. Deal?!

If you started the habit of cooking for company, you’d make Steve a happy camper.

Let me know if you have any more questions, and I hope you can get started on your Mediterranean lifestyle today.

Now pass me the corkscrew!

-Steve

PS: I want to give a shoutout to Nina Teicholz and her book The Big Fat Surprise, whose chapter “Selling the Mediterranean Diet” served as a reference for this post.

ALL Photos Sources can be found in this footnote here[14].

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

Yeah, I know the US News isn’t a scientific journal, but we’re dealing with reality here folks. Here’s the link to the best overall, and here’s the link for “easiest to follow.”

Here’s the link to Fitness Magazine

Here’s the link to WedMD

Here’s one study on the reduced risk of heart attack, and here’s another

Here’s the link to the dementia study

Here’s the link to the Omega-3 study

Here’s the link to the free radical study

Here’s the links to the fatty liver disease and the metabolic syndrome studies

Here’s the links to the weight loss and the waist circumference studies

Here’s the link to the insulin study

Here’s the link to the serving size study

Here’s the link to the smaller plates 

Here’s the link to the study on sleep

Seriously email me if you develop a friendship with a goat

If you’re curious, this article takes a closer look at that study in a way that I trust and respect

Photo: lego shark, Italian coast, lego scientist, mediterranean dish, bear lego, time to lose weight, Arugula Salad with Chicken, lego newspaper, bird with fish, avocado pasta,  greece, red wine, green hoodie lego, goat, bank robbers, mediterranean coast

The Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

The Beginner’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet

If there was a high school yearbook of diets, The Mediterranean Diet would certainly win “most popular:”

U.S. News tied it #1 in their “Best Overall Diet” category.

They also ranked it #1 in the “Easiest Diet to Follow” race[1].

Fitness Magazine calls it the “The World’s Healthiest Diet” [2].

WebMD flat out said they “love” the Mediterranean Diet [3].

As far as mainstream media goes, you can’t get much better coverage than that.

Impressive? Absolutely.

Accurate? Maybe.

Here at Nerd Fitness, we love nothing better than digging into popular trends to give you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And lego photos and cute animal gifs.

So you’re here full of questions, which I bet go something like:

Steve, what is the Mediterranean Diet?

Can I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Why is this Diet so popular?

Can I do the Mediterranean Diet wrong?

Can I eat pasta and pizza on the Mediterranean Diet?

Will you buy me a plane ticket to Santorini?

These are all great questions (though maybe not the last one), and I have no doubt I can help you make sense of this and start changing your nutrition today.

Let’s get weird.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is a way of life that involves eating real food: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans), some fish, and a whole lotta “healthy” fat. Plus a little red wine.

It gets its name from a few key countries on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and studying the dietary patterns of the people who live long lives in that area.

When experts discuss the Mediterranean Diet, the words “heart-healthy” will almost certainly be attached. It’s the reason the Mediterranean Diet shines like a crazy diamond, because who DOESN’T want a healthy heart?

So why does this diet make your heart healthy, and why do people tend to lose weight on it?

Simple: Every item listed above falls into the REAL food category. When I say real food, I mean stuff that came from the ground, grew on a tree, grazed on a field, flew through the air, or swam in the water.

Here’s another way to put it: If your great grandma from the old country wouldn’t recognize it as food, it probably doesn’t fit into the Mediterranean Diet.

Sorry Pop-Tarts, Big Macs, and Coca-Cola.

Logically, the reason this diet gets good grades makes sense. Of COURSE a diet composed of REAL food like the Mediterranean Diet would have REAL health benefits.

And those benefits are awesome! The diet has been linked to a plethora of benefits, including a reduced risk of heart attack[4], and even the retention of cognitive abilities to help stave off dementia[5].

At this point you might be wondering:

“Steve, I like the cut of your jib, and this diet sounds pretty good. So, just eat real food, got it. But what about all these benefits I hear about olive oil? And I thought pasta was unhealthy. That’s a crucial part of the Mediterranean Diet too, right? Tell me more.”

