Mediterranean Diet?

US News and World Report has stated that the Mediterranean diet is the best plant-based diet available these days, rating it a 3.9 out of 5. This diet is based on the dietary patterns of Crete, Greece, and Italy from around the 1960s, when the rates of chronic disease were low. The benefits of following this diet include reduced blood pressure and reduced levels of LDL.

If you're an average American hoping to follow the Mediterranean diet, you should INCREASE the amount of vegetables and fruits that you consume, as well as beans, olive oil, whole grains, and herbs/spices. You should also increase your intake of seafood, while decreasing the amount of red meat that you consume. Don't forget: exercise is a requirement. Check out Oldway - Mediterranean Pyramid for more details.

There are some similarities between the Mediterranean and Paleo diets, such as:

• Eat your veggies!
• Omega-3s are awesome
• Fats aren't evil
• Focus on minimally-processed foods
• Use olive oil instead of butter
• Exercise!
• Limit your non-natural sugar intake, including honey

Differences: The Mediterranean diet calls for 

• Up to 12-16 oz of red meat per month (significantly less meat)
• Maximum of 7 eggs per week
• Daily consumption of low/moderate amounts of dairy
• Whole grains and legumes

Benefits of the Mediterranean diet:

• Control weight
• Lower blood pressure
• Lower cholesterol levels
• Reduce risk of diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease
• Protect against chronic diseases

Here are some of the benefits generally associated with the Paleo diet (with the Mediterranean diet equivalent in parentheses) :

• Weight loss (control weight)
• Lower blood pressure (lower blood pressure)
• Higher insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance (reduce risk of diabetes)
• High cardiovascular health (reduce risk of heart disease)
• Improved athletic performance
• Reduces inflammation (protect against chronic diseases)
• Reduced pain from autoimmunity
• Increased life span
• Higher and more constant energy levels throughout the day.
• Improved immune system response
• Clearer skin

According to an article on WebMD,

"Studies show the Mediterranean diet's protective effect against obesity and type 2 diabetes is likely due to its high proportion of plant foods, fish, and olive oil, along with moderate consumption of alcohol."

Tell me... doesn't that sound a little like the Paleo diet?