Latest / Fork U with Dr. Terry Simpson / Number One Diet 2025: Mediterranean

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Number One Diet 2025: Mediterranean · Fork U with Dr. Terry Simpson

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  >> Dr. Terry Simpson: In 2025, the Mediterranean diet
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  has again climbed to the top spot as the
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  best overall diet. And it's not just
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  because of its delicious flavors or health benefits. It's
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  rooted in science, sustainability and
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  practicality. Whether you're trying to lose weight, manage a
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  chronic condition, or simply live a longer, healthier
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  life, the Mediterranean Diet continues to
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  provide a framework that works. But why
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  does it keep topping the charts year after
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  year? In today's episode of 4Q, I'm going
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  to break down why the Mediterranean Diet is still the best
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  choice in 2025 and what it can do for your
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  health and how you can make it a part of your
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  life.
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  I am your Chief Medical Explanationist, Dr.
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  Terri Simpson, and this is Forku Fork
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  University, where we make sense of the madness, bust a
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  few myths and teach you a little bit about food. Food
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  as Medicine
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  the Mediterranean Diet isn't just
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  about eating food from the Mediterranean
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  region. It's a broad set of
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  principles based on a way of life that
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  prioritizes fresh, minimally processed foods,
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  a high intake of plant based foods, healthy
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  fats, lean proteins and an overall
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  balanced approach to eating. While it's true
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  the Mediterranean Diet has inspired this diet,
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  it's not about following some rigid list of
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  foods. It's all about the way food
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  is consumed and the lifestyle surrounding
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  it. In essence, the
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  Mediterranean Diet is an algorithm, not a
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  fixed menu. It's about eating fresh,
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  nutrient dense foods that align with healthy
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  balance of micronutrients and macronutrients.
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  Its flexibility makes it adaptable
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  worldwide, offering guidance on how to structure
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  meal while embracing local cultures and
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  tastes. So why did U.S. news
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  and World Report rank the Mediterranean
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  diet one in 2025
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  again for the multinth year in a row?
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  And let's see, not only was it picked
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  as a top diet for overall health, but
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  they listed it as the number one diet for people who have
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  diabetes. For people who have
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  prediabetes, the Mediterranean Diet, in multiple
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  research papers has been shown to help control blood
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  sugar levels, preventing insulin resistance and making
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  it a top choice for managing diabetes.
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  It was also listed as the number one diet for gut
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  health. Its high fiber content, rich
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  in fruits and vegetables and whole grains, supports
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  a healthy microbiome which plays a
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  pivotal role in digestive health, immune
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  function and even mental health.
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  Not surprisingly, the Mediterranean Diet was listed as number
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  one for heart health because it's packed with heart
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  healthy fats like olive oil, fatty fish,
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  reducing the risk of heart disease, strokes, high
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  cholesterol and studies have long shown
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  its ability to lower inflammation and improve Blood
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  pressure. Never forget the Leon heart study which
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  showed that people who had their heart attack the therefore
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  had cardiac disease when they were placed on a
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  Mediterranean diet, had
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  75% fewer second heart
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  attacks than those who were not. The
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  Mediterranean diet was listed as the number one diet for people who have fatty
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  liver disease. For those struggling with fatty liver disease,
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  the Mediterranean's emphasis on healthy
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  fats, lean proteins and antioxidants
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  offers a solid approach,
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  and a solid approach in multiple
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  studies, peer reviewed to improving liver health
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  and decreasing fat in the liver.
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  It's not surprising to many of us that it was the number one diet
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  for people who have arthritis or inflammatory conditions.
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  The diet has long been listed in multiple published
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  studies to have anti inflammatory
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  properties. Part of this is thanks to the olive oil, the nuts, the
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  fatty fish, but also the
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  phytonutrients found in the fresh fruits and the
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  vegetables. One of the reasons the
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  Mediterranean diet continues to top health rankings
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  is its ability to improve multiple areas of
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  health simultaneously. It's not just about weight loss
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  or managing specific conditions. It's about
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  overall well being. Let's take heart disease
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  even from the beginning. In the studies in the 1950s,
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  they have shown that this type of diet, the Mediterranean
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  diet, significantly reduces the risk of heart disease
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  by promoting healthy fats like olive oil and fish and
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  lowering the bad cholesterol. The diet also
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  is very good at regulating blood pressure and reducing
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  arterial inflammation and stiffness. Yep,
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  you don't want those arteries inflamed. What about brain
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  health? It turns out that the Mediterranean
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  diets can help protect against
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  cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's
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  disease. It enhances cognitive function by
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  promoting healthy brain fats and antioxidants that
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  fight fight oxidative stress. And
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  while weight loss may be the number one
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  New Year's resolution, we certainly have better
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  medications for it. But in terms of weight loss, the
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  Mediterranean diet approach encourages foods that
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  support healthy weight management.
