Mediterranean Diet Things to Eat, Cooking Tips, and Modifications

Written by Kenneth Lee 2020-09-09

Here’s a Diet That Treats Depression

Did you know that A healthy diet is associated with an approximately 30% reduction in the risk for depression and a 40% improvement in your thinking? There’s been a growing body of research showing an association between diet, inflammation and depression. Recently two Australian studies show that eating a Mediterranean style diet actually improved depression symptoms. That’s only two studies, so we have a ways to go to get to where we can rely on this as an official protocol. But even with what we have, the results are consistent enough to recommend this as an intervention for depression..
The diet is a modified Mediterranean diet, called the Medimod diet. You don’t count calories or keep up with points. Instead, you eat brain healthy foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, beans, fish and extra virgin olive oil. You also reduce or eliminate foods that are bad for the brain like refined cereals, fried and sugary foods, processed foods and refined flour like white bread,.
What are processed foods?
Things like deli meats, crackers, cookies, and chips. You want to eat foods as close to their original state as possible. Foods close to their original state are called whole foods..
If you can’t tolerate gluten, you can still follow the diet but eat non-gluten containing grains. Gluten is found in wheat, rye and barley..
Some non-gluten containing whole grains are buckwheat, oats, millet, and rye. Whole wheat is the most common, but variety is important, so you want to try some of the other grains. Whole grain options for rice are brown or black rice. Other whole grains are couscous and quinoa. For pasta and bread, you want to look for 100% whole wheat or whole grain..
What makes this work?
We know that inflammation contributes to depression. Healthy diets are ¬anti-inflammatory, and are rich in B-vitamins and folate which is important for brain function. These nutrients improve neuroplasticity which improves depression. Neuroplasticity refers to the connections between the neurons. Tight connections are good because that’s what the nerves need to communicate with each other. Loose connections are bad because it makes it harder for the nerves to transfer messages between the cells..
How long does it take to work? In these studies, they didn’t retest the people until 3 months later. So we don’t know if people started to feel better sooner than that. But there have been other studies using the Mediterranean diet. Some of these studies show that your gut microbiome changes in just 2-3 weeks. What kind of bacteria you have in your gut, dictates the health of your gut. The health of your gut influences the health of your whole body including your brain. What we don’t know is the lag time between improved gut bacteria and improved mood..
Even if you don’t have depression, the Mediterranean diet is associated with decreased risk of stroke and heart attacks. You may need to adjust it to your special needs like if you are lactose intolerant or need to have low protein because of kidney disease. But the best part of this diet that works no matter how you need to modify it, is the reduction in processed food and sugar. Whether you eat Paleo or keto, eating whole foods can make a world of difference..
Medimod Guide (free download) http://markspsychiatry.com/the-depression-diet.
Depression and Neuoroplasticity video https://youtu.be/Fid1LnGYp3s.
References.
Rachelle S. Opie, Adrienne O’Neil, Felice N. Jacka, Josephine Pizzinga & Catherine Itsiopoulos (2018)A modified Mediterranean dietary intervention for adults with major depression: Dietary protocol and feasibility data from the SMILES trial, Nutritional Neuroscience, 21:7, 487-501,.
Jacka et al. A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the ‘SMILES’ trial). BMC Medicine (2017) 15:23.
Lai JS, Hiles S, Bisquera A, Hure AJ, McEvoy M, Attia J. A systematic review and meta-analysis of dietary patterns and depression in communitydwelling adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;99:181–97..
Marx W et al, Nutritional psychiatry: the present state of the evidence..
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2017;76(4):427-436.
Want to know more about mental health and self-improvement? On this channel I discuss topics such as bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), relationships and personal development/self-improvement. I upload weekly. If you don’t want to miss a video, click here to subscribe. https://goo.gl/DFfT33.
Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.

Mediterranean Diet Things to Eat, Cooking Tips, and Modifications

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Video taken from the channel: Dr. Tracey Marks

Mediterranean Meal Plan | Easy & Healthy Homemade Dressing | Prep School

Show Description

At its core, the Mediterranean diet paves the way for a minimally processed way of eating. The overall culinary landscape is rooted in preparing fresh, seasonal ingredients with plant-based flavor agents (olive oil, citrus, herbs and spices), whole grains and lean proteins. Let us know what you think in the comment section below..
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Watch this video on YouTube

Video taken from the channel: EatingWell

Based on the traditional cooking styles of countries surrounding the Mediterranean sea, the Mediterranean diet offers a heart-healthy approach to planning your meals. When following this diet, you can expect to eat a variety of plant-based foods along with moderate amounts of fish, dairy, and poultry.Eggs: Chicken, quail and duck eggs. Dairy: Cheese, yogurt, Greek yogurt, etc. Herbs and spices: Garlic, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, etc.