I got you, boo.

Where did the Mediterranean Diet Come From?

Believe it or not, this diet wasn’t created by a goat herder in the Greek countryside.

It was actually theorized  by an American scientist back in the 50s, and started gaining popularity in the 90s.

Have you heard the name, Ancel Keys?

He’s a doctor from back in the day (think 1950s) often credited with popularizing the idea that saturated fat leads to deadly heart attacks, a la high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. We went in-depth on this very controversial subject in “A Beginner’s Guide to Cholesterol,” so I won’t rehash it here.

The reason I bring Keys up is because he was one of the early founders of the Mediterranean Diet.

Keys formulated this diet after pouring over data and research and identified that people in Greece and Italy statistically lived longer than other populations he studied. Farmers working until the age of 100 wasn’t uncommon on the Greek island of Crete.

So what was the big secret?

Are the people of Crete actual descendants of Atlantis with special DNA and olive oil running through their veins?

Not really.

Keys noted these Mediterraneans had low saturated fat intake, getting fat instead from olives and fresh fish. He also noted low instances of heart disease, and thus declared something like, “low saturated fat consumption causes fewer instances of heart disease and leads to a longer life.”

Now, if you’re a nerd like me, you are hopefully aware that “correlation does not prove causation,” that even though two variables are correlated, it doesn’t mean that one causes the other.

But it was a great story, backed up by logically sounding data from an accomplished researcher, and the hypothesis became “fact.” Thus, the hypothesis of the “Mediterranean Diet equals long life” continued to gain steam, and Keys work went on to define a huge portion of America’s nutritional guidance over the past 60 years.

Fast forward to the 1990s, and the Mediterranean Diet story reached the mainstream media with the help of a group of researchers, who decided it was time to popularize and proselytize its benefits.

In a controversial and complicated part of the story that’s much lesser known, these researchers focused on Greece and Italy, ignoring data from any other Mediterranean population that didn’t fit their narrative. Together, under Walter C. Willett from Harvard School of Public Health, they came up with the ‘Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.”

©2009 Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, this DOES look just like the food pyramid you were taught in grade school! But with more real food. And wine. And dancing.

I told you Keys’s work was very influential in the guidelines we all grew up with! So that concludes today’s history portion of the article.

Back to getting weird:

What can I eat on the Mediterranean Diet?

As I already pointed out, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on REAL food that’s found in the Mediterranean (duh).

It’s one of the things I love about it!

Below are our recommended types of food, examples of each, and substitutes in case you don’t happen to live on Sicily or Santorini:

Vegetables. Common Mediterranean Diet staples are artichokes, arugula, Brussels sprouts, celery, and peas, but seriously any vegetable you enjoy is good enough! So go wild. Hate veggies? I got you.

Fruit. Figs, mandarins, tomatoes (yeah it’s a fruit), and pomegranate are common to the area, but fruit like apples and oranges works too. Just don’t eat 5,000 calories of sugar-filled fruit and wonder why you’re not losing weight!

Whole Grains. Barley, buckwheat, oats, rice, and wheat, in the form of fresh made wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and pitas. Whole grains are encouraged in just about every article on the Mediterranean Diet. When we say “whole” we mean minimally processed, and are consumed in significantly smaller portions than you’re probably used to.

Legumes. Think beans and lentils: a great sources of protein and fiber that also happen to be delicious. Hummus, a dish from the Mediterranean, is made out of the chickpeas (a legume).

Dairy. Remember that pyramid from a moment ago? You’ll see that dairy is higher up, meaning to consume in smaller quantities. Why? because researchers were concerned about saturated fat. With the Mediterranean Diet, dairy tends to comes from cheese like brie, feta and parmesan, and Greek yogurt (though I assume there they just call it “yoghurt,”).