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  With its focus on vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats,
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  the Mediterranean diet can help you feel full longer while
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  preventing blood sugar spikes. And
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  for those who've had weight loss surgery, or those
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  patients who were on GLP1 medications like
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  Ozempic or Tirzepizide,
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  Wegovy, zepbound, this is
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  the diet we prefer patients concentrate
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  on.
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  Let's talk about why the Mediterranean diet is the best option
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  for 2025 and beyond. It's easy to follow, it's
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  flexible, and most importantly, it's sustainable for the long
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  term. Health sustainability,
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  that's a key word because Mediterranean
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  diet not only has long term benefits without requiring
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  Drastic changes in the lifestyle. It emphasizes
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  fresh, seasonal produce, whole grains, healthy fats,
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  making it easy to incorporate that into your
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  routine without feeling restricted.
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  And remember, frozen fruits and frozen
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  vegetables are picked at the peak time
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  of ripeness and are just as healthy and good for
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  you as as the fresh ones. This isn't
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  a diet that tells you to cut out whole food groups. Instead,
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  it encourages variety and balance, which is
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  essential to maintaining long term health.
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  You can easily adapt it to different cuisines or food
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  preferences, making it a versatile choice for anyone,
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  no matter where they live. And I'm going to give you two examples of this in
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  just a bit. It's not just a food plan, it's a
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  lifestyle. It encourages mindful eating, proper
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  portion sizes, enjoying meals with family and friends. Not
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  about dieting, but developing a healthy
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  relationship with food.
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  Let's break down how you can incorporate this into your daily meals.
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  It's easier than you might think, so start with these simple
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  guidelines. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes
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  an abundant intake of fruits and vegetables. We
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  want you to aim for about 9 ounces or 250
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  grams of vegetables and fruits daily.
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  This can mean eating three to five servings
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  of vegetables or two to four servings of fruit each day.
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  We want you to focus on variety,
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  seasonability, ensuring that you're getting a wide variety
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  of nutrients and antioxidants so the vegetables
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  and the fruits can serve as a foundation of your
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  plate as well as snacks and desserts. Whole
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  grains that we talked about before is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean
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  diet. We want at least 250 grams of whole grains a day.
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  They can include food like whole wheat
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  bread, whole wheat pasta,
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  quinoa, barley, oats or
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  brown rice. Whole grains are a
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  powerhouse of fiber and they help support
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  digestion and manage blood sugar levels. What about
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  legumes? We love legumes. Legumes
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  are things like beans, lentils, chickpeas. They're an important
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  source of plant based protein and fiber.
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  We want people to incorporate a couple of ounces of legumes
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  each day. You can add them to soups, salads, make them
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  into dips like hummus. But they provide an essential
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  source of vitamins and minerals, making them
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  a great complement to a diet's overall
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  nutrient profile. And people
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  think that this is low fat. It's not a low fat diet.
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  Probably 30% of the calories come from fats, but they
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  are healthy fats. Olive oil is a cornerstone of the
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  Mediterranean diet, providing heart healthy monounsaturated
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  fat. And we think that you should use olive oil in
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  cooking. Drizzling it over vegetables, using it as a salad
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  dressing. Other sources of great fats are fatty fish
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  like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and we want you to get
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  two servings of fish a week. Now, if you don't like fish
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  or can't tolerate fish, we still want you to
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  use olive oil and try and incorporate those
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  healthy fats in your diet. Dairy is certainly
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  allowed, but we want you to focus more on low fat or fat free
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  options like Greek yogurt or cheese. And while it's part
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  of the Mediterranean diet, it's typically limited to smaller
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  amounts. But but the emphasis is on fermented
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  dairy like yogurt, which really supports gut health.
