Why the Mediterranean diet is one of the best choices for heart health

The Mediterranean diet had been around for decades when researchers discovered that foods eaten by people who lived around the Mediterranean Sea helped protect them against heart disease.

The Mediterranean diet isn’t really a diet in the traditional sense. It doesn’t require calorie counting or specific menus.

It focuses on filling your plate with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, and using olive oil, while avoiding processed foods, refined grains and oils, added sugars, sodium and saturated fats.

“The Mediterranean diet is good for your heart because it emphasizes healthy fats and fiber and minimizes things like red meat and sugar that can have a negative impact on cholesterol and blood pressure,” said Sarah Alexander, MD, a cardiologist with Endeavor Health.  

This cultural style of eating emphasizes plant-based foods with limited amounts of animal foods, all while encouraging exercise and enjoying meals with others.

According to U.S. News & World Report’s annual list, the Mediterranean diet is the top ranked diet for heart health. The diet may help you:

• Lose excess weight due to a focus on whole, fresh foods
• Keep your heart and brain healthier
• Prevent or control diabetes
• Protect against certain types of cancer
• Relieve depression symptoms

A typical daily diet may consist of:

• Breakfast: 0% fat Greek yogurt with mixed fruits and a drop of honey
• Lunch: A salad containing tomatoes, cucumbers, white onions, beans, Kalamata olives and a little crumbled feta cheese and tossed in olive oil, lemon juice, salt (to taste), pepper, and oregano
• Dinner: Any fish or seafood with a side of vegetables, and quinoa
• Snack: Any low-calorie dip, like hummus, combined with chopped vegetables or a small serving of nuts

The American Heart Association also recommends the Mediterranean diet as a way of preventing heart disease and stroke and reducing risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Try adding this Mediterranean diet recipe to your dinner rotation.

Mediterranean Salmon en Papillote

Ingredients:

• 4 center-cut salmon filets, 4-6 oz each
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (save the green tops, or fennel “fronds,” for later)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 2 large leeks (white to very light green parts only), thinly sliced and rinsed well
• 1 ½ cups raw baby spinach
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• Juice of 1 lemon (fresh squeezed)
• ⅔ cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 4 tsp olive oil
• White wine (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parchment paper, baking sheet(s)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Fold a 20-inch sheet of parchment paper in half and cut a large heart shape out of it. Do this 3 more times, making 1 heart for each salmon filet.
3. Place ¼ of the fennel bulb slices, ¼ of the baby spinach leaves, and ¼ of the leek slices on the center of the parchment paper heart, near the fold. Repeat 3 times for each of the 4 parchment paper hearts, until you’ve used up all of the fennel, leeks and spinach.
4. Place 2 thin lemon slices on top of the vegetables, side by side. Do this for each of the 4 parchment paper hearts.
5. Place 1 salmon filet on top of each pile of vegetables/lemon slices.
6. Arrange ½ cup cherry tomatoes and a few Kalamata olives around each filet, until there are no more cherry tomatoes or Kalamata olives remaining.
7. Drizzle ¼ of the lemon juice and 1 tsp of the olive oil over each filet. Drizzle a small amount of white wine over each as well, if desired.
8. Season with salt & pepper.
9. Top with 1-2 more thin lemon slices and sprinkle a little of the green fennel tops, or “fronds,” onto each filet.
10. Fold the edges of the parchment paper together to seal the edges and enclose the salmon filet. Begin at the point of the heart and continue creating small overlapping folds until you reach the top of the heart. Twist the ends to ensure a tight seal. Repeat for the other 3 salmon filets.
11. Carefully transfer the parchment paper “bags” of salmon onto a baking sheet and bake in the pre-heated oven for approximately 10-15 minutes. The parchment paper should brown slightly and may puff up as the fish cooks and the bags fill with steam.
12. Carefully remove from the baking sheet and place each “bag” onto a plate. When ready to eat, cut the bags open with a knife to allow the steam to escape then enjoy directly from the parchment paper.