Fish. Fish are packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids (good!), which tends to be deficient in most American/Western diets and has been linked to health ailments[6]. Fish like cod are found in the Mediterranean, though you could go with options like tuna or salmon too.

Poultry. Factoid: Did you know there are roughly three chickens on Earth to every person? Roughly 20 billion fowl share the planet with us. I’ve been sitting on that statistic for a while and was antsy to share. Anyways! Go ahead and eat your preferred poultry, which could also include turkey and duck.

Healthy Oils. Olive oil. If there is one specific food linked to the Mediterranean Diet, it’s olive oil. Olive oil is touted for its monounsaturated fat, unlike the saturated fat of say butter. Personally, I think both are fine. But I encourage people to eat plenty of healthy fat, as demonstrated by our “Beginner’s Guide to the Keto Diet.” So go ahead and use olive oil.

How much of each category should you eat? That’s a good question, and depending on your quantity of each categories, you may or may not lose weight (I’ll cover all of this in a section below).

In addition to that, everybody does the Mediterranean Diet differently:

Some argue that dairy shouldn’t be in the Mediterranean Diet at all, because it contains saturated fat.

Others would say red meat should be listed above, because Mediterranean dishes often include lamb.

Depending on which country in the Mediterranean you pick, your “diet” will be very different.

You’re never going to get a straight answer on this, and that’s okay! This diet is loosely based on a region, in a moment in time, as interpreted by researchers with an agenda.

The reason I’m telling you this: I don’t care where the diet came from, or the story told around it. The same is true for Paleo (I don’t care about cavepeople!) – we don’t care about the story; we only care if the story helps people make healthier food choices.

Don’t get bogged down in the details or the dogma or the history, Instead, look at the list of food above. Shift your eating and go for big wins, by eating protein and real food as listed above, and you’ll be much better off than you are currently.

Which brings me to my next point…

What foods should I avoid on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yup, there are definitely “you’re doing it wrong” foods when it comes to the Mediterranean Diet. I know, easier said than done. If you’re gonna go Mediterranean, please cut wayyyy back on the following:

Added sugar. This. If all you did to improve your diet was cut out added sugar, you’d be well on your way to improved health. Ditch the candy, soda, and ice cream and you’ll make me very happy. I’m generally pretty happy, but this will really put things over the top.

Refined grain. Oh Mediterranean Diet, you do get me. The second thing I would tell people to do to improve their diet would be to cut out refined and processed grains. Your body’s blood sugar can react to it almost the same way it does to sugar.

Refined oils. Dump out all rapeseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. When they’re heated, like they do when undergoing refinement, they create free radicals. Which aren’t as fun as they tend to sound, because of the whole “not good for your health” thing[7]. Science, you should really think of a less awesome name here.

Processed meat. High quality meat will have better nutrients and fatty acid profiles than its processed counterparts. So cut back on uber processed deli meats and hot dogs. As for bacon, that’s your judgment call, partner.

Now, the above shouldn’t too much of a shocker. Are you starting to see why the Mediterranean Diet is popular and reputable? It keeps things simple!

Eat real food.

Avoid unhealthy food.

Use olive oil.

Of course, this is ALL easier said than done, and whether or not you’ll lose weight on the diet is juuuuust a bit more complex than the above.

Will I lose weight on the Mediterranean Diet?

Short answer: It’s certainly possible.

Longer answer: If you currently eat a standard American diet full of processed food and sugar, the Mediterranean Diet will probably help you shed body fat if you can stick with it consistently and follow it intelligently.

I’ve talked about this extensively in our “Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating,” but the trick of any self respectable diet rests on eating REAL food and eliminating the bad food.

That’s it.

It’s why the Keto Diet and the Paleo Diet both work – for people that can stick it. The same goes for Intermittent Fasting. These diets all focus on cutting out all the processed garbage, consuming real food, and keeping total calorie consumption under control. They just do it with different rules to follow.

The Mediterranean Diet is no different.

