To make this diet your own, choose plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, limit red meats, eat lots of fish (without rich, high-cal sauces or dips), substitute olive oil in your daily cooking, snack on some nuts, and eliminate trans fats and hydrogenated oils.

This diet combines the traditional cooking styles of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The fundamental parts of the diet include the basics of healthy eating, a little wine drinking, incorporating olive oil, and limiting “bad” fats.