Preventing type 2 diabetes - The Mediterranean way

A snap from my time in Greece in 2014

As we discussed here yesterday, living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining your healthiest weight can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. This is great news right!

The problem is, with the co-existence of the weight loss industry promoting every fad under the sun, and an obesogenic environment placing convenient food options at an arms reach, the meaning of living a healthy lifestyle is often blurred. As a dietitian helping people to eat for health, I do not recommend ‘diets’ or restrictive eating behaviours. Instead, I help people find their own healthy balance that eventually becomes a lifestyle that they can sustain and enjoy. I also consider the evidence around different eating patterns and how they help different population groups. I try and integrate this evidence wherever possible and appropriate. If we look at an eating pattern that is leading the way to help lower diabetes incidence, manage a healthy weight and reduce cardiovascular disease, there is no doubt that the Mediterranean way is winning.

So lets take a look at some key components of the Mediterranean eating pattern and enjoy some pic's from our recent trip to Italy and Greece.

A photo taken while completing 'The Walk of the Gods,' on the Amalfi Coast, Italy in 2014 - Just STUNNING!

An Extra Drizzle of Olive Oil Please

Sorry coconut oil lovers but when we look at the evidence, nobody can argue that olive oil is winning the race for the healthiest daily oil to use. NOBODY. 

The Mediterranean way is not consistent with the outdated approach of low fat eating, as it boasts a good intake of foods rich in healthy fats such as nuts, oily fish and an extra drizzle of olive oil with most meals. These fats are protective against cardiovascular disease, a strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Meals higher in healthy fats can also keep us feeling full and satisfied, helping to manage food portion sizes and reduce that urge for nutritionally poor snacks between meals. 

Hold the Red Meat

Red meat appears on plates just every 'now and then' in the Mediterranean region. Instead of red meat, the predominant protein sources are legumes, eggs, fish, shellfish, white meats such as chicken and turkey and a bit of yoghurt and cheese each day. Replacing red meat with these alternatives (majority of the time) may help to lower the unhealthy, saturated fat in your diet and prevent type 2 diabetes.

Lots of legumes

Legumes are a main feature in the Mediterranean diet. Whether canned or dried, legumes such as lentils, kidney beans and chickpeas really are natures own ‘super food’ as these little beans are loaded with various nutrients such as protein, protective fibre, healthy fats and low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates. Even better, all of these nutrients are delivered at a low cost and can be served as a source of protein in replace of meat. It is recommended to enjoy these little gems at least 2-3 times a week.

Fill up on vegetables

Every healthy way of eating includes plenty of vegetables, including the Mediterranean way, which is a very plant-based way of eating. Filling up on non-starchy vegetables with most meals (not just dinner) will only provide you with the goodness of fibre, vitamins and minerals without the extra energy you may not require. Starchy carbohydrates such as potato, sweet potato and corn are also important, however if your energy requirements do not call for a large serve just allocate these vegetable to one quarter of your plate, just enough to keep you satisfied.

Nuts About nuts

The Mediterranean’s are just nuts about nuts and so are we. If you attempt to follow a ‘low fat’ diet you would automatically put the nuts back on the shelf after carefully reviewing the nutrition information panel. This is because nuts possess a large amount of fat. But this fat is GOOD and can keep our blood vessels healthy. Furthermore, nuts are jam packed with nutrients such as vitamin E (an antioxidant), zinc, B vitamins and fibre just to name a few. Although they are high in fat, there is evidence to show that enjoying a small handful a day (about 30-40 grams) can assist with weight loss, potentially due to the ability of nuts to keep us satisfied in a small dose. Any tree nut is a healthy choice, so whether is it macadamias, pistachio’s, almonds or cashews, just hold the salt, and you have yourself a perfect healthy snack.

Just like every healthy way of eating, the Med's way is about the whole eating pattern and lifestyle and not just about one food group or nutrient in particular (e.g. quitting sugar). This way of life also involves sharing and celebrating food with loved ones. So take a leaf out of the med’s book and sit down with your loved ones and share some of these beautiful foods - and enjoy every moment. 

Here are some snaps from my holiday in Italy and Greece last year - these give some beautiful insight into the Mediterranean way.

