Well, to begin with, there isn't really any one Mediterranean Diet! There's a whole swag of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The basic Mediterranean Diet has common characteristics even if the sourrounding countries differ in culture, language and recipes to some extent.
* an extensive intake of fruits, vegetables, bread and cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds
* olive oil is a source of mono-unsaturated fat - common to the Mediterranean area
* some dairy products, fish and even poultry are consumed in sparing to moderate amounts, and some red meat(not much)
* eggs are consumed in low to moderate amount say 1 to 4 eggs a week
* fortunately wine is acceptable but in low quantities ie. 1 - 3 glasses per day
A good question to ask is - Does a Mediterranean-style diet follow American Heart Association dietary guidelines?
Mediterranean-style diets are often close to US dietary guidelines, but not exactly.
People who follow the average Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than those who eat the average American diet. In fact, saturated fat consumption is well within US dietary guidelines. More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from mono-unsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). Mono-unsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.
The incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean countries is lower than in the United States. Death rates are lower, too. However there are some who feel this may not be entirely due to the diet. Lifestyle factors (ie. more physical activity and extended social family support structures) may also play a part. At this stage this is just a theory. However the research tells all - the diet has existed for umpteen years.
If you would like further proof of the mediterranean diet benefits resulting from research and qualified researchers you could try visiting http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/348/26/2599 or http://my.webmd.com/content/article/67/80070.htm. Both of these sites give good 'food for thought'(excuse the pun)."Olive oil plays a central role, but it is not alone," says Dimitrios Trichopoulos, MD, PhD, of Harvard School of Public Health.
"It's among the divine mix of several factors that, when used in combination, help provide strong evidence of something that is very important -- eating the proper diet can significantly reduce your risk of early death." He and researchers from Greece studied some 22,000 adults, aged 20 to 86, from all regions of that country; most previous studies tracked only older people who were more likely to die during the study. The participants answered detailed questionnaires about their eating habits throughout the four-year study. Then they were rated on how closely they followed the key principles of the Mediterranean diet.
Sticking to the Mediterranean diet cut the risk of death from both heart disease and cancer. For every two points higher on this 0-to-9 scale -- with top numbers going to those most closely following the Mediterranean diet -- the death rate dropped by 25%.
The findings by Trichopoulos may also help explain why Asians, who typically use these other cooking oils, also have lower disease and death rates. Although they rarely use olive oil, they traditionally follow other principles of the Mediterranean diet -- lots of produce, legumes, nuts, and minimally processed grains, with little saturated fat.
"The message remains the same, and is consistent with other findings: A diet lower in saturated fats and higher in monounsaturated fats, and potentially, polyunsaturates, will result in better health outcomes," says Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, of Tufts University and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.
"If the main message that Americans get is to just increase their olive or canola oil consumption, that's unfortunate because they will increase their caloric intake and they are already getting too many calories. What they need to do is eat more fruits, vegetables, and legumes and fewer foods rich in saturated fats."
Some of this information has been referenced from The New England Journal of Medicine, June 26, 2003. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology, Vincent L. Gregory Professor of Cancer Prevention, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston. Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, senior scientist and director, Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human
Nutrition Researcher Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston; spokeswoman, American Heart Association.
So in a nutshell, there is sound evidence that the Mediterranean Diet can help reduce heart disease, cancer, weight gain and of course reduce the risk of early death. However, it would be a mistake to think this outcome is based on the use of Olive Oil alone. The diet is diverse and allows for taste and creativity which is often lacking in most other diets. This alone warrants further investigation from those who seek a healthy, easy diet that has flavour and is fullfilling. Remember too that just as in all worthwhile diets, moderate level exercise should not be overlooked.
Publisher & author: Roy Barker. Roy has an indepth and long established background with the vitamins, minerals and health industry and has researched and experimented with many diets over a thirty year period. Roy is also the author of Safe and Easy Weightloss, a downloadable e-book based on the popular Mediterranean Diet. It can be viewed at http://www.safe-and-easy-weightloss.com
limousine chicago serviceDo you want to lose weight? Of course you do,... Read More
Twenty years ago, I did not expect to accomplish what... Read More
What do you think of the hundreds of weight loss... Read More
What's a Low Carb Diet Really Mean?When I hear low... Read More
Many people today are interested in weight loss and weight... Read More
Ready for a hardcore diet to get lean in a... Read More
These treadmill weight loss tips are a great way to... Read More
What do I mean by that?Well, carrots are good for... Read More
There's a dirty little secret in the diet industry. The... Read More
I am considering Gastric bypass surgery because I am overweight,... Read More
There are a few different ways to determine if you... Read More
In life, various factors contribute to weight gain. Be it... Read More
Resistance training, also known as strength training, does not require... Read More
As a part of a children's diet and health study,... Read More
Some of you will not like what I'm going to... Read More
Acupuncture for weight loss is a modern application of this... Read More
Although many patients have few problems after bariatric surgery, there... Read More
At the beginning of December, WeightWatchers.com announced the release of... Read More
Now that the holiday season is here, holiday foods and... Read More
Do calories matter or do you simply need to eat... Read More
Fat Burners refer to the hundreds of products on the... Read More
Since the reintroduction of Ephedra based products on about April... Read More
As much as many of us who are over-weight do... Read More
I wonder how much it is generally known that the... Read More
Diet and Exercise. They are the inseparable twins that are... Read More
can't open file for w /hsphere/local/home/sasha/casapolis.co/tools/neptun/temp/max14separatorstylefontsize10pxcolorblackfontfamilyverdanatextdecorationnone.htmlDietitians just plain don't like low-carb or high-protein diets.Whether it's... Read More
Diet is a dreadful word for most of us because... Read More
More and more people are starting to recognize that they... Read More
Are you often overcome with an urge to splurge on... Read More
You will be surprised to find out how many people... Read More
If you are traveling on the path towards wellness you... Read More
Maybe your doctor suggested it. Maybe your favorite outfit doesn't... Read More
When we hear all the success stories of the gastric... Read More
Stop Weight From Creeping Up By Staying AwareEveryone has small... Read More
"I am going to start a diet tomorrow". How many... Read More
Food is not simply fuel to keep you going. Nor... Read More
Axiom Number Two: Hunger ControlTrying to lose weight without understanding... Read More
Choosing a weight loss program may be a daunting task.... Read More
"The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of... Read More
We have such good weight loss intentions. We emotionally beat... Read More
It is not recommended to lose more than 1 pound... Read More
Are you feeling down and out? Do you feel even... Read More
Are you trying to lose weight?If you are, STOP!Funny thing... Read More
To say that dieting rarely leads to sustainable weight loss... Read More
You may not like what I'm about to say, but... Read More
The answer to the title of this article is "none."... Read More
Have you ever wondered why some fat people can be... Read More
While it would be ideal to make all of our... Read More
When Instant Results Take TimeYesterday I decided to "get back... Read More
Both men and women around the world are becoming fatter... Read More
Weight Loss Weight Loss |