Read: Getting Began Using the Acidity Reflux Diet

Healthy Fats: Extra virgin olive.The not-so-surprising secret is an active lifestyle, weight control, and a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods. The Mediterranean Diet.The Mediterranean diet is actually more of a style of eating that involves lots of olive oil, fresh fruits and veggies, fatty fish, and even the occasional glass of red wine. Here’s everything you.

The Mediterranean diet is known to be one of the healthiest in the world, and luckily, one of the most delicious too. Countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Italy, France and Spain eat a diet based largely on fish, nuts, vegetables, beans, olive oil, fruits and cereal grains.Plant-based foods are the focus on the Mediterranean diet, which is based on the eating habits of early 1960s Greece and Southern Italy, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The diet emphasizes.The Mediterranean diet puts a higher focus on plant foods than many other diets.

It is not uncommon for vegetables, whole grains, and legumes to make up all or most of a.Whole grains should form a part of any healthy diet. Read our in-depth guide to learn about the health benefits and get started.

Then, just pick! Pasta, bulgur wheat (the base of tabbouleh), farro, millet, whole-grain cornmeal or corn grits—there are a wealth of options and, of course, we have recipes for all of them.The DASH diet allows more dairy products and meat, while the Mediterranean diet includes regular use of olive oil.

A plant-based, vegetarian or vegan diet can also be a healthy way to eat. The most important thing is to focus on the overall quality of your diet.The Mediterranean diet—modeled after the Italians and the Greeks— just won best diet of the year. Here’s a food list to follow if you’re sticking to Mediterranean eating.

Key foods for a Mediterranean meal plan, according to the University of Wisconsin, include the following. Foods to Eat a Lot Of Vegetables: Leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus and more, as well as starchy vegetables such as potatoes and sweet potatoes.The Mediterranean Diet is a popular plant based lifestyle choice. Eat This, Not That! mediterranean diet guides & recipes make it easy to start & follow!

As the name suggests, it’s based on the eating style of people who live in the Mediterranean region, which includes a lot of fish, legumes, vegetables, and healthy fats like olive oil. A common way to frame the diet is thinking about it as a food pyramid. At the bottom are the foods you should eat the most of: fish, produce, and legumes.The Mediterranean diet is situated on the food pyramid in this way: meats and sweets at the top in the smallest triangle, then poultry, eggs and yogurt, then fish and seafood, then in the largest category is fruits, vegetables, grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, herbs and spices.

A traditional diet of the Mediterranean region includes a generous portion of contemporary turn out, whole grains, and legumes, similarly as some healthful fats and fish. Foods to Eat: Vegetables: embody three to nine servings on a daily basis.

List of related literature:

The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of olive oil, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and cereals; moderate intake of fish and poultry; low intake of dairy products, red meat, processed meats, and sweets; and moderate intake of wine consumed with meals.
from Understanding Pathophysiology E-Book by Sue E. Huether, Kathryn L. McCance Elsevier Health Sciences, 2019
These ingredients constitute the bounty of the Mediterranean, the stuff of which its cuisines are built.”1 Her cookbooks, then, organize Mediterranean dishes according to their most important ingredients—olive oil, peppers, fish, lamb, eggplant, garlic, and legumes.
from Food Culture in the Mediterranean by Carol Helstosky Greenwood Press, 2009
So what exactly is the Mediterranean dietary pattern, and how can you adopt its lessons in your life?
from The Doctor Is In: 7 Easy, Positive Steps to Take Right Now to Transform Your Health by Travis Stork M.D. Gallery Books, 2010
There isn’t a specific Mediterranean diet.
from Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices Today for a Healthier, Happier You by Walt Larimore, Phillip Bishop Harvest House Publishers, 2019
If you want to learn more about the Mediterranean diet, see page 21.
from The Better Period Food Solution: Eat Your Way to a Lifetime of Healthier Cycles by Tracy Lockwood Beckerman Ulysses Press, 2019
The Mediterranean diet of which the Italian is an exemplar uses much fresh fruit and lots of vegetables, little butterfat, much olive oil, and carbohydrates such as pasta, polenta, and risotto, fish when available, and relatively little meat.
from The Pursuit of Pleasure by Lionel Tiger Transaction Publishers,
Mediterranean diets: historical and research overview.
from Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food Production by Vaclav Smil MIT Press, 2004
The Mediterranean diet is a varied one, and it includes lots of foods.
from Functional Food Product Development by Jim Smith, Edward Charter Wiley, 2011
Mediterranean diet of Crete: foods and nutrient content.
from Olives and Olive Oil in Health and Disease Prevention by Victor R. Preedy, Ronald Ross Watson Elsevier Science, 2010
Mediterranean diet, traditional
from Integrative Medicine E-Book by David Rakel Elsevier Health Sciences, 2012

Kenneth Lee

An elite martial artist and passionate pharmacist, dedicated to the synthesis of new medications for different human ailments.

