I wasn't eating great, I was skimping on sleep, and I certainly wasn't exercising regularly. And it caught up to me. Big time. It wasn't until I had a series of my own health challenges-3 separate bouts of different autoimmune illnesses within 5 years-that I decided it was time to make some serious changes to my own nutrition, and find the best possible lifestyle for myself.

I knew it was something I could figure out-I had learned how to research in med school, and I knew I had all the information at my fingertips. It was just a matter of doing some investigating.

Naturally, I began to examine the Mediterranean diet, since I have been in love with Europe for my entire adult life. (I backpacked solo throughout Europe for several weeks after I graduated from medical school--my graduation gift to myself--and since then have gone back repeatedly to travel throughout Europe, including plenty of time spent exploring the Mediterranean countries of France, Italy, and Greece.)

But once I started delving into the research, comparing the different diets and nutrition theories, I realized just how miraculous the Mediterranean diet was.