Rather than a diet, a lifestyle of culinary tradition with a cultural approach makes the Mediterranean way worth exploring. Maintaining its credibility for promoting health and wellness, this method focuses on fresh ingredients prepared simply.
This lifestyle evolved from the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Southern Spain, Southern Italy, France and Morocco. Each region developed its own traditions based on the availability of local produce and food, although there are considerable overlaps in cuisine with similar nutritional benefits.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmu@C 46?EFC:6D[ AC6A2C2E:@? >6E9@5D 92G6 C6>2:?65 E96 D2>6 – 7@@5 :D 62E6? 7C6D9 2?5 C2C6=J 7C:65] wF?5C65D @7 DEF5:6D 92G6 =:?<65 E96 |65:E6CC2?62? 5:6E H:E9 >F=E:A=6 962=E9 36?67:ED[ DF49 2D :?4C62D65 =:76 DA2?j :>AC@G65 3C2:? 7F?4E:@?j 36?67:ED :? E96 2C62D @7 C96F>2E@:5 2CE9C:E:D[ 6J6 962=E9 2?5 76CE:=:EJj H6:89E >2?286>6?Ej 2?5 C65F465 C:D< @7 42?46CD[ 962CE 5:D62D6[ 9:89 3=@@5 AC6DDFC6[ 5:236E6D[ p=K96:>6C’D 2?5 !2C<:?D@?’D 5:D62D6D 2?5 56AC6DD:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 |65:E6CC2?62? =:76DEJ=6 :D 2 DEC2:89E7@CH2C5 H2J @7 62E:?8 E92E 6>A92D:K6D A=2?E\32D65 7@@5D] %96 7@4FD :D @? 62E:?8 =6DD >62E 2?5 >@C6 7:D9j 4@@<:?8 H:E9 @=:G6 @:=j FD:?8 96C3D 2?5 DA:46Dj 62E:?8 2 =@E @7 7C6D9 7CF:E[ G686E23=6D 2?5 =68F>6Dj :?4@CA@C2E:?8 F?AC@46DD65 8C2:?D D6G6C2= E:>6D 6249 52Jj 62E:?8 2 D6CG:?8 @7 ?FED 6249 52Jj 2?5 4@?DF>:?8 76H6C 52:CJ AC@5F4ED]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 |65:E6CC2?62? 5:6E 6>A92D:K6D 7C6D9[ ?@?\AC@46DD65 7@@5D E92E 2C6 C:49 :? 962=E9\AC@>@E:?8 G:E2>:?D 2?5 >:?6C2=D[ 2?5 C6D62C49 92D AC@G6? E92E :E :D :562= 7@C =@?8\E6C> 962CE 962=E9 2?5 H6:89E 4@?EC@=] }F>6C@FD DEF5:6D 92G6 56>@?DEC2E65 E96 36?67:ED @7 E96 |65:E6CC2?62? 5:6E @? 962CE 962=E9[ :?4=F5:?8 C65F4E:@? @7 962CE 2EE24<D 2?5 DEC@<6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm$EF5:6D 92G6 AC@G6? E92E 7@==@H:?8 2 |65:E6CC2?62? =:76DEJ=6 H@F=5 C65F46 E96 C:D< @7 p=K96:>6C’D 3J eg A6C46?E[ 2?5 >6E23@=:4 DEF5:6D 92G6 D9@H? C65F4E:@?D :? 6=6G2E65 3=@@5 DF82C 2?5 3=@@5 AC6DDFC6 2?5 :>AC@G6>6?ED :? 23?@C>2= 49@=6DE6C@= AC@7:=6D 2?5 G2D4F=2C :?7=2>>2E:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 >2:? 