The Mediterranean diet, originally promoted for its cardiovascular benefits, has also been shown to reduce the risk factors for cancer, diabetes and obesity.  Experts believe these benefits are due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of the foods associated with the diet.

The Mediterranean diet is high in monounsaturated fats like olive oil and includes lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fish and is low in animal fats. 

The latest research conducted at Harakopio University in Athens pooled findings from 50 different studies involving a total of more than 500,000 patients and found the diet had beneficial effects against five components of a prediabetic condition called the metabolic syndrome. The components include increased waist circumference, high blood pressure and blood sugar, low levels of HDL or good cholesterol and high triglycerides.  The analysis found that adherence to a Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 31%.

Now that we’ve convinced you that the Mediterranean diet is worth trying, how do put it into practice?   You might want to start by visiting the Mediterranean Food Alliance website.  It contains abundant resources such as staple foods, menus, recipes, shopping lists and more.  Here’s one recipe from the site to get you started

Herb-Feta Baked Chicken
Serves 4

Cooking chicken with herbs in a foil packet seals in the flavor and makes cleanup a snap. You can also put the sealed packets on a hot grill and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes.

Ingredients
2 garlic cloves, peeled
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh sage

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350° F. From a roll of aluminum foil, tear off four sheets large enough to completely enclose each chicken breast. Lightly grease or spray the sheets with olive oil. Place a chicken breast in the center of each sheet.

Combine the garlic and olive oil in a small bowl and mash with a fork to blend into a paste. Brush the top of each chicken breast with ¼ of the oil and garlic mixture, season with salt and pepper and top each with ¼ of the remaining ingredients.

Pull the foil up around each breast and crimp to form a sealed packet. Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165 °F and the potatoes are tender. Carefully open each packet and using a spatula to transfer the contents to a serving plate. Pour any juices over the top.

Serve with a crisp greek salad full of juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, green pepper, feta cheese and kalamata olives.  The dressing is simply 2 parts olive oil to one part lemon juice with oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste.

Sources:

Journal of the American College of Cardiology

American Institute for Cancer Research

Mediterranean Food Alliance