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  Now, many assume that alcohol is unlimited in the Mediterranean
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  diet. It's actually quite restricted. In fact, you get a
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  Mediterranean diet 0.1 out of the 9 if you have
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  no alcohol in a given day, or if you limit your
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  alcohol to no more than a five ounce pour of red
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  wine or its equivalent. Excessive alcohol
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  intake means you don't get that valued
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  points. There's some misconceptions about the Mediterranean
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  diet we need to clear up. One, it's too
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  expensive. While it's true some of the Mediterranean
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  diet staples like olive oil and fatty fish can be costly,
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  there are plenty of budget friendly options. You
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  don't have to buy the fancy ingredients to eat like
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  Mediterraneans. You can put on affordable seasonal
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  vegetables, canned beans and less expensive fish
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  like sardines, mackerel or canned tuna. Some
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  people think it's only for the Mediterranean. And while the
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  Mediterranean diet was inspired by the eating habits of some
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  of the countries along the Mediterranean coast, its
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  principles can be applied anywhere. The idea
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  is to focus on fresh whole foods,
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  healthy fats, regardless of
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  location. Some people think it's all about olive oil and fish.
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  While those are staples, it also includes a wide
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  variety of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and
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  fruits. It's about balance.
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  Now, the beauty of the Mediterranean diet is it's adaptable to
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  any cuisine. For example, a fish
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  taco from Mexican cuisine can be adapted to fit the
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  Mediterranean diet. You can use a whole grain
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  tortilla, which provides fiber. Top it with grilled
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  fish like salmon or tilapia or shrimp, which are rich in heart,
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  healthy omega 3s. Add a salsa made from seasonal
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  fruits. Think mango, pineapple, tomatoes. Top it
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  with a crunchy layer of shredded cabbage for fiber boost.
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  And don't forget the beans, even if they're
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  refried beans, because you've got a Mediterranean inspired
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  taco that's packed with healthy fats. Fiber,
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  protein, fruits and vegetables.
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  Similarly, consider Indian cuisine which you
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  can create from a chana masala and a whole wheat
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  roti. Chickpeas rich in fiber and protein pair
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  perfectly with a tomato based curry spiced
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  with turmeric, cumin and coriander. Serve it
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  with whole wheat roti for added fiber. This dish
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  embodies the Mediterranean principle of ah,
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  plant based eating and balanced nutrition.
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  Yes, you can be a vegetarian or vegan and
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  eat on the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean
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  diet is here to stay. And as the world continues to embrace
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  healthy, sustainable food, the Mediterranean
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  approach, that algorithm will only grow in
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  popularity. Whether you're looking to prevent disease, manage
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  your weight, boost your overall health, this diet
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  provides that timeless blueprint for
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  healthy eating. It's flexible, it's science
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  based, and it's a matter of eating that can
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  be delicious. So
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  in 2025, the Mediterranean diet remains the
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  best choice for anyone seeking long term
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  health. And this was in a group of
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  registered dietitians, people who have
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  PhDs in nutrition, and physicians who are interested
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  in nutrition from managing chronic
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  diseases like diabetes, heart disease, promoting
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  brain health, decreasing cognitive decline. The
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  Mediterranean Diet is the holistic approach that empowers you
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  to do the best thing you can do for your diet. Doesn't mean you won't get
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  these diseases, but this is the best diet to manage
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  them. Please check out our blog
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  associated with this
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  podcast@yourdoctorsorders.com
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  this podcast was written and researched by me, Dr.
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  Terri Simpson. And while I am a doctor, I am
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  not your doctor. Before making any
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  dietary changes, please consult with your board certified
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  doctor or a registered dietitian. Not a
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  chiropractor, not an Eastern medicine doctor. The
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  podcast was produced by our friends at Producer Girl Productions,
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  distributed by our good friends at Simpler Media,
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  and a special thanks to my good friend, the pod God,
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  Mr. Evo, Tara
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  the Evo Mediterranean Diet for the Wind.
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  Buddy, we can't get away from it. It's
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  everywhere. Hope you're doing well.
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  I'm trying to including eating healthy. Hey,
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  you stay, uh, safe out there with those SoCal fires,
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  okay? Cheers.