The Best Diet for Your Heart? Try the Pesco-Mediterranean Diet & Intermittent Fasting

As omnivores, we humans can subsist in a variety of foods and follow various diets. While the dilemma for agreeing on the ideal diet remains, a new study suggests that a Pesco-Mediterranean diet focused on plants, nuts, and seafood, plus intermittent fasting may have a very strong cardioprotective effect on your health.

We have evolved eating our calories and nutrients from both plant and animal food sources. With the growing popularity of Paleo and Keto type diets we have seen many people overconsume animal products (often highly processed and high in saturated fats and chemical additives). Conversely, those following strict Vegan type diets can cause nutritional deficiencies and predispose to muscle loss, bone loss, and anemia.

Now, let’s consider a logical compromise; a plant rich diet with fish/seafood as the principal source of animal food. A diet with a foundation of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, and extra-virgin olive oil with fish/seafood, and fermented dairy products. Limiting beverages of choice to water, coffee, and tea. And following some type of time-restricted eating where intermitted fasting occurs for 12-16 hours per day. Recent scientific evidence suggests that the Pesco-Mediterranean diet outlined above might solve the omnivores dilemma of which diet is best (or at least best for your heart).

Best for Cardiovascular Health

Many studies suggest that a traditional Mediterranean Diet is associated with lower risks for:

·      All cause and CVD mortality

·      Coronary artery disease

·      Metabolic syndrome

·      Diabetes

·      Cognitive decline

·      Neurodegenerative diseases (including Alzheimer’s disease)

·      Depression

·      Overall cancer mortality

·      Breast and colorectal cancers 

While being endorsed by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, and being rated #1 diet for overall health by US News & World Report for the third consecutive year—as nutritious, safe, relatively easy to follow, protective against cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and effective for weight loss.

Adding Fish and Seafood 

Eating a primarily plant rich diet with the inclusion of aquatic animal food sources provide an array of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. These high-quality protein sources are not only rich in healthy omega-3 fats, but also zinc, iodine, selenium, B-vitamins, calcium, and magnesium. Eat seafood at least twice per week (8-12 ounces/week) preferably in place of red meat. 

Other Key Components: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Nuts, + Legumes 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is packed with healthy micronutrients and antioxidants, should be used for salad dressings (along with vinegar) and vegetable dishes, and is recommended for simmering minced tomatoes, garlic, onions, and aromatic herbs, but quality matters. Choose unrefined, cold-pressed sources which is equivalent to pure olive juice. Use 4 tablespoons per day on your salad and sautéed vegetables.

Nuts are loaded with unsaturated fats, fiber, protein, and antioxidants, are an integral component of the Mediterranean Diet. This great snack food should be consumed daily and in raw form. Eat 10-15 raw almonds with a piece of fruit.

Legumes are an excellent source of vegetable protein, folate, magnesium, fiber and antioxidants. Beans and lentils are the most popular sources and provide a healthy substitute for red and processed meats. Eat 3-5 servings (1 cup/serving) per week.   

Eggs, Dairy, + Whole Grains

·      Eggs – no more than 5 yolks per week.

·      Dairy – choose fermented low-fat versions: yogurt, kefir, and soft cheeses.

·      Whole Grains – barley, whole oats, rye, corn, buckwheat, brown rice, and quinoa; no more than three 1 cup servings per day.

Water + Alcohol

Choose water as your preferred beverage, either still or carbonated, flavored is ok, but not sweetened. If alcohol is consumed, red wine is recommended. The ideal amount is one 6oz glass consumed with meals.

Don’t forget about Intermittent Fasting/Time Restricted Eating

 This idea is rooted in the fact that our ancestors did not have access to an unlimited supply of food throughout the year and did not eat three meals per day plus snacks every day. The sparse resources and seasonal scarcity of food lead to humans becoming adapted to respond to intermittent fasting by becoming more resistant to stress. 

Time restricted eating is described by limiting the daily intake of calories to a window of time usually between 6-12 hours per day. Intermittent fasting, when done regularly, has been shown to decrease visceral (or belly) fat, reduced free radical production, and trigger cellular responses that may improve glucose metabolism and reduce inflammation. More specifically, reduce risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.

The most common form of time restricted eating involves eating 2 meals within a compressed calories consumption window. For example, you pick an 8-hour window of time 11am – 7pm to eat and the remaining 16 hours are spent fasting.

The Windup

 Following a diet based predominately on whole foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, and olive oil with fish does promote a range of health benefits specifically for long-term cardiovascular health and longevity. So, combining the Pesco-Mediterranean diet with daily intermittent fasting may be the best cardioprotective diet and is surely worth trying.