4@>A@?6?ED @7 E96 |65:E6CC2?62? 5:6E :?4=F56 H9@=6 8C2:?D[ 7C6D9 7CF:E 2?5 G686E23=6D[ ?FED[ 362?D @C =68F>6D[ 7:D9[ @=:G6 @:= 2?5 C65 H:?6[ E92E 2== A=2J 2? :?E68C2= A2CE @7 E9:D =:76DEJ=6] z2D9:[ BF:?@2[ 32C=6J 2?5 @2E>62= 2C6 E96 >@DE 4@>>@? H9@=6 8C2:?D] p H9@=6 W?@E C67:?65X 8C2:? :D @?6 E92E 4@?E2:?D E96 6?E:C6 H9@=6 8C2:? <6C?6= 4@?D:DE:?8 @7 E96 @FE6C =2J6C[ 42==65 E96 3C2?[ H9:49 AC@G:56D 7:36C[ E96 :??6C =2J6C[ H9:49 AC@G:56D 4@>A=6I 42C3@9J5C2E6D 2?5 AC@E6:? 2?5 2? :??6C =2J6C AC@G:5:?8 G:E2>:?D[ >:?6C2=D 2?5 AC@E6:?]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmp 5:6E C:49 :? H9@=6 8C2:?D 92D 366? D9@H? E@ C65F46 E96 C:D< @7 962CE 5:D62D6[ 5:236E6D 2?5 42?46C] uC6D9 7CF:E 2?5 G686E23=6D AC@G:56 4@>A=6I 42C3@9J5C2E6D[ 7:36C 2?5 2 9F86 2>@F?E @7 G:E2>:?D 2?5 >:?6C2=D] t2E:?8 2 G2C:6EJ @7 4@=@CD :D >@DE 36?67:4:2= E@ C65F46 E96 C:D< 7@C 962CE 5:D62D6 2?5 42?46C]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmp=>@?5D 2?5 H2=?FED AC@G:56 2 9F86 D@FC46 @7 >@?@F?D2EFC2E65 72ED[ @>682\b 72EEJ 24:5D[ AC@E6:?[ 7:36C 2?5 G:E2>:?D] }FED 42? D6CG6 2D 2 8@@5 D?24< 5F6 E@ E96:C 9:89 D2E:6EJ G2=F6] {68F>6D AC@G:56 2? 6I46==6?E AC@E6:? D@FC46[ :?D@=F3=6 2?5 D@=F3=6 7:36C D@FC46 2?5 =@ED @7 G:E2>:?D] {68F>6D 92G6 366? D9@H? E@ 564C62D6 E96 C:D< 7@C 962CE 5:D62D6[ 42?46C 2?5 5:236E6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 7:D9 4@?E2:?:?8 E96 9:896DE 2>@F?ED @7 @>682\b 72EEJ 24:5D 2C6 D2=>@?[ 2=324@C6 EF?2[ EC@FE[ 7=@F?56C[ !@==@4<[ 96CC:?8 2?5 D2C5:?6D] #68F=2C 4@?DF>AE:@? @7 2? @:=J 7:D9 AC@G:56D 2 962=E9J 67764E @? 49@=6DE6C@= 2?5 EC:8=J46C:56 =6G6=D 2?5 C65F46D E96 C:D< @7 962CE 2EE24<]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmpD >2?J >2J <?@H[ @=:G6 @:= :D E96 962CE 2?5 D@F= @7 E96 |65:E6CC2?62? 5:6E] &D:?8 >@?@F?D2EFC2E65 @=:G6 @:= @? 2 C68F=2C 32D:D :D 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 C65F4:?8 E96 C:D< @7 962CE 5:D62D6[ 5:236E6D[ 42?46C 2?5 :?7=2>>2E@CJ 5:D62D6D[ DF49 2D 2CE9C:E:D 2?5 2DE9>2[ 2D H6== 2D A@D:E:G6=J :>A24E:?8 49@=6DE6C@= C2E:@] #6D62C49 92D D9@H? E92E >@56C2E6 2=4@9@= 4@?DF>AE:@?[ A2CE:4F=2C=J C65 H:?6[ H:== =@H6C E96 C:D< 7@C 962CE 5:D62D6] p?E:@I:52?ED 2C6 >@C6 23F?52?E :? C65 H:?6 5F6 E@ E96 52C< 4@=@C 2?5 D6CG6 E@ =@H6C 325 49@=6DE6C@=[ C2:D6 8@@5 49@=6DE6C@= 2?5 >2<6 2 A@D:E:G6 :>A24E @? 