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Home » Diet » Improve your health with the Mediterranean diet – Idaho Press-Tribune

Eating a nutritious diet is important to improving your heart health. Pohley Richey, a registered dietitian and health coach with Saltzer Health, says that the Mediterranean diet is one way to minimize processed foods and sugar while increasing fiber in your daily meals.

The diet has evolved over the last 5,000 years in the Mediterranean region, she said.

It really came into popularity in the 1960s when people from the region were studied and shown to

have a lower incidence of heart disease, Richey said.

The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional foods that people have eaten for generations in Italy,

Greece and other Mediterranean countries with an emphasis on:

Whole, unprocessed, natural foods

Less sugar

Local, seasonal fruits and vegetables

Whole grains

Heart healthy fats like nuts, olive oil, and other seeds

Protein from legumes, lentils, chickpeas, and seafood

Its not necessarily about a specific food per se but about this overall style of eating, Richey said.

Research has shown that the diet promotes wellness and decreases the risk of heart disease, cancer,

diabetes and other chronic conditions.

Richey describes the Mediterranean diet as super versatile.

It is super easy to implement. Its delicious. There is a lot of variety involved. It can be really simple,

easy, and a fun way to eat, she said.

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With any diet, Richey recommends starting small. If you are looking at making a complete revamp it

gets a little bit overwhelming, she said. Think of very specific things that you can pull from this dietary

pattern and implement.

To get started, she recommends:

Try going one meal a week meatless

Eat more legumes

Experiment with new foods like chickpeas or lentils

Shop at local farmers markets

Pohley Richey, RD, is a culinary instructor and health coach with Saltzer Health based at PIVOT. To learn more, visit saltzerhealth.com and heart.org.

A resident of Nampa, Martinez is a senior at NNU majoring in biology/pre-med and healthcare communications. He is a resident of Nampa. Martinez is a communications intern at Saltzer Health.

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Improve your health with the Mediterranean diet - Idaho Press-Tribune

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Home » Diet » Improve your health with the Mediterranean diet – Idaho Press-Tribune