1. Base your diet around minimally-processed foods.
The traditional Mediterranean diet developed before the age of fast food and microwave meals. Instead, this historic and treasured eating pattern features scratch cooked meals made from minimally-processed ingredients close to the earth. The more we learn about nutrition science, the more we see how this approach to eating may be good for our health as well.
Examples of minimally-processed ingredients include whole grains (brown rice, oats, farro, quinoa), fruits and vegetables, nuts and beans. Try starting your day with a warm bowl of oatmeal made from plain oats and sweetened with fresh fruits, instead of sugary prepackaged pastries or snack bars. For your afternoon snack, try a handful of unsalted almonds or cashews in place of chips.
In a 2020 study, 886 participants aged 57 to 91 years old were analyzed to see the association between highly-processed food consumption and telomere length. Longer telomeres are a marker of healthy aging, since telomeres help protect our DNA. Results of the study showed that those who ate more highly-processed foods had almost twice the odds of having short telomeres in comparison to those who ate fewer highly- processed foods.
2. Choose whole grains.
Most of a grain’s nutrients – and flavor – are concentrated in the bran and the germ of the grain, which are routinely removed when a grain is refined, as in white flour.
In fact, before the advent of steel roller milling in the late 19th century, most grains were eaten in their whole grain form out of necessity.
Try swapping your white bread for whole wheat bread, your mashed potatoes for whole grain pasta or your side of white rice for a side of brown rice. When you’re shopping, look for products that have the yellow Whole Grain Stamp, indicating whole grain content, or search for phrases like 100% whole wheat or whole grain on packages. Watch out for words like “wheat,” “stone-ground,” or “multigrain.” These may indicate that the product contains whole grains, but they're not a guarantee.
In a 2019 study, researchers evaluated whole grain intake and measured “successful aging” (using social, lifestyle and medical indicators) in a group of 3,349 adults ages 50 or more. Those eating the most whole grains (about seven servings per day) were significantly more likely to score higher on the “successful aging index” than those eating the least whole grains (about 1.5 servings per day).
Those eating the most whole grains were also less likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.
Similarly, a 2018 meta-analysis encompassing more than a million people found that each 1 ounce serving of whole grains daily is linked with a 9% lower risk of total mortality.
3. Use olive oil rather than butter or lard.
When you close your eyes and picture the Mediterranean diet, what's the first ingredient that comes to mind?
For many of us, the answer is olive oil, a prized staple in every Mediterranean kitchen. With olive oil’s robust lineup of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats – aka "good fats" – and polyphenols (healthy plant compounds with antioxidant properties), it's no surprise to learn that this nutritious oil may have healthy aging benefits as well.
In a 2020 study following more than 90,000 people for 24 years, those eating more than ½ tablespoon of olive oil per day had a 14% to 17% lower risk of heart disease compared with people who didn’t eat olive oil. The scientists also found that replacing 5 grams per day (roughly 1 teaspoon) of butter, margarine, mayonnaise or dairy fat with the equivalent amount of olive oil was also linked with a 5% to 7% lower risk of heart disease.
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