The Mediterranean Diet
Part 1
The Mediterranean Diet is the name that has evolved to symbolize the healthy foods eaten by those people whose countries surround the Mediterranean Sea. Their diets are higher in vegetables, legumes (beans and peas), fruits, nuts and whole grain cereals. The main fat used is olive oil and there is less use of highly saturated fats like butter and lard.
Instead of beef and poultry as the main animal protein, they eat mostly fish with some dairy, although much of the dairy is in the form of cultured products like cheeses and yogurt. The lower intake of poultry and red meats is coupled with a moderate consumption of wine (mostly with meals).
These ingredients form the basis of Health meets Food recipes. The diet for the most part adds up to fewer calories and better quality foods than the diet that has evolved in America and Western cultures. Interest in this way of eating began because of the longevity of those who have traditionally eaten this way.
The Mediterranean Diet as such was originally recognized by Ancel Keys, a physiologist who believed as early as the 1950s that heart disease was not a necessary part of the ag eing process. Dr. Keys laid the foundations for what we now refer to as the Mediterranean Diet. He lived to be 100 and was active in his field well into his 90s - testimony to the importance of eating well and eating healthy.
Research Articles - The Mediterranean Diet
Macronutrients vs. Overall Diet: Which is More Important?
It’s an axiom among dietitians that “people eat food, not macronutrients.” That’s one of the reasons that we find fad diets to be so silly: so many of them demonize entire classes of foods (“all oils are bad,” “avoid all carbohydrates,” “don’t eat animal products”). While there are those who may find these diets work for them, the vast majority of people can’t live with those diets for the long term. The good news…
Mediterranean Diet Good for More Than Your Physical Health
If you’ve been following us for a while you know that following a Mediterranean-style Diet can help reduce your risk of many chronic diseases, from heart disease to cancer, and help you manage or improve such conditions as diabetes and poor cholesterol scores. We also know that it may help reduce your risk of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. Other studies have indicated that your diet may have an effect…
Mediterranean Diet and Alzheimer’s Disease
Being able to reproduce the results of a study is key to verifying any conclusions drawn from research. A number of years ago a group of scientists claimed to have mastered “Cold Fusion,” but in followup experiments no one has been able to reproduce such an effect. Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas and his colleagues published a study this year on a group of elderly subjects that indicated eating a Mediterranean style diet resulted in a…
Mediterranean Diet and Breast Cancer Risk
In the past we’ve reported on the links (or lack thereof) between soy and breast cancer (good for breast cancer survivors [Bite 12/09/09], may help reduce overall risk [Bite 08/27/08]), calcium supplements and breast cancer (makes no difference [Bite 02/11/09]), red meat (may increase risk [Bite 11/15/06]), and grapefruit (does not increase risk [Bite 07/23/08]). We know that following a Mediterranean style diet is linked with lower incidence of heart disease, high blood pressure,…
Mediterranean Diet and Esophageal Cancer
Less than 10% of those in Iran who are diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma survive for 5 years or more past diagnosis. (By way of comparison, 84% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK survive 5 years or more.) Esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world and fourth most common in developing countries. It is even more common in what is known as the “esophageal cancer belt,”…
Mediterranean Diet and Quality of Life
We know that following a Mediterranean style diet can help prevent a number of chronic diseases and conditions – from improving insulin levels and cholesterol scores to preventing heart attack and stroke. But health is more than just lack of disease – it’s also about quality of life. It might sound pretty hard to quantify one’s quality of life, but researchers at the RAND Corporation have taken a stab at it by developing what…
Mediterranean Diet Basics
The basics of the Mediterranean diet can be broken into 9 important areas of change for your health:
1. Vegetables
No. 1 - Vegetables This one’s pretty easy. It’s pretty much impossible to eat too many vegetables. Keep in mind…
2. Legumes
No. 2 - Legumes As with the wide variety of cabbages you can find in the market, there are lots…
3. Fruits & Nuts
No. 3 - Fruits and Nuts Fruit is the perfect snack. Sweet and satisfying, it’s important to keep your fridge…
4. Cereal Grains
No. 4 - Cereals and Grains Whole grains are really good for you. If you are used to "white" starches…
5. Fish
No. 5 - Fish More fish, less meat. Simple. A lot of people say that they don’t like fish. However,…
6. Oils
No. 6 - Oils and Fats In most studies on the Mediterranean Diet this is generally classified as olive oil.…
7. Dairy Products
No. 7 - Dairy The traditional Mediterranean diet doesn’t have dairy products as a major focus. When dairy is part…
8. Meats
No. 8 - Meats Less meat and lean meats. The median consumption was about 4 ounces of meat per day.…
9. Alcohol
No. 9 - Alcohol There is good evidence that moderate use of alcohol is good for you and this research…