I follow a Mediterranean diet. 

I use the Mediterranean diet as an outline. I also don’t put myself on a “diet.” That messes up my OCD situation; but I like to have general outline of how to adjust my lifestyle to make it healthier and give it more variety. I am still American. I can’t deny it. Sometimes I just need a burger or a slice of pie. I believe in everything in moderation.

Quick preface: I was a vegetarian for 6 years. I love animals, they are my Achilles heel. I didn’t like the idea of them dying so that I could eat when there were so many other healthy options. I learned new ways of cooking vegetables that changed my life. After my daughter was born however, I couldn’t eat that way anymore. Something inside me rejected everything except bread, candy, chicken or fish. I now believe that humans are meant to be omnivores, but in other aspects of my life I maintain a more vegan/vegetarian approach. I don’t wear real leather (unless it is vintage) and I don’t use cosmetics that have been tested on animals. That is much more realistic for me.

While I was breastfeeding my daughter, I just ate whatever I felt like eating. I was in the lucky camp of women that breastfeeding kept the weight off for me. I literally ate ice cream every night and didn’t gain an ounce! What a time to be alive!

But in the throes of PTSD, postpartum depression and anxiety, my doctor recommended I adopt this diet/lifestyle on top of my therapy and medication. There have been lots of studies about how this diet is great for brain health, but you can read my book for those details. I am going to keep this relatively short and sweet.

What is The Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet is heavy on lean proteins such as beans, white meat, especially fish, healthy fats and veggies and fruits. Grains and dairy are permitted as long as it is quality over quantity. Wine is promoted in moderation. This diet tends to support brain health and healthy cholesterol levels. It has apparently gotten a lot of hype in 2019, but that is not why I did it. Still, it is worth mentioning.

Here is what I eat in a typical week using the Mediterranean diet as a lifestyle guide but still living in a house with picky eaters and juggling a busy schedule where I can’t or won’t cook every meal:

Monday, Nov. 11, 2019

Breakfast: (Around 8am) 1 slice of Ezekiel Sesame bread toast with avocado spread (ok, it was guacamole. Whatever.) 2 scrambled egg whites, 2 cups of half-caf coffee with sugar and non-dairy creamer.
Snack: (Around 10) RX protein bar, water
Lunch: (Around 1) plain crab cake with baked sweet potato chips, water
Snack: (Around 2:30) “get lean” green tea (lightly caffeinated), the remainder of my daughter’s lunch, which was about 4-5 pretzel chips with hummus, 1 bag of fun size M&Ms and 2 fun size Snickers. Around 4:00, I had a handful of almonds. This snack was supposed to be just tea and almonds, but life, and Halloween, happen.
Dinner: (Around 5) Mediterranean glazed salmon, roasted broccoli & tomatoes, and a slice of Texas toast with the remainder of the roasted tomatoes (because Brian decided he didn’t like them despite eating them before) with a sprinkle of parmesan. I called it “bruschetta.”
Dessert, 6:15: vanilla pudding
herbal tea with honey between 8-9:00.
Notes: A little dessert heavy, but considering I am on my period, it could’ve been worse.

Tuesday

Breakfast @7:30: Parfait with Silk almond milk vanilla yogurt, local mixed berries, and organic granola, 2 cups of half caf coffee, and a handful of almonds.
Snack @ 10:00: “get lost” decaf tea
Lunch: Italian style, homemade lentil soup, a handful of goldfish crackers, water
Snack@1:45: Traditional Medicinals decaf spearmint tea, @4:00, 1 pink Starburst that my daughter decided she no longer wanted. (No bullshit. I really only ate one.)
Dinner @ 5:30: Homemade Mediterranean bowl with brown rice, quinoa, spinach, lemon and rosemary chicken breast, roasted broccoli and tomatoes, parmesan, sunflower seeds, Craisins, roasted red pepper hummus and homemade apple cider vinegar dressing.
Dessert: 1 chocolate chip cookie
Herbal tea with honey between 8:30-9:00

Notes: It was cold and rainy, so perfect for soup. The soup also makes enough for leftovers! I was also pretty proud of my restraint.

Wednesday

Breakfast @7:00: 2 slices of Ezekiel bread toast with ghee, avocado and 2 scrambled egg whites, 2 half-caf coffee with non-dairy cream and sugar
Post-workout snack: latte
Lunch @1:00: leftover lentil soup, water, 1 handful of Ritz crackers
Afternoon snack: 1 apple with peanut butter, 1 handful of almonds, decaf tea
Dinner: Tuscan marinated pork chop, broccoli, white rice, 4-5 pretzel chips with hummus, water
Herbal tea @9:00.

