Med Month 2018

Another year, another May: another International Mediterranean Diet Month! While we always love Med Month, this year is particularly special for us here at Oldways—because it’s part of the 25th anniversary of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

Mediterranean Diet Pyramid

In a partnership with the Harvard School of Public Health, Oldways created the first Mediterranean Diet Pyramid in 1993 using the most current nutrition research to represent a healthy, traditional Med Diet. It was based on the dietary traditions of Crete, Greece, and southern Italy circa 1960, a time when the rates of chronic disease among these populations were among the lowest in the world, and adult life expectancy was among the highest—even though medical services were limited.

25 years later, studies have shown over and over that the Mediterranean Diet is good for you. Among many other things, the Mediterranean Diet is linked with:

  • Significantly less plaque buildup in arteries
  • 38% lower risk of frailty in older adults (60+)
  • 30% lower risk of heart disease, and significantly lower risk of stroke in high-risk patients

Although the Med Diet is now well-known (it’s currently tied for #1 in US News and World Report’s diet rankings!), this wasn’t the case in 1993. Oldways played a huge part in bringing this lifestyle to America, and was also a pioneer of including wine (in moderation, of course) and daily exercise as part of dietary guidance.

Oldways is so proud to have played a significant part in this movement—and we’re so glad that you’re joining us on the journey! This May, help us celebrate Med Month by exploring our Med resources (and make sure you check back at the beginning of May for some new ones!), cooking some Med recipes, and following along with #MedMonth on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. We’ll be tweeting a new recipe every day, so you’ll have plenty of fodder for your own Med Month celebration!

Happy Med Month, and happy 25 years to the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid!

Join the Make Every Day Mediterranean Club Facebook group for additional information and support.

Comments

Terrie
Interested in learning about this diet.
kellygraceweaver
Hi Terrie, you've come to the right place! We have lots of information in our Resources section. And if you're looking to get started, check out our Recipes section and our 4-week Med Diet menu plan! Keep us posted on how you're doing with it, and let us know if you have any questions. https://www.oldwayswebstore.org/oldways-4-week-mediterranean-diet-menu-plan-book/
Patti
Nutritious & delicious way to eat!
Debora King
interested in more details and menu plans. need to improve diet with a little less processed food, more plant based items, fresher and less ingredients,
kellygraceweaver
Hi Debora, Thanks so much for writing! We actually do have a menu plan, which you can check out at the link below. And if you're not already, make sure you're signed up for our Fresh Fridays newsletter (you can subscribe at the bottom of this page) - we send additional recipes every other week. https://www.oldwayswebstore.org/oldways-4-week-mediterranean-diet-menu-plan-book/
gaynlf1
I love the Mediterranean diet and i find that following my instincts, it comes completely naturally to me.
kellygraceweaver
We think so too! So glad you're enjoying it.

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