It focuses on real food that people in Mediterranean Europe have been eating for generations. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish are nothing new to the people of Greece! If you went back into the days of antiquity, after slaying a minotaur, you’d bask in a feast of fish, olives, and berries.

Of course, ALLLLL diets come with a big fat caveat: 

Knowing you should eat fresh veggies, fruit, and fish is VERY different than actually sticking with it when life gets in the way, your kid gets sick, and you have to pick up a second job.

We all know we should eat better. But HOW to eat better, consistently, permanently: that’s where lasting weight loss and decades of healthy living happen.

This is the big reason why we put such an emphasis on nutritional planning for each person in our 1-on-1 coaching program: you have to make the diet work for YOUR specific life situation!

So, the reason the Mediterranean Diet works is the same reason other diets work: eating real food makes you more likely to consume fewer calories on a consistent basis, and you can’t defeat thermodynamics. Eating 5,000 calories of pasta and fish, though technically allowed on the Mediterranean Diet, will still result in weight gain.

So yes, if your current eating habits aren’t great, moving towards a Mediterranean Diet would be a solid move, especially if it helps you change your relationship with food and teaches you about portion sizes!

I’ll admit there’s controversy on how the Mediterranean Diet was formulated, but it ALSO encourages people to eat more real food, in smaller quantities, and has a good chance of weight loss if your changes are permanent.

Just remember: temporary changes create temporary results. If you follow a Mediterranean Diet to lose a few pounds and then go back to how you eat now, you’ll end up right back where you started!

We want small wins, permanent changes, and momentum!

Should I eat whole grains, dairy, and legumes on the Mediterranean Diet?

I have absolutely no problem if you choose to eat grains, dairy, or legumes. I certainly do, and I consider myself a healthy, well-informed individual.

So what gives? For starters, we’re not a Paleo Blog – we’re a “help people get results in the way that works for them” blog.

For some people, that’s Paleo – their stomach doesn’t process dairy well, they have gluten intolerances, or they like the idea of eating like a caveperson.

For others, it’s Keto. They eat a LOT of cheese and healthy fat but minimize carb consumption.

For the majority of the planet, however, these diets are FAR too restrictive, so they instead are looking for a strategy that fits into their healthy lifestyle. That’s cool.

So should you eat grains, pasta, rice, etc, as allowed on the Mediterranean Diet? If you can keep your portions under control, sure. Just be careful, as grains can cause issues:

Grains are high in carbohydrates and calories. Somebody could technically be “Mediterranean” and consume 5,000 calories of whole grains every day. They’ll gain weight and wonder why it’s not working.

Some people have gluten intolerances. Grains have only been consumed for the past few thousand years of our existence as a species, and some people have challenges consuming them, or feel bloated afterward.

You don’t actually need grains. Yes, you need vitamins like B1 and B2, plus magnesium and potassium. But vegetables have these too, with less carbs and for some, less digestive issues. When you start to calculate the risk to reward ratio of grains, you need to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze for your situation.

You can apply similar “concerns” to both legumes and dairy. Both can be high in caloric content or introduce digestive problems for certain people.

My recommendation: treat yourself like a scientist and treat this like an experiment:

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet and consuming dairy, grains, and legumes and you’re getting results and a clean bill of health from your doctor, GREAT! Keep doing what you’re doing.

If you are following a Mediterranean Diet with dairy, grains, and legumes and NOT losing weight, try minimizing your consumption of some/all of these things to see if that changes things.

I know how tough it can be to eat just HALF of something on your plate, or eat a smaller portion of a food you really enjoy, so I’m gonna share with you a diet that is picking up some steam, and might be a good experiment for you to consider.

Should I Consider a Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet?

What happens when you cut out the grains and dairy from a Mediterranean Diet?

You end up with a low-carb Mediterranean Diet.

