The Mediterranean Diet

It started more than 70 years ago.
Researchers wanted to know: Why did people living around the Mediterranean have far less heart disease than Americans?

The answer—what they ate—became the foundation of the modern Mediterranean Diet. And since then, studies have shown this way of eating does much more than protect the heart. It also lowers the risk of cancer, dementia, and autoimmune disease, while improving what matters most: your healthspan—the years you live in good health.

Not Just One Cuisine

The Mediterranean Sea touches 23,000 miles of coastline, 20+ countries, and countless cultures.

What people eat in Crete isn’t the same as Morocco, Lebanon, or Spain. But the pattern is clear:

• Vegetables & fruits
• Beans & lentils
• Whole grains
• Fish & olive oil

This is not a single cuisine—it’s a template.

Why It Matters Anywhere

You don’t need to live in Sicily to eat this way. The same principles apply whether you’re in the Midwest, Mexico, or Mumbai.

Lentils in India, beans in Latin America, yams in Africa, salmon in Alaska—they all fit.

The Mediterranean Diet is about abundance, variety, and health.
Not restriction. Not fads.
Just eating well—to be well.

The 9-Point Mediterranean Score

Give yourself one point for each item you meet on a typical day:

• Vegetables: 250 g or more (≈ 9 oz / 3.5 servings)
• Fruit: 250 g or more
• Whole grains: 250 g or more
• Legumes: at least 2 oz
• Fish/seafood: more than 2 oz
• Red meat: less than 4 oz
• Fats: olive oil as main added fat (limit butter)
• Alcohol: 0 drinks = 1 point; or ≤1 glass/day (women), ≤2/day (men)
• Dairy/extras: moderate portions; fermented or lower-fat options