If there is one diet we talk about most in nutrition, it’s the Mediterranean diet. Year after year, it gets ranked as one of the “best diets” in the world (what the heck does that even mean?!?) but as a registered dietitian, I think there is a lot that goes unsaid about this way of eating.  Namely, that it’s not a “diet” at all…it’s a specific dietary pattern. AND…that it actually has very little to do with the Mediterranean region itself. Curious?  Then you’ll want to listen to this episode of The Allsorts Podcast with Montreal-based dietitian Vanessa Perrone RD. We talk about what the Mediterranean Diet is - and isn’t - as well as the scientific and cultural context behind this way of eating and how we can integrate that knowledge for our own nutritional needs. Vanessa is author of Everyday Mediterranean: a complete guide to the Mediterranean diet and as someone with Italian heritage, she also happens to have a more intimate knowledge of the cultural context behind the research.  This might not be the conversation you are expecting about the Mediterranean diet…but we hope it’s the one you need! We go in depth on the lifestyle and cultural components of this dietary pattern as well as the Euro-centric nature of nutrition research and what this actually means for other cultural dietary practices that are less well studied. I can’t wait to hear what you think about this episode! About Vanessa: Vanessa Perrone is a Registered Dietitian, speaker and clinical director of the virtual nutrition practice Motive Nutrition, which focuses on women’s health and chronic disease. She is also a recipe developer and the author of Everyday Mediterranean, a cookbook focusing on the Mediterranean way of life. On this episode we chat about: What the Mediterranean Diet is…and isn’t The most overlooked aspect of the traditional MedDiet lifestyle How the Mediterranean dietary pattern breaks down in terms of foods and macros Why the MedDiet is more of a snapshot in time than modern reality Is pasta a health food? Can a plant-forward diet be healthy for blood sugars? Understanding the Euro-centric biases in nutrition research What we can apply from the Med Diet research to our own cultural diets and ways of eating Why is olive oil such a big part of this dietary pattern? Support the Pod! We couldn’t make this podcast happen without the support of our amazing listeners… I love hearing your feedback on these episodes to be sure to join the conversation on our instagram @theallsortspod @desireenielsenrd @vanessaperronedietitian Full show notes, including links and recommendations, available at www.desireerd.com/podcast If you love this episode, please share it with your friends and family, or take a minute to rate, review or subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We appreciate EVERY. SINGLE. LISTEN!