This diet has actually been tested and named, in what is referred to as the Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet or Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet (SKMD). The fat mostly comes from olive oil, there’s still red wine (I swear I’m getting to this), with plenty of green vegetables and salads for carbohydrates. Plus fish for protein. Lot’s of fish. In Spain, fish is a main component of diet, hence the Spanish in the SKMD.

And who would have thunk it, it works!

The SKMD has been shown to help improve fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome[8]. Not to mention the SKMD is effective for weight loss and waist circumference shrinkage[9].

I’ve already covered the ketogenic diet extensively, so I won’t get into it (seriously, go read that post – it also has cute animal gifs) here. If you are going to pick a modified version of the Mediterranean Diet, the SKMD would be the optimal choice in my opinion.

Overwhelmed with Mediterranean, saturated fats, keto, or SKMD?

I hear ya.

Navigating all of these diets can be really tough. And maybe you’ve even tried the Mediterranean Diet before and couldn’t get the results to stick. That’s because diets are challenging, and life gets in the way.

If this is you, and you don’t have time to figure out how to make food work for your busy lifestyle, Nerd Fitness has a pretty sweet 1-on-1 Coaching Program to create custom solutions for each client that fits their life!

You can schedule a free call with our team to learn more by clicking on the image below!

Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Need some help figuring out what all this will actually look like on a plate?

After all, just having a list of foods is like having the ingredients of a cake. It’s definitely not the same as having a cake.

Sorry for making you think about cake. I’ll go do 10 push-ups as punishment.

And I’m back.

Because I like you as a person, I did some research and found some super simple recipes for the “standard” Mediterranean Diet:

Arugula salad with chicken

Avocado hummus

Egg and Brown Rice Breakfast Bowl

Pasta with Tuna and Tomatoes

Tomatoes Stuffed with Peanut Quinoa

If you are an overachiever, here are some recipes for the Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet:

Greek Shrimp Salad

Greek Fish Foil Packets

Rosemary Roasted Brussel Sprouts

That should get you started.

If you have other favorite recipes or resources, leave a comment below so I can add them here to this list!

Other Key Reasons Why Mediterranean People Live Longer

So far in this article, we’ve only focused on what to eat. Which is logical, because the Mediterranean Diet is first and foremost an eating regiment.

Whether you live in midwestern Ohio or Timbuktu, you can mimic the nutritional strategies of a centenarian Mediterranean (a 100 year old Mediterranean woman!) thanks to global markets.

However, I’d be an idiot if I didn’t also mention all the other lifestyle benefits certain Mediterranean people have that ALSO factor into their longevity:

Meal time as a social event. In a traditional Mediterranean household, friends and family come together over food as an experience. This allows conversation to integrate into the meal, which extends the amount of time spent consuming food. The faster you scarf down food, the more of an insulin response you’ll create, and the more likely you’ll be to overeat when more food is available[10]. It takes your body time to realize it’s full, which happens too late when you are scarfing down food mindlessly in front of a screen.

Smaller servings. When comparing Western meals to those of Europe, one thing becomes plainly obvious in most situations: we tend to eat more food than our friends across the pond. Our plates are bigger and our servings are larger. And all other things being equal, the bigger the portion placed in front of you, the more you’ll probably eat[10]. Want to eat less to help drop some body fat? Eat smaller servings by using smaller plates! You can trick your brain into eating less food. Here’s the study where they demonstrated just that[11]. Boom, science.

Move naturally. Think of life in the Greek islands back in 1950s – how many of these people spent an hour in a car commuting to a desk job where they worked 60 hours a week? Probably not many! Instead, it was a LOT more walking and local living. You can replicate this by spending more time walking and less time sitting! Every step starts to add up to a lot of physical activity. Plus, wine can add to spontaneous dancing like Zorba the Greek (seriously, the next section is about wine, you’re almost there).

