Implementing the Mediterranean diet : nutrition in practice and public health / Richard Hoffman.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The Mediterranean diet in health care and disease prevention -- Overview of the Med diet -- Epidemiological evidence base -- Epidemiological evidence - Health outcomes -- How the Med diet works -- Foods of the Med diet : nutrients and health benefits -- The Med diet compared to other mainstream diets -- Personal barriers and enablers to consuming a Med diet -- Enhancing consumption of foods in the Med diet - general considerations -- Enhancing consumption of foods in the Med diet -- The Med diet in the home -- The Med diet in the food environment -- The Mediterranean diet in primary health care -- Case studies -- The Med diet as part of a sustainable food and farming system -- Governance and the Med diet

"This book covers the composition, health benefits and implementation of the Mediterranean diet for students of nutrition and dietetics, and for health professionals working in public health and in the management of chronic diseases. It provides a wide range of tools and practical advice that are needed by health professional to help individuals to surmount the obesogenic environment and to adopt this healthiest of eating patterns. The first part of the book provides concise summaries of the current evidence for implementing a Med diet for the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of chronic diseases. It also explains the most likely mechanisms for the diet's benefits. It compares the Med diet with other dietary choices. This section emphasises the importance of the whole dietary pattern and explains why minimising ultra-processed foods is also so important. For the first time, this book situates the Med diet in the foodscape by discussing barriers to adopting this diet - from the home to the high street - such as negative influences from media and fast food shops. By addressing the main drivers of food choice - taste, cost, variety, convenience, health, and environmental and animal welfare concerns - the book goes on to provide an in-depth discussion of how consumers can eat the correct balance of this diet's main foods (olive oil and wine) and food groups (vegetables, fruits, legumes, cereals, nuts, fish, dairy and meat). The book also provides lifestyle advice on shopping, the kitchen environment and eating together, showing how this dietary pattern can be incorporated into daily life. The book then considers the evidence base for the provision of the Med diet in primary care (e.g. the NHS Health Checks programme), dietetic practice and in various community settings such as restaurants, supermarkets, work canteens and care-homes. It concludes with the wider benefits that a Med diet can bring to society, by considering this diet's place in a sustainable food and farming environment and in the UK National Food Strategy. Overall, the book provides the essential resources health professionals need in order to help individuals and communities transition from a western diet to a Med diet. Doing so would greatly lower their risk of chronic disease, help manage many existing conditions, and reduce health inequalities whilst at the same time helping move society towards a more environmentally friendly food system"-- Provided by publisher.