Good atmosphere, harmony and longevity are not gifts from the gods to the people of the Mediterranean.
All this is due to the tradition of healthy eating, which does not allow you to gain too much and kills the heart, blood vessels, liver and other body systems. The term "Mediterranean diet" emerged in the mid -20th century thanks to American nutritionists - couple Margaret and Ansel Keys.
Scientists tested the diet themselves: their diet consisted of special foods of the Mediterranean region. For two, the couple lived for almost 200 years. Margaret died at the age of 100, Ansel - 97. In 2013, the Mediterranean diet was awarded Intangible Cultural Heritage status by UNESCO (no other diet has this status). It is recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the healthiest eating systems in the world. Next, we will discuss the basic principles of the Mediterranean diet and the health benefits it brings.
Principles of the Mediterranean diet
Keyes nutritionist built a food pyramid based on a study of the lifestyles of people in the Mediterranean, which formed the basis of the Mediterranean diet.
According to the pyramid, carbohydrates make up 60%of the diet, vegetable fats - 30%, protein - 10%.
The basic principles of the Mediterranean diet are as follows:
- Eat daily: vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, legumes, whole grains, whole wheat bread, herbs, spices, fish, seafood, and olive oil.
- eat in moderation: chicken, eggs, cheese and natural yogurt;
- eat very rarely: red meat;
- do not eat: sugary drinks, sugar, processed meats, fine grains (processed white rice).
People who follow the Mediterranean diet avoid the following foods:
- fine grains and products based on them (white bread, pasta and dough based on premium flour);
- refined oils (especially rapeseed and soybean oils);
- products with the addition of refined sugars (carbonated drinks, sweets, cookies, etc. );
- processed meats (sausages, sausages, etc. );
- canned food.
What's that?
The diet should be dominated by vegetables and fruits. It is best to eat fish and seafood at least twice a week. Red meat is best eaten no more than once a month. The following is a list of examples of foods that can form 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;
- Beans: beans, peas, lentils, legumes, peanuts, beans;
- Potatoes, sweet potatoes, radishes, yams;
- Whole grains: wheat, brown rice, rye, barley, corn, buckwheat, oats, whole wheat bread and pasta
- Fish and seafood: salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, shrimp, oysters, clams, crabs, clams;
- Beans: 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, olive, avocado, and avocado oil.
What drink?
Mediterranean food can only be categorized for sugary carbonated drinks. Water, coffee, tea - this is what you can have in your daily life.
Dan. . . a glass of red wine.
This is probably the only point of controversy in the diet. Residents of countries in the Mediterranean region are accustomed to eating red wine. But official medicine still advocates not including this ritual into the habit. Even a small amount of alcohol increases the risk of seven types of cancer, according to the World Health Organization. Therefore, it is better to adhere to the "safe dosage principle" associated with alcoholic beverages.
Why do doctors take the Mediterranean diet?
Scientists were interested in the Mediterranean diet in the 1960s. Then it was observed that in Greece, Italy and Spain and other Mediterranean countries, deaths from coronary heart disease were much lower than in the United States and Northern Europe. Already in those years, studies showed that this type of diet was associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. What about today?
Healthy Weight - A Healthy Heart
Scientists from the University of Wake Forest in Winston-Salem (USA) found that the Mediterranean diet does not allow you to gain weight, and therefore serves as a prevention of liver disease associated with the accumulation of fat in the body. People who follow the Mediterranean diet are less likely to have fatty liver disease (NAFLD) than those who follow the Western diet. NAFLD 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 slim.
Strengthens the heart, prolongs life
There are many scientific studies that specifically 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 had a beneficial effect on cardiovascular disease risk factors. A 2013 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine claimed that Mediterranean people are 30% more likely to suffer stroke, heart attack, and death from them. Preliminary studies 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 adherents of the Mediterranean diet had 10% more good bacteria in their gut than those who ate Western -style. The Western diet is the opposite of the Mediterranean diet. It contains a lot of unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrates. Other studies - by Israeli experts - show that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of bowel cancer.
Unusual but true: the Mediterranean diet - varied, delicious, nutritious - is also one of the healthiest diets in the world. There are no strict conditions and restrictions. There is no constant hunger. There is no feeling that you are constantly violating yourself in some way in the name of health. But there is fun and a good mood. It is understandable why the Mediterranean diet has become a UNESCO cultural heritage site. This is not just a phenomenon, but almost an eighth world wonder.