The Mediterranean Diet is now recognized as one of the healthiest in the world consisting as it does of large amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables, salads, nuts, seeds, omega-3 rich oily fish, olives, and olive oil and being comparitively low in dairy products and red meats.
The people of the Mediterranean region, particuarly Greece and Spain, are very fortunate to live in an area where naturally healthy food is readily and cheaply available. The incidence of heart disease and cancer are lower here than anywhere else in the western world and experts now believe this is due in great part to what has become known as the Mediterranean diet.
Modern farming techniques and world wide transport has changed most peoples diets dramatically in the past centuary and it is now widely believed that such changes have had an exteremely detrimental effect on our health. Fortunately the impact of these developments has not had such a catastrophic effect in Mediterranean regions where to a large extent traditional diets are still followed. Of course with the advent of Globalization and MacDonald's! this is sadly changing. However we can all learn alot form what has become known as the Mediterranean diet and by adopting it,vastly improve our health and longevity.
The foods that grow naturally and abundantly in that region and have always formed a part of the local diet are as follows:
Olives, avocados, oranges, lemons, garlic, wild asparagus, walnuts, almonds,tomatoes, artichokes, figs, pomegranates, cherries, strawberries, grapes, plums, spinach, broad beans, peppers along with many other of the more common fruits and vegetables.
These provide large amounts of vitamins, minerals and fibre along with a wide variety of antioxidants and phytochemicals, the importance of which scientists are only now beginning to recognize as they discover more and more healthful benefits of including these elements in our diet.
Historically alot of the milk was produced from goats and cheese made from goats and ewes milk. Very little red meat is eaten and a large majority of the protein is supplied by oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, tuna, sword fish, boquerones and anchovies.
The main oil used is olive, traditionally cold pressed virgin, and this is used not only for cooking and in salads but also for putting on bread in place of butter.
All these foods provide a wide variety of nutriments which have an astonishing array of claims for improving our health such as lowering cholesterol, improving our immune system which thus not only fights infections but also helps to prevent cancer, increasing our metabolism, improving insulin sensitivity and thus lessening the risk of diabetes. It really has never been so true that you are what you eat. Certainly since moving to Andalucia and adopting the Mediteranean diet myself I have never been so healthy or managed to maintain my ideal weight so easily.
Of coures in addition to all the healthy components of this diet there is the added fact that honey is often used in place of sugar and little refined carbohydrates are eaten.
All in all most experts now agree that the Mediterranean diet is the optimum diet
Article submitted by Ruth Polak the owner of http://www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com a web site that specializes in holiday properties on the Costa del Sol and in Rural Andalucia. In addition you will find lots of information about Spain and Andalucia, in particular.
disinfecting cleaning services Buffalo Grove ..Many people avoid avocados thinking them to be fattening, but... Read More
Dr. Arthur Agatston, the cardiologist who developed South Beach Diet... Read More
Who suffers from Eating Disorders?Eating Disorder sufferers are male and... Read More
A fictional overheard conversation at a Thelma's Fine Dining.Hi, I'm... Read More
Last year I had a number of clients who started... Read More
It is not a myth. Eating breakfast is an important... Read More
East Meets WestAsian cultures have realized the medical benefits of... Read More
Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential to the development... Read More
I'm 40-something years old, and for 40-something years breakfast has... Read More
Eating healthy and taking care of yourself is essential to... Read More
If you do not take time to stand back at... Read More
Biological clockObviously you need biological clock to time and alarm... Read More
There are numerous diets out there that guarantee that they... Read More
If you want to lose weight, there is one thing... Read More
Female and male athletes respond to training in a fairly... Read More
In health circles there has been much recent talk about... Read More
Proper hydration is extremely important during exercise. Adequate fluid intake... Read More
Finally, dieters and healthy eaters everywhere have reason to rejoice,... Read More
Beans. Legumes. Pulses. Whatever you call this plant group, they... Read More
For a considerable amount of time, nutrition has not played... Read More
THE RISKWhen you consume food that's high in acid or... Read More
Following these simple nutrition guidelines will allow you to lose... Read More
Great news on the chocolate front! Chocolate is good for... Read More
The reason I remember the first time I was served... Read More
Fruit calories are very healthy as compared to calories in... Read More
spotless home service Arlington Heights ..The dangers of processed foods and diets Why is that... Read More
Evidence for the importance of fruit and vegetable intake to... Read More
Toxic metals exist in our environment as pollutants in our... Read More
All of my life I believed the best way to... Read More
Secretly we all want just a few things in life,... Read More
It slows ageing, promotes healthy vision, has anti-cancer properties, increases... Read More
The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of... Read More
I'm sure by now you've heard all about the amazing... Read More
Established in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice, "Foundation for Innovation in... Read More
Approximately 30 years ago, food manufacturers were competing against the... Read More
Although you may have heard about soy and all of... Read More
Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential to the development... Read More
Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the... Read More
Enzymes are the workers in our body that make everything... Read More
Do you notice your child putting off going to the... Read More
After WLS we must concentrate on eating nutrient rich food.... Read More
Looking for an easy and natural way increase your vitality... Read More
Cholesterol finds its way into our bodies in two main... Read More
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed.... Read More
Biological clockObviously you need biological clock to time and alarm... Read More
Are You Half The Man Your Father Was?It is a... Read More
If you have a business trip tomorrow morning, you've probably... Read More
Carbohydrates - found in grains, breads, pasta, and sugar, as... Read More
The question most people think they need an answer to... Read More
Every person on earth has experienced pain at one time... Read More
Nutrition |