That is the preferred eating plan for Janet Lord, Professor of Immune Cell Biology at the Institute for Inflammation and Ageing at Birmingham University. Interviewed by Dr Michael Mosley on BBC’s Just One Thing, she explains that the Med Plus diet is the Mediterranean diet PLUS nuts and seeds!

For the uninitiated, the Mediterranean diet is inspired by the eating habits and traditional food typical of southern Europe, rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seafood, nuts and legumes, and olive oil, with the odd glass of red vino!

It includes fewer ultra-processed foods and less meat than a typical Western diet, and has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and certain cancers.

The Med diet's primary focus is plant based with the addition of healthy fats – with the contributions from animal-based products being comprised of mainly fish and poultry with a limited quantity of dairy products.

The addition of nuts greatly enhances the Mediterranean diet, providing fibre, unsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols that can impact the overall gut health.

Recent research shows regular nut consumption (a handful every day) is associated with many health benefits. 

Macadamia nuts contain high levels of magnesium, copper and manganese that help maintain healthy neurotransmitters in the brain, which are also a key component of good mental health.

Eating macadamia can also promote good gut health because they are high in fibre, therefore aiding digestion and boosting healthy gut flora. Research believe there is a strong correlation between a health gut and a healthy mind – some even describing the stomach as the ‘second brain’.

Macadamia are great for a healthy heart as they are rich in good fats (monounsaturated) and if eaten often can actually reduce cholesterol and inflammation in blood vessels.  They are also rich in antioxidants that can protect the body from chronic disease including cancer.

The nutritional benefits described above are also found within populations in ‘blue zones’ around the world with the greatest concentration of centenarians are found. Also common to health into old age are purpose, community, regular exercise. We recently enjoyed the Netflix documentary series on this topic, 'Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (trailer below):

So - for those of us who are looking for a healthier lifestyle in 2024, you wouldn’t go far wrong adopting the Mediterranean Plus diet, including macadamia in your nut repertoire of course!

You can find our healthiest Raw Malawi Macadamias here.