Top 3 Reasons the Mediterranean Diet Promotes Longevity

posted on: Oct 18, 2017

By: Dahlia Shaaban/Contributing Writer

It was in a past life, during my stint in Middle East conflict resolution, that I stumbled upon the ancestral wisdom of the Mediterranean diet. Springtime in Beirut, 2009 was a delicious epiphany.

I was in Lebanon to support training that my organization conducted for Iraqi partners, organizers, and  leaders. You can imagine the excitement and the giddiness of our Iraqi partners as they enjoyed a welcome respite from the violence and unrest engulfing their country.  They were trying to decompress and savor in a peaceful evening, and walks along the Mediterranean Corniche.

In our welcoming dinner, we reserved a long banquet table at an iconic restaurant nestled into an idyllic Arabesque courtyard in the middle of bustling downtown Beirut. A group of 25 Iraqis, Americans, and Lebanese broke bread over traditional meze, flatbreads, cheeses, and platters of skewered meats fresh from the grill.  

As we waited for our first course of meze, our servers turned our attention to our edible centerpieces: cornucopias of fresh Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers. Next to each centerpiece was a bowl of fresh lemons and a decorative jug of olive oil. They invited us to make our own first course of fresh salads.

The American in me was annoyed and confused, craving more familiarity and convenience. “Where’s the balsamic vinaigrette,” I wondered.

Other guests peeled, sliced, and dressed these fresh ingredients to fashion their first course. Their process:

• Squeezes of fresh lemon
• Sprinkles of fresh herbs: za’atar, sesame seeds,salt, and pepper
• Swirls of high-quality, antioxidant rich olive oil

I followed the lead of other dinner guests and was surprised with how high-quality olive oil and citrus was more than sufficient to create deep, complex flavors. The experience was a simple yet profound celebration of fresh, natural ingredients.

I decided then and there that I was done with store-bought dressings, and went on chocking all foods with preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients engineered in some lab. Why would I buy lifeless, gluey dressings when healthy, exciting flavor was as simple as sprinkles, squeezes, and swirls?

This teaching moment, among other ancestral food and lifestyle traditions, reveals why the Mediterranean diet continues to provide the Gold Standard as the most celebrated diet in the public health community for preventing chronic inflammatory diseases and promoting longevity. It’s not just how food is dressed and flavored; it’s the food itself and the lifestyle that accompanies it. Here are three areas where a Mediterranean diet delivers real nutritional value:

1.Freshly Foraged, Antioxidant-Rich Greens

Wild edible greens – think spinach, purslane, dandelion greens or hindbeh, and mulukhiyah – are integral support to cardiovascular,  metabolic health and boosting vitality. Frequently eaten in salads, stews and savory pies, fresh greens contain high quantities of flavonoids or plant pigments that act as antioxidants and purge inflammatory toxins from the bloodstream.

Do you recall lessons from high school biology in which we learned that chlorophyll is the green pigment present in plants that stores oxygen in its fibers?  Everytime we enjoy green vegetables and especially dark leafy greens, it’s like flooding oxygen straight into the bloodstream, improving cardiovascular and digestive function, and flushing out the toxins that contribute to chronic inflammatory disorders like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

2. Beans & Whole Grains – The “Good”Carbs

Stateside, we have been inundated with negative, sensational reporting on carbohydrates, fearing them as unhealthy sources of insulin resistance and weight gain. Our ancestors; however, knew that beans and unrefined whole grains are a great source of dietary fiber and slow-burning,sustainable energy that will regulate blood sugar levels. The dietary fiber in beans like chickpeas, lentils or black-eyed peas, or whole grains like bulgur, freekeh or brown rice, do all get digested slowly. They beneficial in reducing the frequency of spikes in blood sugar that promote inflammation, increase insulin resistance and reduction of weight gain. That is to say, unrefined, fiber-rich beans, and whole grains are “good”carbs that ultimately support healthy metabolic function and weight goals.

Fiber also modulates the absorption of nutrients into the digestive tract, slowing down the process for more effective absorption. Most nutrient absorption happens in the small intestines, well into the digestive process. For most of us, our meals reach the small intestines one hour after eating. Diets rich in fiber slow down the absorption of nutrients into the digestive tract by keeping nutrients attached to food longer. In other words, by the time our food gets to the small intestines, those nutrients are still available for absorption.

Arab America co-founder Amal David’s traditional Levantine Foul Mudammas Salad of fans beans & chickpeas, enjoyed in relaxed afternoon heavy lunch with author at AA office just steps from the White House in Washington DC

And yet another reason to indulge in traditional beans and whole grains of the Mediterranean is that dietary fiber feeds the microflora, or healthy bacteria in your gut that helps our bodies digest and absorb nutrients, synthesize certain vitamins, and support immune function. Before spending top dollar on probiotic supplements, consider that food is often the best medicine. Each time you enjoy dietary fiber from whole grains and beans, you are replenishing the good bacteria that promotes healthy digestion and metabolism, and reversing localized intestinal inflammation.

3. It’s not just a Diet, It’s a Lifestyle

For centuries, communities in the Mediterranean region knew that health and vitality go beyond diet and exercise; they require the cultivation of a nourished lifestyle. It’s not just what you eat, but how you eat. The prescriptive, convivial elements of the Mediterranean diet are integral to its healthy track record in supporting longevity. The time we spend breaking bread with loved ones is sacred and nourishes us at a spiritual and emotional level beyond dietetics, beyond calories in/calories out.

In his seminal work, The Blue Zones, Dan Buettner and his team of researchers uncovered secrets from the Mediterranean and other pockets in the world with the highest rates of longevity, in which populations regularly live, on average to 100 years or more. They discovered that members in these communities enjoy social circles that reinforce healthy behaviors. They embrace a lifestyle in which they program functional exercise, prioritize time to relax and de-stress, and they’re often part of spiritual communities.

The digestive system, or the Enteric Nervous System, is highly emotional and oft-considered the Second Brain of the body. The digestive system needs to be in a calm relaxed state to effectively do its job; that is, to fully absorb nutrients, eliminate waste and support healthy metabolic function. We need to be calm and collected, especially around meal time. In fact, nutrients of meals eaten in a relaxed setting and/or in the company of loved ones are more bioavailable to us in the digestive process.

Additionally, our ancestors didn’t drive to gyms to run on treadmills like lab rats. They walked to the market for groceries and climbed up and down steps. They took walks with friends after meals to digest, danced socially with members of their communities, singing and stomping their feet, or even simply, enjoyed an evening walk along the Corniche.

The benefits of a Mediterranean diet are many, and there are centuries of wisdom behind why foods from this region are so beneficial to our health. It may seem daunting at first to enjoy a more Mediterranean diet on a regular basis, but keep in mind, it’s actually very simple. Just start with some sprinkles, squeezes, and swirls.

Dahlia Shaaban is a DC-based teacher, speaker, and coach in nutrition and yoga.  Her method, Live Deliciously, offers creative structure for busy professionals to plan and prepare healthy, exciting plant-based meals, and cultivate the foundation for a nourished, connected lifestyle. Before launching her integrative health practice, she began her career in Middle East conflict resolution, serving in the Iraq Program at the U.S Institute of Peace. She has taught nutrition and yoga in workplaces, schools, and wellness centers throughout the DC metro area and abroad, in Cairo and Beirut.