NAPLES, Fla. — January 16th-22nd is Healthy Weight Week — a time to make sure you're taking the right steps to getting toward or maintaining a healthy weight. A Dietitian with NCH Healthcare System said what you eat is a key component, and the Mediterranean Diet is the best one to follow.
"The fad diets sometimes create poor body image for some people, and they don't end up making those long term lifestyle changes," Audrey McKernan, a Registered Dietitian at the NCH Von Arx Nutrition and Diabetes Health Center, said.
Instead of the fad diets and counting calories, McKernan said you should follow the Mediterranean meal diet: fish, foods high in monounsaturated fats like almonds and avocados, fruits and vegetables, whole grains like whole wheat or whole oats, and plant-based foods.
"Because a lot of the plant-based foods and vegetables, they have a lot of phytochemicals and antioxidants, which helps boost our immunity and prevent disease," McKernan said.
When in doubt, she said to shop the perimeter of the supermarket to get the fresh, healthy foods.
McKernan said a Mediterranean Diet includes lower glycemic carbohydrates, which don't quickly turn to sugar and cause inflammation like other carbohydrates do.
