If you ate and moved like they do in the Mediterranean, you'd age slower too (7 habits)

I’m writing this after a slow lunch at our kitchen island, olive oil still shining on the plates. My husband had a quick second serving while I sliced tomatoes and Emi tried to feed me a chickpea with her tiny fingers.

It’s a normal Tuesday in Brazil for us, but my plate could easily be from Crete or Sardinia. Lots of plants. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Fish on rotation. A short walk to the market earlier, stroller wheels clicking over the sidewalk.

I didn’t grow up on the Mediterranean, but the rhythm of that lifestyle keeps sneaking into our home. Not just what’s on the plate. How we move, how we eat, how we rest. As noted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Mediterranean way is “more of an eating pattern than a strictly regimented diet plan,” which is why it fits busy family life so well.

Here’s how I try to live it, habit by habit, and what you can borrow for your own routine.

1. Pour real olive oil like you mean it

Good olive oil isn’t a garnish in this lifestyle. It’s the main fat. I keep ours on the counter, not hidden away, so it actually gets used. A generous pour over salads and cooked veggies. A spoon in a quick tuna or white bean mash for lunch. I even finish soups with it.

Why it matters: olive oil brings flavor, satiety, and polyphenols. That means you’re more likely to enjoy your vegetables and keep coming back for them. I noticed this the week we switched from a tiny “diet” drizzle to a confident pour. Our dinners felt more satisfying and my late-night snack urges faded.

Try this tonight: roast any vegetable you have, salt it well, then finish with olive oil and lemon. Simple wins are the ones we repeat.

2. Make plants the default and protein the accent

When I shop with Emi in the stroller, our basket is mostly produce, beans, whole grains, and herbs. I build meals around plants first, then add protein as a sidekick. Lentil soup with a bright salad. Whole grain pasta with tomatoes, basil, and olives. A tray of roasted vegetables with a scoop of hummus or a piece of grilled fish.

The point isn’t to label yourself. It’s to let plants do the heavy lifting for your energy, digestion, and long-term health. If half your plate is vegetables and the other half is whole grains and protein, you’re already close.

Question to ask before you eat: where’s the plant power here?

3. Eat beans like a local

Chickpeas, lentils, cannellini, black beans. They’re affordable, shelf-stable, and kid friendly when you know a few easy tricks. I cook a big pot on Sundays or grab canned for speed. Mash with olive oil and garlic and pile on toast. Toss into soups and salads. Blend into a creamy dip for crudités.

Beans are fiber, minerals, and slow-burning carbs in one package. I feel steadier through my afternoons when I’ve had a bean-based lunch, especially on my heaviest work days. And yes, your gut adapts. Start small, drink water, keep going.

If you want one habit that quietly strengthens your future self, let it be beans.

4. Choose the sea a few times a week

Some weeks it’s salmon. Other weeks it’s sardines smashed with lemon and parsley. In Chile, when we’re with family, we eat seafood even more and I notice my skin looks calmer and my joints feel looser. Omega-3 rich fish is a Mediterranean staple for a reason.

I aim for two to three fish meals a week. If fresh fish is pricey where you live, go for canned sardines, tuna, or mackerel in olive oil. Mix with lemon, chopped veggies, and herbs, and serve with crusty whole grain bread or over greens.

If you don’t eat fish, you can still lean into walnuts, chia, hemp, and algae-based omega-3s. The idea is the same. Feed your cells something they love.

5. Move like movement is normal

In Mediterranean towns, people walk because life is set up that way. Markets, cafes, plazas. Movement is built in. In São Paulo, we recreate that where we can. We walk Matias to work most mornings and do our market run with the stroller. I carry groceries, take the stairs, and mix in short mobility breaks while coffee brews.

This isn’t performance. It’s habit. The World Health Organization puts it simply: adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, plus muscle strengthening on 2 days.

I keep it practical. Thirty minutes of brisk walking five days a week is 150 minutes. Two 20 minute strength sessions during Emi’s nap make a noticeable difference in my back and core. Add your version: carry your toddler up the stairs, do calf raises while brushing your teeth, or squat to unload laundry. It all counts.

6. Turn meals into mini rituals

I used to eat standing up while cleaning the counter. Now we sit together most nights, put the phones away, and eat at a human pace. Chew, talk, pass the salad, take a breath. When we’re in Santiago with grandparents, meals stretch longer, and my nervous system thanks me for it.

Here’s what I notice when meals feel like rituals. I taste my food. I stop naturally when I’m satisfied. I sleep better. My stress level is lower even if the day was chaotic. This part of the Mediterranean lifestyle is easy to copy. You don’t need a perfect kitchen or a rustic table. You need a chair, a plate, and five extra minutes.

Micro ritual ideas: light a candle, put bread and olives in a bowl, pour water into glasses, and say one thing you’re grateful for before you dig in.

7. Play the long game with aging

Aging is complex, but lifestyle stacks the odds. One detail I love: adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been associated with longer telomere length, a biomarker of aging. That doesn’t mean perfection. It means consistency. The kind you can keep while raising kids, working full time, and still enjoying your life.

Another piece I pay attention to is quality fat. Extra virgin olive oil and nuts show up again and again in the research on heart health and longevity. A large Spanish trial found that a Mediterranean pattern supplemented with extra virgin olive oil or nuts lowered major cardiovascular events compared with a reduced fat diet.

What does this look like day to day? I batch-cook beans and grains on Sundays. I keep a bowl of fruit on the counter and a jar of toasted almonds on the shelf where I can see it. I plan fish meals before the week gets busy. I protect our evening walk and our sit-down dinner the way I protect my deadlines. My future self is built by these small, ordinary choices.

How I fit these 7 habits into a real week

Monday: market run after school drop-off. I grab tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, lemons, and a bag of chickpeas. Lunch is a quick Greek-ish salad with olives and a chunk of feta. Dinner is whole wheat pasta with a fast sauce of garlic, olive oil, chopped tomatoes, and basil. We finish with sliced peaches.

Tuesday: sardine toasts with parsley and lemon for my lunch. Emi steals the crunchy edges. We take the long route to the playground. Thirty minutes of walking without calling it exercise.

Wednesday: lentil soup with a salad. I do a 20 minute strength workout while Emi naps. Dinner is a tray bake of zucchini, peppers, and onions with olive oil and oregano. A yogurt bowl with honey for dessert.

Thursday: we meet friends for an early dinner. I choose grilled fish and a big salad. A small glass of wine with food, water all night. We walk home.

Friday: date night. We share mezze. Olives, hummus, grilled veggies, and a seafood dish. Slow meal, good conversation. We take a longer stroll before catching a ride back.

Weekend: batch-cook beans, roast vegetables, and make a herby sauce from parsley, lemon, capers, and olive oil. Put on music and let the kitchen be the place everyone hangs out. No rush. This is the part that makes everything easier.

A few practical swaps that help you age slower, starting now

• Swap butter for extra virgin olive oil in most cooking.
• Make a bean or lentil dish once a day, even if it’s small.
• Add one big salad to your daily routine and actually salt it.
• Aim for fish two to three times a week or use canned fish for speed.
• Schedule your movement the way you schedule meetings.
• Sit down to eat, even if it’s 10 minutes.
• Keep water on the table and your phone off it.

I’m not chasing perfection. I’m chasing a life that feels good today and stacks benefits for later. The Mediterranean way does that without strict rules or a complicated plan. It’s food you want to eat, movement you actually enjoy, and rituals that make ordinary days feel richer.

As a mom, a wife, and a person who loves good food, that’s the balance I want. Not a hack. A way of living that looks simple on the surface and quietly changes your health from the inside.