Notes: Just because I am doing a Mediterranean diet doesn’t mean that everything has to be Italian-this or Greek-that, I just really love Italian food. Also, this seems like a lot of food, but I worked out that day, so it was actually relatively reasonable. I probably could’ve toned it down a notch, though. Oh well.

Thursday

Breakfast @7:00: the same non-dairy parfait I had on Tuesday, 2 cups of half-caf coffee and a handful of almonds
Post-workout snack @10:00:1 RX protein bar, water
Lunch: Sesame chicken and 4 crab Rangoon, water
I had 2 more cups of half-caf coffee at some points throughout the day because I felt really sluggish
Dinner: Bojangles Cajun filet sandwich, fries and sweet tea.

Notes: Don’t judge me. I love crab and it was Bo time, baby! Also, I did cardio, so…

Friday

Breakfast @6:30: low-sugar oatmeal with peanut butter and almonds, 2 cups of half-caf
Lunch @1:00: Chick Fil A Southwest salad with creamy salsa dressing and diet lemonade, 3 fun size bags of M&Ms
Snack: decaf tea
Dinner: 2 Tuscan marinated pork chops and broccoli
Bedtime snack: half a pint of Halo Top ice cream and a glass of sangria

Notes: My mom had a procedure that day and I spent the night with her. She wanted ice cream. It was Halo Top, chill. I could’ve done without the fun size M&Ms though.

Saturday

NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!

Ok, fine. I said I keep it real, I am going to keep it real; BUT, keep in mind, I spent the night at my mom’s, had to get up at the ass-crack of dawn on my day off AND I wasn’t feeling well.

1 and a half cups of half-caf coffee between 6:00am -7:30am (at least my mom said it was half-caf. She may have lied. Shit, I think it was regular.)

3 Krispy Kreme doughnuts around 8:30am

Snack pack of popcorn around 2:00pm

Soda

Bacon and eggs around 6:00pm.

Notes: Mind ya business, that’s all.

Sunday

Breakfast @7:30: parfait with Vital Proteins Marine Collagen protein powder and 1 cup of regular coffee with non-dairy cream and sugar

Lunch @12:00: Xaxby’s grilled chicken cobb with extra blue cheese dressing, water
Snack @2:30pm: decaf herbal tea and almonds
Dinner @6:30: bourbon glazed salmon and broccoli

Monday

Breakfast @7:30: low-sugar oatmeal with peanut butter and extra almonds, 1 cup of regular coffee with non-dairy cream and sugar
Post-workout snack: latte
Lunch @11:45: leftover lentil soup
Dinner:  Homemade Mediterranean style “buddha” bowl with brown rice, quinoa, lemon and rosemary chicken breast, roasted broccoli and Brussels sprouts, baby romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, pumpkin seeds, craisins, roasted red pepper hummus and store-bought poppy seed dressing.
Dessert @8:00pm: chocolate pudding and spearmint tea

Takeaways

 I like carbs. Sorry not sorry. I also eat several meals closer together and don’t eat too late. As long as I am eating mainly whole, nutritious foods 80-90% of the time, that’s the best I can do. If I am pressed, I would say it is closer to 60/40 during the holidays. Y’all, I don’t have a nanny, personal chef or even a part-time housekeeper. Brian and I do almost all of these tasks ourselves. We hire an occasional babysitter or ask a relative to stay with the kids for a couple hours so we can go on a date or if we have an appointment, but that’s it. This is real life, people. I am real and my kids are real and I live with picky eaters. I can only do so much.

As previously stated, I don’t live my life on a diet, but I feel as if this is a reasonable way to live. It is healthy, you can buy most of the food at a regular grocery store, and it isn’t overly complicated. You don’t have to count carbs or calories and it is heavy on moderation, as am I.

I would also like to mention how annoying it is when people tell you that actual, whole foods are “bad”, i.e. those naturally containing gluten or nightshades. Listen, if you personally have a problem with those foods; if you have Celiac disease or your ankle swells when you eat eggplant, fine. I get it. Those foods aren’t for you. But for people without those conditions, I don’t care for these foods being villainized.

If a food has nutritional value and you don’t have a massive reaction to it, eat it! That’s what it is there for! Just slow down on processed foods, sugar and simple carbohydrates. Our bodies do not process these well. I also typically give myself a splurge a day and a bigger splurge once a week. For example, a small piece of candy/chocolate every day and a latte once a week. The reason for this is so that I don’t deprive myself and end up eating all the junk in sight. Everything in moderation! That is my key to health!

Stay Healthy,

Megan