People who follow the Mediterranean diet live longer in better health, with a lower risk of dementia, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers. This way of eating is also linked to lower weight and improved sleep. In, short, improved health span and quality of life.1
Central to this way of eating are vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, whole grains, seafood, some meat and olive oil. You can get these benefits in eight simple steps – that involve minimal changes to your lifestyle.
Taking DailyColours® would already give you a big head start – because DailyColours® is packed with polyphenols – including 161 plant colour nutrients. And diversity in your diet is proven to be central to long-term health.
Here are 8 other easy ways.
1. Add beans to soups, salads, pasta dishes and main meals
Beans and chickpeas are great sources of fibre – and a rich source of polyphenols in their seed coats. Very few people get enough fibre or polyphenols.
The beans can be black beans, kidney beans, soybeans, pinto beans – or even beans on toast which adds the valuable red colour nutrient, lycopene, from the tomato sauce.
Beans taste better by browning them in the oven with onions – which caramelises them for an improved flavour. Beans also make you feel full quicker and stabilise blood sugar levels.
2. Add fresh herbs to as many meals as you can
Herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and parsley are packed with polyphenols with anti-inflammatory properties and add quick flavour and enhance the nutritional impact of any meal.
Basil pairs well with tomatoes, salads, and pasta.
Oregano (a member of the mint family) and sage are rich in antioxidants, have antibacterial properties and enrich sauces and grilled meats.
Rosemary tastes slightly piney, and enhances roasted vegetables, chicken, and lamb. Researchers claim it is a significant contributor to Mediterranean diet benefits.
Parsley: is high in vitamin C, vitamin K, and antioxidant polyphenols.
Saffron ads a golden colour and attractive aroma to rice, seafood, and soups.
3. Ensure olive oil is your main fat source
Although it has recently become rather expensive, it needs to be cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil which has a much higher level of polyphenols than refined olive oil.
Olive oil has anti-inflammatory and cardio-vascular benefits – and helps protect blood cholesterol from oxidation. Olive oil has also been shown to lower blood pressure.1
Make extra virgin olive oil your main fat source, replacing butter and other saturated fats when you can. For example, scrambled eggs made with olive oil tastes better and is a healthier dish.
Olive oil's dominant fatty acid is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat. Although it is quite resistant to high heat, wherever you can add olive oil at the end of cooking, rather than frying with it – which can damage some of the health benefits.
Numerous benefits are linked to an intake of ½ a tablespoonful of olive oil a day.
4. Eat fish at least twice a week
Especially fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herrings, trout and sild – which are immature herrings. These fish all contain Omega-3 which is an important element in the walls of your 37 trillion cells – including neurons or brain cells.
Omega 3 is linked to lower rates of depression, reduced risk of vision deterioration called macular degeneration,3 and lower risk of heart disease because it helps lower triglycerides (blood fats), can stop blood platelets clumping together and cause blot clots and helps reduce inflammation.
Fresh fish can be expensive – but a simple tin of sardines on toast is cheap – and the sardines are packed with heart healthy Omega-3 and CoQ10.
Squeeze a little lemon juice on your vegetables and add fresh garlic, chilli, lemon, and lime juice to bring out natural flavours.
5. Eat a handful of nuts a day
In one study, people who added a handful of nuts to an already healthy Mediterranean style diet had an additional 19% lower risk of dying prematurely from any cause.5
Nuts are low in carbohydrates and contain high levels of protein, fibre and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. So they do not raise blood sugar levels much when eaten. They help reduce inflammation and are known to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which may protect your heart.6
People who eat peanuts appear to have a somewhat lower risk of colorectal, endometrial, and pancreatic cancers.7 Peanuts also provide folate, which is important for pregnant women. But go easy on salted peanuts!
Nuts support gut health – as the fibre acts as a prebiotic, (which helps tip the balance towards beneficial gut bacteria) and the polyphenols also support gut health.8
All nuts are good for you with almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, and peanuts, having solid research support. In one list of healthy snacks almonds came out as Number One. In another 2026 study, people who ate a handful of pecans a day lowered their cholesterol and triglyceride levels.12
6. Accompany your summer main meal with a salad of dark leafy greens and seasonal vegetables. And vegetable soups in the winter.
Although we talk about the need for 5-a-day, research from Imperial College London shows that the real target should have been 10 a day.9 For most people that is a target too far – which makes the case for a plant nutrient supplement like DailyColours®.
The same research indicates that the extra portions should emphasise vegetables over fruit. An easy way to boost your veggie intake is to add a salad – at least in the summer.
And in the winter a vegetable and bean-based soup is an easy way to add some veggie portions. Sainsbury's have an ultra-cheap range of 3 bean soups under their Good For You range.
7. Consume yogurt, cheese, eggs, and poultry in moderation
The Mediterranean diet features poultry as a main meat course – with lamb prominent in Greece. Although our objective is 'mainly plant based' and some people avoid meat on ethical grounds, meat does have a place in the Mediterranean diet. It is a source of complete protein, vitamin B12, important minerals and nutrient density.
Eat red meat sparingly, as it contains haem iron, which is harmful when it breaks down into damaging nitrosamine compounds during cooking at high temperatures. These compounds can irritate the gut and increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Iron in men and post-menopausal women is pro-inflammatory and can increase the risk of heart disease. Which is why, unless they have been assessed as iron deficient, men and post-menopausal women should not take a supplement containing iron.
What you should eat only VERY rarely are processed meats which are strongly linked to bowel and colorectal cancer. Processed meats include ham, bacon, hot dogs and salami.
White meat, such as chicken and turkey, is not linked to an increased risk of cancer.
Eggs are a great source of protein and choline which is now classified as an essential nutrient. They are not linked to raised cholesterol issues and most people can eat an egg a day with no problems.
In fact the choline in eggs is an important building block for brain health. Choline is needed to make acetylcholine, an key neurotransmitter - and is involved in memory, muscle movement, and regulating heartbeat.
Yogurt, of course is a valuable source of probiotics and gut health – which in turn is strongly linked to improved immune function.
Cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, gouda, brie, camembert, and especially blue cheese are fermented foods – produced when milk is fermented by bacteria or fungi. They also contain probiotics. Cheese (and beef) also contain a type of fat called C15:0 that – in moderation – has been shown to support mitochondrial function.
But moderation is important in cheese consumption – due to it's high animal fat and calorie level.
8. Build these simple 8 cooking habits into your lifestyle
Build these simple 8 cooking habits into your lifestyle and you are well on your way to Mediterranean diet benefits.
References
- Mediterranean Diet and Quality of Life in Adults: A Systematic Review
- Effects of Olive Oil on Blood Pressure: Epidemiological, Clinical, and Mechanistic Evidence - PMC
- Olive Oil Consumption and Cardiovascular Risk in U.S. Adults - PMC
- Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and fish intake and risk of age-related macular degeneration - PubMed
- The effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on fibrin and thrombin generation in healthy subjects and subjects with cardiovascular disease - PubMed
- Nut consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies
- Nuts and Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes: A Review of the Evidence and Future Directions
- The relationship between nut intake and risk of colorectal cancer: a case control study | Nutrition Journal | Springer Nature Link
- Dietary Polyphenol, Gut Microbiota, and Health Benefits
- Eating 10 portions of fruits and veg daily best for health
- Processed and red meat and cancer | Cancer Research UK
- Pecans found to improve cholesterol and boost heart health | ScienceDaily