Whenever I see something about the Mediterranean diet it seems to be different so I ask myself what is it really?. Well I found out that there are approximately 16 countries that are around the Mediterranean Sea. What they eat in each of these varies from country to country and between the regions within them. The different cultures, ethnic background, religion, economy and agricultural production accounts for all of this variance. There is some commonality though, and it has these items in common:
Large quantities of fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds
They cook with a lot of olive oil, which is an important source of monounsaturated fats.
They do not consume a lot of dairy products, red meat, fish or chicken.
Eggs are eaten from none to four times a week
They drink wine in low to moderate amounts
What this means is that Mediterranean-style diet contains a less saturated fat than those who eat the average American diet. More than half the fat calories come from monounsaturated fats (mainly the olive oil). The good thing here is that Monounsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels like saturated fat does.
The result of all this is that heart disease in Mediterranean countries is lower than in the United States. So is the death rate. But in addition to the diet their lifestyle has more physical activity and social support systems.
Recently a new report suggested that some components of a Mediterranean diet may be more vital to good health than others. Researchers at the University of Athens Medical School linked longevity to consuming large quantities of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes and olive oil, keeping alcohol intake moderate and avoiding too much meat.
Meanwhile, eating lots of fish or seafood and going light on dairy products does not seem to increase life spans. The authors of the study examined the eating habits of more than 23,000 Greeks for 10 years, and concluded many of the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet were negated when they removed heavy vegetable consumption, light meat intake or moderate drinking.
Likewise when they combined several components, like a diet rich in vegetables and olive oil, there were definite health benefits.
So, if you follow a Mediterranean like diet, based on their normal eating habits, you can improve your health and maybe live longer.
Large quantities of fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds
They cook with a lot of olive oil, which is an important source of monounsaturated fats.
They do not consume a lot of dairy products, red meat, fish or chicken.
Eggs are eaten from none to four times a week
They drink wine in low to moderate amounts
What this means is that Mediterranean-style diet contains a less saturated fat than those who eat the average American diet. More than half the fat calories come from monounsaturated fats (mainly the olive oil). The good thing here is that Monounsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels like saturated fat does.
The result of all this is that heart disease in Mediterranean countries is lower than in the United States. So is the death rate. But in addition to the diet their lifestyle has more physical activity and social support systems.
Recently a new report suggested that some components of a Mediterranean diet may be more vital to good health than others. Researchers at the University of Athens Medical School linked longevity to consuming large quantities of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes and olive oil, keeping alcohol intake moderate and avoiding too much meat.
Meanwhile, eating lots of fish or seafood and going light on dairy products does not seem to increase life spans. The authors of the study examined the eating habits of more than 23,000 Greeks for 10 years, and concluded many of the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet were negated when they removed heavy vegetable consumption, light meat intake or moderate drinking.
Likewise when they combined several components, like a diet rich in vegetables and olive oil, there were definite health benefits.
So, if you follow a Mediterranean like diet, based on their normal eating habits, you can improve your health and maybe live longer.
1 comment:
Monounsaturated fats are a big part of my diet for weight loss and my Type 2 diabetes. I eat lots of avocados, which are a rich source of monounsaturated fats, and I may start sprinkling a little olive oil on my avocados.
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