3=@@5 4=@EE:?8] |@56C2E6 4@?DF>AE:@? @7 2=4@9@= :D 567:?65 2D @?6 E@ EH@ d\@F?46 8=2DD6D 2 52J]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmp=E9@F89 5:6E :D 2E E96 7@C67C@?E @7 E96 |65:E6CC2?62? H2J @7 =:G:?8[ 6I6C4:D6[ C6=2I2E:@? E@ C6=:6G6 DEC6DD 2?5 D>@<:?8 46DD2E:@? 2C6 :>A@CE2?E E@ C@F?5 @FE E96 =:76DEJ=6] $@>6E:>6D C676CC65 E@ 2D E96 D:=6?E <:==6C[ 49C@?:4 DEC6DD 42? AC6D6?E G6CJ 92C>7F= 962=E9 C:D<D E@ E96 3@5J] tG6CJ@?6 6IA6C:6?46D 2?5 92?5=6D DEC6DD @? 5:776C6?E =6G6=Dj E96C67@C6[ :E :D :>A@CE2?E E@ 2DD6DD H92E :D 42FD:?8 E96 DEC6DD 2?5 92G6 2 C62=:DE:4 A=2? E@ >2<6 A@D:E:G6 492?86D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm$E6AD E@ C65F46 DEC6DD :? J@FC =:76 >2J :?4=F56 52:=J 6I6C4:D6[ >65:E2E:?8[ AC2J:?8[ 6>3C24:?8 C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D[ D6EE:?8 C62=:DE:4 8@2=D[ =:G:?8 H:E9:? J@FC >62?D[ AC24E:4:?8 J@82[ 6?;@J:?8 9@33:6D 2?5 24E:G:E:6D 2H2J 7C@> H@C<[ 92G:?8 2 A@D:E:G6 @FE=@@< @? =:76[ ?6G6C =@D:?8 J@FC D6?D6 @7 9F>@C[ =2F89:?8[ D>:=:?8 2?5 6?;@J:?8 =:76] x? 255:E:@? E@ D6CG:?8 2D DEC6DD C6=:67[ A2CE:4:A2E:?8 :? C68F=2C 6I6C4:D6 AC@G:56D ?F>6C@FD 962=E9 36?67:ED[ :?4=F5:?8 AC@>@E:?8 H6:89E =@DD 2?5 H6:89E >2:?E6?2?46[ 2D H6== 2D :?4C62D:?8 42C5:@G2D4F=2C 2?5 3@?6 962=E9]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmp BF:4< 7:I :D ?@E 2=H2JD E96 4@CC64E 2?DH6C[ 6DA64:2==J H96? :E 4@>6D E@ H6:89E =@DD 2?5 =@?8\E6C> 962=E9] %96 |65:E6CC2?62? 5:6E @776CD 2 56=:4:@FD G2C:6EJ @7 A=2?E\32D65 7@@5D E92E 2C6 C625:=J 2G2:=23=6] $:>A=6 >62=D AC6A2C65 H:E9 >:?:>2==J AC@46DD65 7@@5D H:E9 E96 7C6D96DE :?8C65:6?ED 2C6 E96 7@F?52E:@? @7 E96 |65:E6CC2?62? =:76DEJ=6[ 2D H6== 2D :?4@CA@C2E:?8 >62E 2?5 DH66ED :? >@56C2E:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 |65:E6CC2?62? =:76DEJ=6 AC@G:56D 2 962=E9J H2J E@ =@D6 H6:89E[ C65F46 DEC6DD 2?5 564C62D6 E96 C:D< @7 962CE 5:D62D6[ 5:236E6D 2?5 42?46C] t>3C24:?8 2 =:76DEJ=6 @7 962=E9J 923:ED 4@>3:?65 H:E9 62E:?8 BF2=:EJ 7@@5 :? 4@?EC@==65 A@CE:@?D :D E96 |65:E6CC2?62? H2J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmk6>myF=:6 wF5D@? :D 2 5:6E:4:2? 2E E96 {2<6 |2CE:? (6==?6DD r6?E6C :? s256G:==6]k^6>mk^DA2?mk^Am