Take a nap. It’s not uncommon for people in the Mediterranean to take a nap after lunch. This could help with their waistline. I know this is common knowledge, but getting plenty of sleep is important in your weight loss journey. Lack of shuteye has been shown to interfere with insulin responses after meals[12]. That’s right, you could be eating well, but still wreak havoc on your blood sugar by sleeping poorly.

Okay. You made it.

I’m proud of you.

You waited patiently, through this whole article and now we are at….

Can I drink wine and alcohol on the Mediterranean Diet?

Yes, you can enjoy a little wine on the Mediterranean Diet.

Hip hip hooray!

But seriously, let’s chat about this because I too enjoy adult beverages.

Drinking wine is customary throughout the Mediterranean: it’s served during dinner, to be paired with food and to encourage good conversation. Is it the wine itself that leads to better health? Or does wine add to the experience of dinner, creating an event to be remembered?

(It’s totally the latter.)

Real talk on alcohol: so many people consume alcohol that any diet that says “you cannot drink any alcohol ever” is doomed and nobody would stick with it. So in this made-up diet that claims to mimic old ways of eating, it recommends consuming wine in moderation.

I see this in every diet:

Paleo dieters drink tequila.

Keto dieters drink whiskey.

And Mediterranean dieters drink red wine.

We’ve talked about alcohol extensively here at Nerd Fitness, and one of our preferred drink recommendations is red wine. As long as you are keeping your calorie consumption under control, occasionally enjoying adult beverages can be part of your strategy.

We cool? Cool.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Mediterranean Diet

1) “Steve, I had a grand father who grew up on the Mediterranean and he ate differently than this. Henceforth, this diet is null and void. GOOD DAY, SIR.”

Okay that’s not really a question. And kind of rude. But I’ll address it. I want to stress again that the Mediterranean Diet may or may not be exactly what people in the Mediterranean back in the 1950s actually ate.

And I also want to stress again that it DOESN’T matter!

We only care about results, and that comes from permanent changes to somebody’s relationship and decision making with food.

So if the idea of “Eating like a Mediterranean person” makes sense to you, great!

And if your grandfather ate differently, great! Eat like him and let me know how it goes!

2) “Steve, Italy is on the mediterranean. Pasta and pizza come from from Italy. So I can stuff my face with pasta and I’m gonna lose weight and be really good looking, right?”

Solid question. Sure. Consume whole grain pasta while on the Mediterranean Diet, but do so in a MUCH smaller quantity than you’re used to consuming if you are trying to lose weight.

Pasta is generally a side dish in the Mediterranean. It won’t be served to you in a huge giant bowl like it is in the United States. If you do decide to eat things like pasta, do what they do in the Mediterranean, and use it to complement a dish, not BE the dish.

3) “What’s up with goat milk?”

Goats are badasses in the Mediterranean, with their ability to travel over rocky terrain. Sorry cows, step up your game. This explains why goat dairy is quite common in the Mediterranean.

If you are deciding to consume dairy, a goat might be your new friend[13]. The milk generally contains more fat than from a cow, which fits into our SKMD strategy. Also less lactose, ie sugar. Structurally, some people have an easier time processing goat’s milk than traditional dairy.

Granted, some people find the flavor of goat’s milk off and don’t like it. But Steve can only solve so many problems. I try.

4) “Will olive oil make me live forever? The future is gonna be rad.”

Yes. It will also give you superpowers. Okay, not really. But extra virgin olive oil is great. It’s my go to for salads. Add in some vinegar and you’re crushing it in the “flavorful, healthy salad” department.

However, I don’t think it’s the secret ingredient of the Mediterranean Diet. Most praise of olive oil comes from the fact that in contains no saturated fat. Which is one of the main reasons the Mediterranean Diet became so popular. But it’s still very high in calories, so pouring tons of healthy olive oil on everything could be the reason why you’re not losing any weight!

I personally enjoy and use olive oil, grass fed butter, and/or coconut oil depending on the meal. So, if you love olive oil and put it on everything, great. Just know that it won’t do your laundry, wash your dishes, or tuck you in at night. Or make you live forever. It’s oil from olives.