Mediterranean Corn and Farro Salad With Grilled Halloumi

13 comments

Malagrel 2020-09-10 - 05:11

Is there any evidence for other MH illnesses like OCD and Bipolar?

Marirana 2020-09-11 - 02:00

It’s great that you talk about non-farmaceutical treatments. My doctors didn’t tell me anything about it. I follow recommendations in this video, i also found out,that omega-3 fatty acids,bone broth and eggs are VERY beneficial. Nutrition helped me more than medication. I talk about it extensively on my channel.

Tojind 2020-09-12 - 06:16

Talking about sports or books is not therapy…

What if the person was stuck in a rut, and to help them, they were engaged with, by talking about books?

Pehelm 2020-09-12 - 19:53

But I know plenty of healthy eating people who have serious bouts with depression…?..

Ishngar 2020-09-14 - 15:36

Totally agree about the connection! Cutting out gluten made me feel so much better mentally, much less brain fog. (This is coming from a highly skeptical person!) try it:-)

Malaghma 2020-09-15 - 15:15

CORRECTION I omitted the fish recommendation on the MediMod Diet handout. I corrected it and if you are on my email list, I resent it it you already. If you downloaded it from my website I’ve uploaded the corrected version on Sept 26th and you can go and download it here: http://markspsychiatry.com/the-depression-diet/

Kecage 2020-09-16 - 01:33

Thanks a lot for your educating videos! Unfortunately I still didn’t find the clue to get control over my depression. I eat quite healthy, I supplement some things like Vit D, I move my body regularly (and sometimes do specific cardio), I do therapy since several years and analyze my problems, I confront myself with my fears and I train my ability to trust people. What I didn’t accomplish is finding a job with a supportig atmosphere, friends or even a partner. It’s exhausting… soon I am starting again with antidepressive medication…

Dougis 2020-09-16 - 09:57

I am new to the Med Diet and your salad prep looks great however I do not like making my own salad dressing. Any healthy suggestions on what to buy at the grocery store?

JoJolar 2020-09-17 - 12:27

Food indeed cure not 30 percent but 100 percent, information is not complete, watch my video to know more

Malaghma 2020-09-18 - 13:21

Hi Dr. Marks, I am a recent subscriber and want to thank you for taking the time to create your content. I have found it very informative. I especially like how you give examples to explain concepts that can be hard to understand.

I have battled depression since my early 20’s. I am now in my early 50’s. I am currently in a very low mood cycle and struggle with negative self talk. I know that exercise and eating right can help, my trouble is with motivation. I make lists in my mind and even keep a notebook of things I ‘should’ do to feel better. I am able to sustain a job because I can turn on a switch sort of speak, and mask my symptoms by pretending. But, the energy it takes to sustain this act exhausts me. I have no energy or desire to shop and prepare the right foods, or exercise. My interpersonal relationships suffer because I have no energy left to give. I just want to sleep, or I will research online all of the things that can help me recover, but never seem to follow through. I hope I am making sense? I am wondering if you can speak on the issue of motivation, or lack there of? Knowing what we should do, but finding it difficult to get there. Anything that can help. Thanks again.

Nashakar 2020-09-21 - 05:24

Dr.tracey i have schizophrenia can you please tell that if i tolerate psychological abuse or torture what will haven in worst cases Please i will be very fortunate to knew the truth

Born 2020-09-21 - 13:17

Agreed about inflammation. I can go from being severely depressed to feeling good after taking ibuprofen. High EPA fish oil help also.

Sternskin 2020-09-22 - 21:34

This look looks amazing on you Dr.., les clownish.,
Your professional look gives credibility and confidence to your information.
Could you do a video in depression and anemia after 50.menopause mental health etc.
Thank you
I know you take comments professional matter.

Mediterranean Diet Things to Eat, Cooking Tips, and Modifications

Here’s a Diet That Treats Depression

Mediterranean Meal Plan | Easy & Healthy Homemade Dressing | Prep School

Mediterranean Corn and Farro Salad With Grilled Halloumi

Mediterranean Diet Benefits and drawbacks

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