Many of us are always searching for the "perfect" diet to improve our health and lose weight.
Research suggests the Mediterranean diet and can help prevent heart problems, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancers.
Julie Meyer has been on a mission to improve her health by improving her diet over the last year.
“You really have to plan for it. You have to have the healthy foods in the house or if you come home at six and you and your kids are hungry, you're going to eat whatever," Meyer said.
Meyer's recipe for success has also revolved around the Mediterranean diet.
"It starts with a lot of fruits and vegetables, a good variety of them," Avera Heart Hospital Registered Dietitian Mary Beth Russell said.
Russell says the diet also includes four to six servings a day of whole grains or starchy vegetables.
“We also add in things like beans and lentils and nuts. Olive oil is one of the key factors and also salmon or any kind of oily fish," Russell said.
One aspect some people especially like about the Mediterranean diet is you can still eat dark chocolate and drink some wine.
"Typically the deep, dark red wines are where you're going to get the flavonol benefits. That's one of the reasons that it's left on the diet," Russell said.
While not every aspect of the diet may agree with your taste buds, Russell believes it's the healthiest eating plan available.
"Because of its anti-inflammatory properties and because it's a balanced diet and it offers all the good, powerful nutrition we're looking for," Russell said.
And Meyer’s finding the diet gives her more energy.
"I used to get really tired, that two o’clock tired where you felt like you needed a Diet Coke or snack to wake you up," Meyer said. "I have good energy all day usually.”
Russell says the aspect of the diet most people struggle with is fitting five fruits and vegetables into your diet every day.
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