5) “Steve, can I use canola oil instead of olive oil?”

Despite what other sites suggest with the Mediterranean Diet, I would advise minimizing canola oil consumption and seek out other solutions where possible. Canola oil is a vegetable oil mostly derived from rapeseed, it’s often heavily processed, and actually creates a small amount of trans fat. Bad news bears. If you need a substitute for olive oil, go with avocado or coconut oil.

6) “Do I HAVE to eat seafood? I don’t enjoy the taste of fish, and I believe that “fish are friends, not food.”

I get it. Fish isn’t for everyone. I actually don’t like fish myself, despite growing up in a fishing town on Cape Cod.

I know, sacriligious.

No, you do not need to eat fish to follow the Mediterranean Diet. The reason seafood is recommended on the Mediterranean Diet is because it’s generally low in saturated fat and plentiful in that region. But again, I’m not a big supporter of reducing saturated fat intake at all costs. So if consuming fish makes you gag, don’t torture yourself. Stick with chicken or turkey. Or…

7) “Should I really limit red meat on the Mediterranean Diet?”

I may be summoning the wrath of the Mediterranean gods with this one (forgive me Zeus), but limiting red meat may be a goal without merit. I know. I can see the clouds and lighting bolts forming now.

But as Rule #8 of the Rebellion states, question everything. Even “wisdom” from the old countries.

And that includes the conventional wisdom of limiting red meat. Yes, I remember that Harvard study that says red meat causes cancer, and I disagree with the fear-mongering that resulted [13].

If you do decide to partake, go with good quality sources for your red meat (grass fed wherever possible).

Also, as we’ve mentioned earlier, diet differs quite a bit throughout the Mediterranean, and meat can actually be pretty prominent in the form of lamb, goat, and beef. Even pork. Again, the Mediterranean Diet as opposed to what people in the Mediterranean actually eat.

So be true to yourself and do what feels right for you.

My advice: everything in moderation. Including moderation.

However, I apologize in advance if you get struck by lighting after eating lamb chops.

Resources to help you start the Mediterranean Diet

You’re convinced you want to start the Mediterranean Diet today – congratulations!

Need more help?

William Willett, who helped create the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid I showed above, has a book where he lays out all his thoughts on why the diet works. Check out Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy for his argument.

The organization Oldways is more or less responsible for the modern way we understand the Mediterranean Diet, and you’ll never run out of their recipes. I’m still not entirely convinced the organization doesn’t solely exist to sell more olive oil, but that could be paranoid Steve being paranoid. Let me adjust my tinfoil hat…

Also, I’d be remiss not to mention our own Nerd Fitness Academy. 6+ months of at-home workout routines, a whole nutrition model, and a mindset model to help you make sense of everything. If you’ve never stepped foot in a kitchen outside of grabbing milk from the fridge to drink out of the jug, we’ll help!

And if you’re just looking for basic nutritional guidance, we have a free 10-level nutritional blueprint that you can download, print, stick on your fridge, and start leveling up right now.

You can get it when join our Rebellion mailing list below:

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

I identify as a:

Woman

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Want To Try the Mediterranean Diet? Here is your mission

Just in case you skipped to the end of this article, or you’re looking for a quick recap, I hear you.

Pros of the Mediterranean Diet.

A focus on REAL food. All of the recommended food choices of the Mediterranean Diet are minimally processed. This is most of the battle on the war on diet. If you minimized the processed food on your plate, you’d be doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to healthy eating.

Plenty of veggies, fruit. Eating vegetables is the least controversial recommendation on diet that has ever existed. No one questions the advice. This is less true on fruit, but come on. If all the sugar in your diet came from fruit, you’d be in rockstar mode.

Lots of healthy fats. The Mediterranean Diet is not a low fat diet. This is great. You need fat in your diet. Olive oil and fish are a great way to get there.

