Good humor, harmony and longevity are not a gift from the gods to the inhabitants of the Mediterranean.
All this is due to the traditions of healthy eating, which does not allow you to earn too much and prematurely disable the heart, blood vessels, liver and other body systems. The term "Mediterranean diet" appeared in the mid-20th century thanks to American nutritionists - the 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 nearly 200 years. Margaret died at the age of 100, Ansel - 97. In 2013, the Mediterranean diet received 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 nutritional systems in the world. Next, we will talk about the basic principles of the Mediterranean diet and the health benefits it brings.
The principles of the Mediterranean diet
Keyes nutritionists built a food pyramid based on the lifestyle studies of the Mediterranean peoples, 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, wholemeal bread, herbs, spices, fish, seafood and olive oil.
- eat in moderation: poultry, eggs, cheese and natural yogurt;
- eat very rarely: red meat;
- do not eat: sugary drinks, sugar, processed meats, refined cereals (processed white rice).
People following the Mediterranean diet avoid the following foods:
- refined cereals and products based on them (white bread, pasta and dough made from fine flours);
- refined oils (especially rapeseed and soybean oil);
- products with the addition of refined sugar (carbonated drinks, sweets, biscuits, etc. );
- processed meats (sausage, sausages, etc. );
- canned food.
What is it?
The diet should be dominated by fruits and vegetables. It is recommended to eat fish and seafood at least twice a week. Red meat is best consumed no more than once a month. Here is an example of a list of foods that can form the basis of your Mediterranean diet:
- Vegetables: tomatoes, courgettes, 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, turnips, sweet potatoes;
- Whole grains: oats, brown rice, rye, barley, corn, buckwheat, wheat, wholemeal bread and pasta
- Fish and seafood: salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, shrimp, oysters, shellfish, crabs, mussels;
- Poultry: chicken, duck, turkey;
- Eggs: hen, quail, duck;
- Dairy products: cheeses, 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 sugary carbonated drinks. Water, coffee, tea - this is what can be present in your life every day.
IS. . . a glass of red wine.
This is perhaps the only moot point of the diet. The inhabitants of the villages of the Mediterranean region are accustomed to dine with red wine. But mainstream medicine still recommends not introducing this ritual into a habit. Even a small amount of alcohol increases the risk of seven types of cancer, according to the World Health Organization. Therefore, it is best to stick to the "safe dose principle" in relation to alcoholic beverages.
Why do doctors follow the Mediterranean diet?
Scientists became interested in the Mediterranean diet in the 1960s. Then it was noted that in Greece, Italy, Spain and other Mediterranean countries, coronary heart disease mortality is much lower than in the United States and Northern Europe. Already in those years, studies have shown 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 you to gain weight and therefore serves as a prevention of liver diseases associated with the accumulation of fat in the body. People following a Mediterranean diet are far less likely to have fatty liver disease (NAFLD) than those following a Western diet. NAFLD, in turn, is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer. It turns out that a diet can "kill more birds with one stone": keep the heart, blood vessels, liver healthy and at the same time be lean.
Strengthens the heart, prolongs life
There are many scientific studies that specifically demonstrate 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 states that Mediterranean people are 30% less likely to have stroke, heart attack and death from them. A first study in 1999 showed that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with omega-3s helped prevent a second heart attack.
The gut will say "thank you"
Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina (USA) found that followers of the Mediterranean diet have 10% more good bacteria in their gut than those who eat Western-style. The Western diet is the exact opposite of the Mediterranean diet. Contains a lot of unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrates. Another study - conducted by Israeli specialists - showed that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of bowel cancer.
Incredible but true: the Mediterranean diet - varied, gluttonous, 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 is pleasure and good humor. It is understandable why the Mediterranean diet has become a UNESCO cultural heritage. This is not just a phenomenon, but almost the eighth wonder of the world.