Delicious sardines, lightly fried in olive oil and drizzled with lemon 

Fried zucchini with a garlicy yoghurt sauce

Traditional Greek salad drizzled with olive oil

Santorini fava - made with yellow split peas (legumes)

A picture says a thousand words...

Amazing mussels and squid matched with a Greek salad - loaded with healthy fats and full of goodness

Grow your own and eat fresh and seasonal 

Berries at the Venice Farmers Markets

Exercise is a key component of the Meds way and a key factor in reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes

Going meatfree

You may have already heard about the Meatless (or Meat Free) Monday movement. It is becoming increasingly popular across the globe with many households now swapping meat for legumes, tofu or eggs for their Monday eats.

More and more households are pledging to go meat free each Monday, including my own. In fact, my husband and I often enjoy more meat-free meals in a week compared with meaty meals.

There are many reasons why I enjoy (and my husband has learnt to enjoy) more meat free meals.

First of all when it comes to red meat I don’t particularly favour it and I don’t believe we need too much in our diets. This is because a higher red meat intake, whether the processed or unprocessed type, has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes risk, cardiovascular disease and bowel cancer. It looks like the risk is particularly high for people who regularly consume processed meats such as hot dogs, bacon, sausages and salamis.

If you consume red meat more than three times weekly, you can replace it with poultry, fish (particularly the oily type) or other seafood, but why not make it a vegetarian meal and make it a Monday ritual!

Another reason why I just love meat free meals is the way it can really bump up your veggie count to the recommended five serves a day.

Having more meat free days can also increase your longevity through the prevention of chronic conditions (such as cardiovascular disease, some cancers and type 2 diabetes) and this approach to eating can also reduce your carbon footprint, something our future generations will thank us for.

How and what...

You may be reluctant to dedicate just one day a week to meat free eating - maybe due to the unknown?

Not knowing how to put a meat free meal together and not knowing what to substitute meat for. These are the most common barriers to meat free eating. To ensure a good source of protein and essential nutrients such as iron, zinc and B12 in your meal you can substitute meat for 2 eggs, one cup of legumes, 170g of tofu or 30g of nuts – EASY!

Often these meat free meals are very quick and easy to prepare, another reason why I love them so much. Some of my favourite balanced veggie meals include:

• Vegetable stir-fry with noodles and cashew nuts
• Roast vegetable and quinoa frittata
• Capsicums stuffed with kidney beans, vegetables and rice
• Vegetable stir-fry with with firm tofu and soba noodles
• Spiced chickpea patties with salad and Greek yoghurt
• Chunky vegetable and cannellini bean soup
• Vegetarian Chilli con carne with chickpeas, kidney beans, capsicum and zucchini instead of meat
• Vegetarian lasagna with ricotta cheese instead of white sauce.

Legumes – the good and the windy

My favourite meat substitutes without a doubt are legumes.

A food that serves so many purposes but does not appear on our plates enough.  There are so many health benefits of these little delights as they boast a variety of vitamins and minerals and are a great source of protein, healthy fats and low GI carbohydrates. They can also bulk up our meals and give us more bang for our buck when we look at the cost for nutritional benefit.

A dish featuring legumes can also be one that is quick and convenient for busy people.

Of course legumes have the reputation to make us a little windy, but some professional organisations also claim that having legumes more regularly in your diet can reduce this somewhat displeasing effect. I’m still waiting for my husband’s body to adapt …

What is a legume?

Think lentils, baked beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, butter beans, cannellini beans and pinto beans just to name a few.

They come canned or dried, so choose whatever you prefer. If you opt for canned (which gets extra points for convenience) just rinse them with water before you use them.

Prove them all wrong!

Your friends and family will tell you that they don’t like legumes, so prove them wrong! They are a blank canvas for so many different flavours, just be creative and don’t hold back on adding herbs and spices to make them more appealing.

Take the challenge to show your housemates, friends and families that legumes can be a tasty and enjoyable eat.

I hope this article has inspired you to consider devoting one day a week to meat free eating. You may be pleasantly surprised by the taste and diversity of these meals and the way your body responds.