Guide to the Mediterranean Diet

Good humor, harmony and longevity are not a gift from the gods to the inhabitants of the Mediterranean.Mediterranean diet dishesAll of this is due to the traditions of healthy eating, which does not allow you to gain too much and prematurely deactivate the heart, blood vessels, liver and other body systems. The term "Mediterranean Diet" appeared in the mid-20th century thanks to American nutritionists - spouses Margaret and Ansel Keys.

Scientists tested the diet on themselves: their diet consisted of foods typical of the Mediterranean region. For two, the couple lived for almost 200 years. Margaret died at the age of 100, Ansel - 97. In 2013, the Mediterranean Diet was awarded the status of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO (no other diet has this status). It is recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the healthiest food systems in the world. Next, we will talk about the basic principles of the Mediterranean diet and its health benefits.

The principles of the Mediterranean diet

Keyes nutritionists built a food pyramid based on the lifestyle studies of the peoples of the Mediterranean that formed the basis of the Mediterranean diet.

According to the pyramid, carbohydrates make up 60% of food, vegetable fats - 30%, proteins - 10%.

The basic principles of the Mediterranean diet are as follows:

  • Eat every day: vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, whole grain breads, herbs, spices, fish, seafood and olive oil.
  • eat in moderation: poultry, eggs, cheese and natural yogurt;
  • very rarely eat: red meat;
  • do not eat: sweetened drinks, sugar, processed meats, refined cereals (white processed rice).

People who join the Mediterranean diet avoid the following foods:

  • Refined cereals and products based on them (white bread, pasta and dough based on premium flour);
  • refined oils (especially rapeseed and soybean oil);
  • Products with added refined sugar (carbonated drinks, candy, cookies, etc. );
  • processed meat (sausage, sausage, etc. );
  • Canned food.

What is there?

The diet should be dominated by vegetables and fruits. It is recommended to eat seafood at least twice a week. Red meat is best eaten no more than once a month. Here is a sample list of foods that can form the basis of your Mediterranean diet:

  • Vegetables: tomatoes, zucchini, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, spinach, onions, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, herbs;
  • Fruits: apples, bananas, oranges, pears, strawberries, grapes, dates, figs, melons, peaches;
  • Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds;
  • Legumes: beans, peas, lentils, legumes, peanuts, chickpeas;
  • Potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, sweet potatoes;
  • Whole grain products: oats, brown rice, rye, barley, corn, buckwheat, wheat, whole grain bread and pasta
  • Fish and seafood: salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, prawns, oysters, shellfish, crabs, clams;
  • Poultry: chicken, duck, turkey;
  • Eggs: chicken eggs, quail eggs, duck eggs;
  • Dairy products: cheese, Greek yogurt;
  • Herbs and spices: garlic, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper;
  • Healthy fats: olive oil, olives, avocados, and avocado oil.

Drinking something?

The Mediterranean Diet is categorical only for sugary carbonated drinks. Water, coffee, tea - all of these can be present in your life every day.

And . . . a glass of red wine.

This is perhaps the only controversial point in diet. The inhabitants of the countries of the Mediterranean are used to dine with red wine. However, official medicine still recommends not making this ritual a habit. According to the World Health Organization, even a small amount of alcohol increases the risk of seven types of cancer. Therefore, it is better to adhere to the "Safe Dosage Principle" in relation to alcoholic beverages.

Why Do Doctors Take The Mediterranean Diet?

In the 1960s, scientists became interested in the Mediterranean diet. Then it was found that in Greece, Italy and Spain and other Mediterranean countries, mortality from coronary artery disease is much lower than in the United States and Northern Europe. Studies have already shown in these years that this type of diet is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. How about today

Healthy Weight - Healthy Liver

Scientists at the University of Wake Forest in Winston-Salem (USA) have found that the Mediterranean diet does not allow weight gain and therefore serves to prevent liver diseases related to the accumulation of fat in the body. People who follow a Mediterranean diet are much less likely to have fatty liver disease (NAFLD) than those who follow a Western diet. NAFLD, in turn, is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disease, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. It turns out that a diet can "kill several birds with one stone": keep your heart, blood vessels, liver healthy and be slim at the same time.

Strengthens the heart, extends life

There are many scientific studies that substantiate the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in strengthening the cardiovascular system. In 2006 the results of the PREDIMED study showed that the Mediterranean diet has a positive influence on risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. A 2013 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine claims that people in the Mediterranean basin are 30% less likely to get strokes, heart attacks, and deaths. An early 1999 study showed that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids prevented a second heart attack.

The intestines will say "thank you"

Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina (USA) have found that followers of the Mediterranean diet have 10% more good bacteria in their intestines than those who eat Western diets. The Western diet is the exact opposite of the Mediterranean diet. It is high in unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrates. Another study - by Israeli specialists - showed that the Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of colon cancer.

Incredible but true: the Mediterranean diet - varied, tasty, nutritious - is also one of the healthiest ways of eating in the world. There are no strict requirements and restrictions. There is no constant feeling of hunger. There is no feeling that you are constantly hurting yourself in any way in the name of health. But there is joy and a good mood. It's understandable why the Mediterranean diet has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is not just a phenomenon, but almost the eighth wonder of the world.