Stop Dieting—Eat Like a Mediterranean

When researchers looked at 27 studies comprised of over 2 million people they found that the Mediterranean diet is the eating plan best linked to reduced risk of cancer mortality—especially colon, breast and gastric.

Diets don’t work. In fact, when you count calories and restrict the foods you eat the opposite happens: Your body switches into survival mode and your metabolism slows down in an attempt to conserve energy. Levels of leptin—the appetite-suppressing hormone—decrease, causing you to feel hungrier and increasing cravings. As you continue to eat less than you need, your body starts to break down muscle to use for energy. This muscle loss causes your metabolism to slow even more, so you burn even fewer calories. Then the guilt and stress set in: Stress produces cortisol, which slows weight loss as well.

What does work? The Mediterranean diet—which isn’t a “diet” but a healthy eating lifestyle. People who live in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea live longer and with fewer chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s, obesity, and diabetes. In addition, a 2018 study by the National Institutes of Health found that participants following this diet had lower levels of inflammation.

Here’s what to eat: loads of veggies, fruit, whole grains, beans, healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, fish (at least twice a week), chicken, eggs, moderate amounts of dairy (especially plain yogurt), occasional small portions of red meat, sweets for special occasions.

So to be your healthiest, stick to real, whole foods that you cook (or at least assemble) yourself! And remember, eating fat DOESN'T make you fat—neither do healthy carbs. Both keep you full—and lean.