Hello and welcome back to The Diet Oracle! In our latest diet review, we’ve been taking an up-close-and-personal look at the Mediterranean diet–what it entails, the promised benefits, and whether it can really deliver weight loss success. If you’ve ever wondered whether this diet is worth all the buzz, then keep on reading!

As a dietitian, I am always on the lookout for nutrition books that provide both solid science as well as clear, goal-oriented action plans. I want the questions how? and why? answered in ways the average person can understand without false promises and bogus claims. This month, we’ve been taking the microscope to The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution: The 28 Day Kick-Start Plan for Lasting Weight Loss by Julene Stassou, MS, RD.

So how does The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution measure up? And does the research really back up all the claims? Let’s find out!

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Great for Beginners!

For the person who’d like to try a Mediterranean diet but has no idea where to even start, Stassou’s got you covered. The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution provides 6 weeks of complete meal plans and well over 100 pages of recipes to take out all the guesswork. Nice!

Each week includes grocery lists and tips for making meal prep a snap, including grab-and-go options and ways to use up leftovers. In addition, Stassou’s plan also focuses on other important lifestyle changes, such as adding physical activity, improving sleep habits, and seeking out opportunities for stress-relief and relaxation.

All in all, The Mediterranean Diet Weight Loss Solution is a solid how-to for anyone interested in the Mediterranean diet for health and weight loss.

That said, her educational chapters are a bit on the skimpy side. Compared to the rest of the book, her case for the Mediterranean diet comprises less than 20% of its pages–only 10% if you exclude her discussion of exercise, rest, and relaxation. Depending on what you’re looking for, this isn’t necessarily a drawback. For me, however, I really like some meaty chapters chock-full of interesting studies and snazzy graphs. So let’s do a little digging!

What does the research say?

Even a cursory search on the ole’ internet will show you that if there’s one diet with some hefty research cred behind it, it’s the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet has been the focus of numerous studies, both large and small and with varying degrees of quality.

Below I’ve rounded up for you a handful of studies worth looking at. From disease prevention and risk reduction to weight loss and reversal of metabolic syndrome, these studies highlight the potential benefits offered by a Mediterranean-style diet.

1. Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts
2. The Final Report of the Lyon Diet Heart Study
3. Effect of Mediterranean-Style Diet on Endothelial Dysfunction and Markers of Vascular Inflammation in the Metabolic Syndrome
4. Effects of a Mediterranean-Style Diet on the Need for Antihyperglycemic Drug Therapy in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes
5. Weight Loss with a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet
6. Comparison of Weight Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrate
7. Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet and Long-Term Changes in Weight and Waist Circumference in the EPIC-Italy Cohort

So what’s the bottom line?

Though the Mediterranean diet is no miracle cure or fail-proof weight loss strategy, multiple studies do show that following this diet can potentially:

• Reduce the risk for heart attack and repeat heart attacks, stroke, cardiovascular risk factors and deaths, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (1,2,3)
• Improve blood glucose and insulin levels, and reduce the need for diabetic medications (4, 5, 6)
• Enhance weight loss efforts (3, 5, 6, 7)
• Protect against weight gain and increases in waist circumference (7)

Now that we’ve done our homework and know just what’s up for grabs with a Mediterranean-style diet, let’s take Stassou’s plan out for a spin drive! Over the next few posts, I’ll share with you the nuts and bolts of her 28-day plan and will give you a front row seat as I try it out for an entire week. Whether or not she delivers with this ‘kick-start’ plan, I have to admit that I’m looking forward to what I hope will be a week of delicious recipes!