Cons of the Mediterranean Diet:

Saturated fat may be limited unnecessarily. Without saturated fat, there’s really only a handful of sources left to get fat intake. Granted, as addressed a few sentences ago, fish and olive oil are solid choices. But still, meals will need to be quickly rotated without saturated fat as an option.

Grains, even whole, might not be the greatest idea for some. They are high in calories and can derail even the best laid plans, so only eat if it fits your goals and lifestyle. 

Dairy isn’t exactly a homerun if you over consume. Like I mentioned earlier, not everyone handles dairy well, it can contain plenty of lactose (sugar), and calories.

Doesn’t address portion size or calorie amounts. People can DEFINITELY gain weight on the Mediterranean Diet if they eat 5000 calories worth of pasta each day. You have to be smart about portion sizes and not just eat all day every day (which is true of every diet).

It doesn’t address overall lifestyle changes or human psychology. We all know we need to eat healthier – the problem is actually sticking with it! So having a list of food to eat is great. But learning how to make it fit into your lifestyle is even more important.

If you have been nodding your head at the Mediterranean Diet and are planning on going all in with it – you have my permission!

If you are already eating a keto or paleo-ish diet and were wondering if you should switch to this diet, I’d only suggest it if you were struggling with compliance, not losing weight, and not getting results.

YOUR MISSION THIS WEEK: cook a Mediterranean meal for a friend or loved one this week, and make the dinner an event!

Send them this article and explain that Steve gave you direct marching orders to make a meal for a friend or loved one. Together, you can complete this mission. You can even have a little wine if it suits you. And make a toast. OPA!

I suggest making the Avocado Hummus referenced earlier. It’s seriously just cutting up three ingredients, adding lemon juice and olive oil and mixing them in a bowl. Serve them with whole grain pita chips, or sliced veggies if I scared you off grains forever.

If all of this is overwhelming, or you need help on making better food choices, you are not alone!

Like I said earlier, we have a community of people who are busy and looking to live better, and a whole team dedicated to helping those people!If you just want to be told what to do, and want help staying accountable, consider checking out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program if you want to take it to the next level.

You schedule a free call with our team to see how we can create a custom workout program and nutritional guidance for your specific situation by clicking on the button below!

So let’s hear from you: After you’ve completed your mission, leave a comment below and I’ll buy you a plane ticket to Santorini. Okay not really. But I will give you a high five if we ever meet on a fishing boat off of Crete. Deal?!

If you started the habit of cooking for company, you’d make Steve a happy camper.

Let me know if you have any more questions, and I hope you can get started on your Mediterranean lifestyle today.

Now pass me the corkscrew!

-Steve

PS: I want to give a shoutout to Nina Teicholz and her book The Big Fat Surprise, whose chapter “Selling the Mediterranean Diet” served as a reference for this post.

ALL Photos Sources can be found in this footnote here[14].

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

Yeah, I know the US News isn’t a scientific journal, but we’re dealing with reality here folks. Here’s the link to the best overall, and here’s the link for “easiest to follow.”

Here’s the link to Fitness Magazine

Here’s the link to WedMD

Here’s one study on the reduced risk of heart attack, and here’s another

Here’s the link to the dementia study

Here’s the link to the Omega-3 study

Here’s the link to the free radical study

Here’s the links to the fatty liver disease and the metabolic syndrome studies

Here’s the links to the weight loss and the waist circumference studies

Here’s the link to the insulin study

Here’s the link to the serving size study

Here’s the link to the smaller plates 

Here’s the link to the study on sleep

Seriously email me if you develop a friendship with a goat

If you’re curious, this article takes a closer look at that study in a way that I trust and respect

Photo: lego shark, Italian coast, lego scientist, mediterranean dish, bear lego, time to lose weight, Arugula Salad with Chicken, lego newspaper, bird with fish, avocado pasta,  greece, red wine, green hoodie lego, goat, bank robbers, mediterranean coast

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