Good mood, harmony and longevity are not a gift of the gods to the inhabitants of the Mediterranean.
All this is due to the tradition of a healthy diet, which does not allow you to gain too much and disable the heart, blood vessels, liver and other body systems prematurely. The term "Mediterranean diet" appeared in the mid-20th century thanks to American nutritionists - spouses Margaret and Ansel Keys.
The scientists tested the diet on themselves: their diet consisted of food typical of the Mediterranean area. The two couple lived for almost 200 years. Margaret died at the age of 100, Ansel - 97. 2013. The Mediterranean diet received the status of intangible cultural heritage from UNESCO (no other diet has such a status). The World Health Organization has recognized it as one of the healthiest food systems in the world. Next, we will discuss the basic principles of the Mediterranean diet and what health benefits it brings.
Principles of the Mediterranean diet
Keyes nutritionists built the food pyramid based on studies of the lifestyles of the peoples of the Mediterranean, which formed the basis of the Mediterranean diet.
According to the pyramid, carbohydrates make up 60% of the diet, 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 eaten: red meat;
- do not eat: sweetened drinks, sugar, processed meat, refined grains (white processed rice).
People who follow the Mediterranean diet avoid the following foods:
- refined grains and products based on them (white bread, pasta and dough based on premium flour);
- refined oils (especially oilseed rape and soybeans);
- products with the addition of refined sugar (carbonated drinks, sweets, cookies, etc. );
- processed meat (sausages, sausages, etc. );
- canned food.
What is?
The diet should be dominated by vegetables and fruits. It is recommended to eat fish and seafood at least twice a week. Red meat is best eaten at most once a month. Here is a sample list of foods that can be 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, yams;
- Whole grains: oats, brown rice, rye, barley, corn, buckwheat, wheat, whole grain bread and pasta
- Fish and seafood: salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, shrimp, oysters, shellfish, crabs, shellfish;
- Poultry: chicken, duck, turkey;
- Eggs: chicken, quail, duck eggs;
- Dairy products: cheese, Greek yogurt;
- Herbs and spices: garlic, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper;
- Healthy fats: olive oil, olives, avocado and avocado oil.
What drink?
The Mediterranean diet is categorical only for sweet carbonated drinks. Water, coffee, tea - these are the things that can be present in your life every day.
I. . . a glass of red wine.
This is perhaps the only controversial point in the diet. Residents of the countries of the Mediterranean region are accustomed to eating with red wine. But official medicine still recommends that this ritual not be introduced into the 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?
Scientists became interested in the Mediterranean diet in the 1960s. It was then observed that in Greece, Italy and Spain and other Mediterranean countries, mortality from coronary heart disease is much lower than in the United States and northern Europe. Already in those years, studies showed that this type of diet is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. And today?
Healthy weight - healthy liver
Scientists from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem (USA) have discovered that the Mediterranean diet does not allow weight gain, and therefore serves as a prevention of liver diseases associated with 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, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. It turns out that one diet can "kill several birds with one stone": keep the heart, blood vessels, liver healthy, and at the same time be slim.
It strengthens the heart, prolongs life
There are many scientific studies that especially prove 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 beneficial effect on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. A 2013 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine claims that people from the Mediterranean are 30% less likely to get a stroke, heart attack and death from them. The first study from 1999 showed that the Mediterranean diet supplemented with omega-3 helped prevent a second heart attack.
The gut will say "thank you"
Scientists from Wapt Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina (USA) have found that supporters of the Mediterranean diet have 10% more good bacteria in their intestines than those who eat Western style. The Western diet is the complete opposite of the Mediterranean diet. It contains a lot of unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrates. Another study - by Israeli specialists - showed that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of bowel cancer.
Unbelievable, but true: the Mediterranean diet - varied, delicious, nutritious - is also one of the healthiest diets 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 violating yourself in some way in the name of health. But there are pleasures and good moods. It is understandable why the Mediterranean diet has become a UNESCO cultural heritage site. This is not just a phenomenon, but almost the eighth wonder of the world.