Flashback Friday: Improving on the Mediterranean Diet & Do Flexitarians Live Longer?

What are the four problematic nutritional aspects of even plant-based Mediterranean diets? Does just reducing one’s intake of meat, dairy, and eggs significantly reduce mortality?

Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM

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[adriannica]

Way to go! I shifted from a "vegetarian diet" where I was eating junk to a whole plant foods diet in just a couple of days! Thanks Doc!

[Cesar-chcd]

excelent as always. Michael, do you know the fenugreek seed? Does it have any use for health? Thank you

[marley]

Is it possible that those on plant based diet can have low hormone levels due to not consuming mammalian hormones anymore? Can it have such an effect on the women's reproductive cycle that I would need HRT?

[HolisticVeganChannel]

I do also wonder what role vitamin D from the sun plays in this, the Med being a very sunny and warm part of the world.

[jcjensenllc]

I went vegi and reversed all bad health issues. Hemroids, blood sugar, cholesterol, heart rythm, prostate, sleep, mood, acid reflux, and arthritis ALL IMPROVED.

[Terrysteele]

The Mediterranean diet is actually the Cretan diet. The Cretan diet is very different to most parts of the Mediterranean
Good video though
They didn’t call it the Cretan diet because Mediterranean was a more marketable name
In fact the Cretan diet was a lot healthier than any other part of the Mediterranean
So really the Mediterranean diet has nothing to do with the Mediterranean. Only the island of Crete

[deconcoder]

Favorite video of all time by DG. Stop the extremist nonsense, move people along a spectrum. FANTASTIC job!!

[Khepramancer]

Dr. Greger, could you please do a video on the growing carnivore diet craze? I'm aware of many of the studies and reports you've sited in previous videos, along with Dr. McDougall's work- and I certainly learn toward the whole food plant-based diet. However, I've heard many people saying on YouTube, that they're having rather good success (even after several years) of being on the carnivore diet. If you could address this topic, and the discrepancies in findings (studies v. personal anecdotes), that would be amazing! Thanks for all your work and guidance, Dr. Greger- cheers!

[AK.]

I had no idea dealcoholized wine even existed thank you for that!!!

[papparocket]

When talking to be people about the health effects of a WFPB diet, most aren't interested if it means no animal products or olive oil. So like this video suggests I tell them a diet is healthy to the degree that its calories come from a variety of whole or minimally processed plant foods and it is unhealthy to the degree that its calories come from animal foods and highly processed plant foods (refined sugar, vegetable oils (including EVOO or even EEVOO), and refined grains). Thus I say that they are in charge and can pick exactly how healthy they want themselves _and their kids_ to be (bringing in the health of their kids usually gets their attention).
The goal then is to strive at every meal to get as close to a WFPB diet as you possibly can. As a visual aid to help them get started I tell them to "turn their plate inside out". That is put the whole plant foods in the middle of your plate and move the meat and refined stuff as sides on the side. And then encourage them to not cook any extra meat but do cook some extra whole plant foods so that if they are still hungry and want seconds they can continue to eat whole plant foods until they are satisfied.
Also really helpful is to make a menu with the whole food dish being the main dish for each meal. Normally the main dish on any menu gets most of the culinary attention and ends up being the one that often tastes the best, with other items on the menu getting progressively less time and effort invested in their preparation. If the meat and refined crap is last, then it isn't going to taste as good as the main dish.
Another trick is to combine a little meat with something that has similar texture such as replacing 3/4 of the meat in a bolognese sauce with lentils. There is still the meat flavor, but most of the meaty texture is coming from the lentils.

[SteveSilverActor]

Thanks very much for this. I would love to see an episode devoted to the the consumption of oil, especially olive oil.

[mmmmm]

Is eating french fries and beer more healthy then hamberger and soda?

[DelectableDays]

Mediterranean isnt optimal but its definitely more palatable to the average American than going full plantbased.
Yes its loaded with olive oil, but its also loaded with vegetables. It seems that Americans cant live without there oil, Mediterranean might be the best we can hope for.

[nancygatto]

Its simple. At lost of dark greens. Get sun. Eat Whole Foods. Less of the oils

[mastersinr]

Most blue zones are close knit communities the social aspect plays a huge role in longevity.

[jakobw]

Isn't CHEESE a significant part of the Mediterranean Diet?

[debbiemcnorton]

Is it possible to address kratom in future videos?

[flabio]

Yeah but the Mediterranean culture is also very physically active, so higher calorie densities, more simple carbohydrates, and more salt is well advised. A plant based diet is still a great option, but please remember that athletes have different requirements than relatively sedentary people who need to lose weight.

[davidthescottishvegan]

I have a vegan whole plants foods diet that is based on high carbs, low in saturated fat and cholesterol and salt so I have reduced my chances of suffering from heart disease, strokes, diabetes, Alzheimer's and cancer.

[broddr]

Well, at least it's good to know that I can still cook with wine. Because most of the alcohol is boiled off, leaving the antioxidants and flavor in the dish.