Mediterranean Diet: Looking for a heart-healthy diet? Then the Mediterranean diet might be for you. This diet incorporates healthy eating, along with other components that characterize the traditional cooking style of countries along the Mediterranean Sea. As with most healthy diets, this one include fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains. While greatly limiting one’s intake of unhealthy fats. But there can be subtle variations in proportions of certain foods that may make a difference in the risk of heart disease. The foods to eat for example include: Vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, potatoes, whole grains, breads, herbs, spices, fish, seafood and extra virgin olive oil. While foods to be eaten in moderation are poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt. And on rare occasions, you can have some red meat. The foods to stay away from are sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars, processed meat, refined grains, refined oils and processed foods. Also read ingredient lists if you want to avoid these unhealthy ingredients. This diet has shown through research in more than 1.5 million adults demonstrated this diet was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality and overall mortality. It is also associated with a reduced development of cancer, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. Women who followed this diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts may have a reduced risk of breast cancer. This diet may even help reduce inflammation which may be causing back pain and sciatica.